What is Difference Between Primary And Secondary Succession?

Primary vs Secondary Succession

Ecological succession is a process of continuous and slow change of the ecosystem as a result of the variations that occur in the environment and in the populations that form it.
There are two types of ecological successions:

Primary Ecological SuccessionDifference Between Primary And Secondary Succession

It is the one that occurs when the ecosystem starts naturally in a newly created environment that has not been colonized by living beings. For example, when volcanic soils, newly formed natural lakes, dunes, new volcanic islands, etc. are colonized.

Secondary Ecological Succession

It is produced in an area that was already inhabited by communities but that, due to natural or human causes, have been modified. For example, abandoned farmland, a forest after a fire, etc.

  • The succession is a series of progressive changes in the composition of an ecological community over time.
  • In the primary succession, the newly formed or newly exposed rock is colonized for the first time by living beings.
  • In the secondary succession, an area previously occupied by living beings is altered or affected, and then colonized again after the disturbance.
    * Ecological succession is a series of progressive changes in the species that make up a community over time. Ecologists generally identify two types of succession, which are distinguished by their starting point:
    • In the primary succession, the newly formed or newly exposed rock is colonized for the first time by living beings.
    • In the secondary succession, an area previously occupied by living beings is altered and new colonization occurs after the alteration.

      Primary succession occurs when an extension of new land is formed or bare rock is exposed, which provides a habitat that can be colonized for the first time. Difference Between Primary And Secondary Succession
    • Primary succession can occur after volcanic eruptions, such as those on the Big Island of Hawaii, for example. As lava flows into the ocean, new rock forms.

      Secondary succession

      In the secondary succession, a previously occupied area is colonized again after a disturbance eliminated the majority of its entire community.
      A classic example of secondary succession occurs in oak and walnut forests cleared by forest fires. Fires burn most of the vegetation and kill animals that cannot flee the area. However, its nutrients return to the earth in the form of ash. Difference Between Primary And Secondary Succession

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