Primary Succession on a Beach Dune

SUCCESSION

PRIMARY SUCCESSION ON A BEACH DUNE

The diagram below shows the stages in plant succession on a sand dune on the central Atlantic Coast of the United States. Use the diagram and your own prior knowledge to answer questions 1-5.

1. What does the term "ecological succession" mean? Gradual changes in ecological community over time. ______

2. What is the pioneer species in this succession? BEACH GRASS

3. What is the climax community in this succession? BROADLEAF TREES: MAPLE, HOLLY, OAK

4. This diagram focuses on changes in plants. How would you expect these changes to affect the animal community? SMALLER ANIMALS WILL PIONEER THE AREA FIRST, THEN TREE-EATING ANIMALS WILL COME IN.

5. How do you think the soil changes through the stages of succession? SOIL WILL GET THICKER AND RICHER AS MORE PLANTS THAT APPEAR THERE DIE AND DECOMPOSE ______

Answer questions 6-11 based on the following picture

6. Explain the process of primary succession as illustrated in the picture above (be specific):______PRIMARY SUCCESSION HAPPENS WHEN SOIL IS REMOVED. LICKENS REBUILD THE SOIL BY BREAKING DOWN ROCK AND ALLOWING SOIL FORMATION. BIGGER PLANTS START TO GROW AND DIE IN SOIL, MAKING IT RICHER.

7. What is a climax community? A MATURE BIOME

8. Which organism in the picture is the climax community? BEECHERS AND MAPLES

9. How is secondary (2°) succession different than primary (1°) succession? SECONDARY SUCCESSION HAPPENS WHEN SOIL WAS NEVER REMOVED. ______

10. Based on the picture, if you hiked through a patch of land that contained a pine forest into an area that contained a pine forest into an area that contained only ferns, shrubs, and grasses, would you be moving from an older to a younger community or vice versa? YES, FROM AND OLDER TO A NEWER, LESS MATURE COMMUNITY

11. What parts of the ecosystem in the above picture had to be established before primary succession could occur? THE SOIL NEEDED TO BE RE-BUILT FROM ROCK: LICHENS AND OTHER PIONEER PLANTS WOULD START BREAKING DOWN ROCKS WITH THEIR ROOTS, TO MAKE SOIL FOR BIGGER PLANTS.