2.5 Zonation and Succession Flashcards
(21 cards)
zonation
changes in community along an environmental gradient due to factors such as changes in altitude, latitude, tidal level or distance from shore (coverage by water)
primary succession
the process by which life gradually colonizes a previously barren, uninhabited area, such as bare rock or newly formed land
Barren>Lichens>Small annual plants and lichens>grasses and perennials>Grasses, shrubs, and shade-intolerant trees (eg pines)>Shade-tolerant trees (eg oak, hickory)
secondary succession
the ecological process where an ecosystem regrows after a disturbance, such as a fire or flood, but where soil and some existing life forms are present
seral community
a temporary, intermediate stage in the process of ecological succession
environmental gradient
the variation of abiotic factors, such as climate, along large geographic scales, which influences the distribution of plant species and their traits in space and time
longitude
measures distance east or west of the prime meridian
disturbance
an event that causes a significant and often rapid change in an ecosystem’s structure or composition
fertile
the ability of the soil or environment to support plant growth and overall ecosystem health
pioneer species
the first organism to colonize an area
limiting factor
environmental conditions that restrict the growth, abundance, or distribution of a population within an ecosystem
climax commnity
the final stage of ecological succession attainable by a plant community
net productivity
the rate at which energy or biomass accumulates in an ecosystem after accounting for the energy lost through respiration
stability
the ability of an ecosystem to maintain its structure and function over time, even in the face of disturbances
species diversity
the number of species and abundance of each species that live in a particular location
trophic cascade
a phenomenon where changes in the population size of one species at a particular trophic level significantly affect the population dynamics of other species in the same community, especially those at different trophic levels
top-down influence
a trophic cascade where the top consumer/predator controls the primary consumer population
sere
The set of communities that succeed one another over the course of succession at a given location
resilience
the capacity of an ecosystem to respond to a disturbance
geomorphology
the science concerned with the form of Earth’s surface and the processes that create it
allogenic factors
being genetically different, while belonging to the same species
plagioclimax community
an area or habitat in which the influences of the humans have prevented the ecosystem from developing further
