Lecture Notes: Ecological Succession

Introduction

• Mention of Disney's Lion King and its happy ending.
• Analogy of the movie with ecological succession.

Definition of Ecological Succession

• Defined as the process over time of organism changes in an ecological community.
• Community: Different populations living together (e.g., hippos, lions, giraffes, plants).
  • Levels of organization in ecology: Organism, Population, Community.

Types of Ecological Succession

Primary Succession

• Occurs in a brand new area with no soil (e.g., volcanic lava flow).
• Pioneer Species: First species to colonize, often lichen or moss.
• Process:
  • Pioneer species break down rock, creating soil.
  • Soil supports small vascular plants (grasses), followed by shrubs and trees.
  • Development of a climax community over hundreds of years.
• Sequence driven by competition for space and resources.
• Seed Dispersal: Seeds can be dispersed by wind, water, and animals.

Secondary Succession

• Follows a disturbance in an area that once had an ecological community.
• Examples: Forest fire, flood, tornado, human activity.
• Key Point: Soil is already present.
• Pioneer species are small plants due to available soil.
• Follows a similar sequence to primary succession, but is faster.

Importance of Ecological Succession

• Demonstrates organism diversity over time.
• Leads to increased biodiversity.

Closing

• Encouragement to stay curious.
• Reminder to engage with content on social media.
• Reference to additional resources (plant reproduction video).