6 Questions
What is a primary characteristic differentiating primary succession from secondary succession?
Previous soil availability
Which situation best exemplifies primary succession?
Development of vegetation on a newly formed volcanic island
What defines secondary succession?
Re-development of an ecosystem after a disturbance
If M is the number of tadpoles initially caught and tagged, R is the number of tadpoles recaptured, and C is the number of tadpoles caught on the second day, which of the following relationships is used for estimating the population (N) of tadpoles?
$N = \frac{MC}{R}$
Which is the best description of overpopulation’s effect on an ecosystem?
Rise in malnutrition
Environmental degradation can cause which of the following effects on population?
Population decline
Study Notes
Ecological Succession
- Primary Succession: a process of ecosystem development in an area where no soil or vegetation existed before, such as after a volcanic eruption or the formation of a new island.
- Secondary Succession: a process of ecosystem development in an area where soil and vegetation were previously present, but were disturbed or destroyed, such as after a forest fire or the clearing of land.
Key Characteristics of Ecological Succession
- Primary Succession: starting point is no previous ecosystem, with no soil or limited soil availability.
- Secondary Succession: starting point is an existing ecosystem that is disturbed or destroyed, with soil already present.
Mark-Release-Recapture Method
- Let M be the number of tadpoles initially caught and tagged.
- Let C be the number of tadpoles caught on the second day.
- Let R be the number of tadpoles recaptured on the second day.
Population Estimation
- N = (total population size) can be estimated using the mark-release-recapture method.
Causes of Change in Population
- Overpopulation: a cause of change in population.
- Environmental degradation: a cause of change in population.
Effects of Change in Population
- Increased competition for resources: an effect of change in population.
- Decrease or decline: an effect of change in population.
- Changes in feeding behavior: an effect of change in population.
- Increase in malnutrition: an effect of change in population.
Test your understanding of primary and secondary succession, two processes of ecosystem development that occur in different environments. Identify the characteristics and differences between these two types of succession.
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