Unit 3 Notes

Question 1

What is the Climatic Climax community?

Answer 1

The stable ecological community which forms naturally under given climatic conditions.

Question 2

What is the UK’s climatic climax community?

Answer 2

Temperate Deciduous forest.

Question 3

What was the CCC of England 20,000 years ago?

Answer 3

Tundra.

Question 4

What is Succession?

Answer 4

The change in the ecological community over time.

Question 5

What would most areas in Britain have had 20,000 years ago?

Answer 5

A landscape of glacial till, dominated by sands and gravels, with no vegetation.

Question 6

What is a Seral stage?

Answer 6

Each stage of succession.

Question 7

What are the Initial conditions on which succession can occur?

Answer 7

Bare rock - Lithosere. Fresh Water - Hydrosere. Sand Dunes - Psammosere.

Question 8

What are the processes of Lithosere succession?

Answer 8

Primary succession, secondary succession.

Question 9

What is Primary Succession?

Answer 9

Succession operating on newly formed or exposed land. Occurs when a glacier retreats, creating a till of outwash plain.

Question 10

What is Secondary Succession?

Answer 10

Succession that develops on land that has previously been vegetated.

Question 11

What is the first seral stage of the lithosere?

Answer 11

Lichens and mosses.

Question 12

What are Lichens?

Answer 12

Organisms which are part algae and part fungi. Algae photosynthesises to produce energy. Fungi has high water retention properties.

Question 13

What is the Second seral stage of the Lithosere?

Answer 13

Grasses and Herbs.

Question 14

What forms in the Second Lithosere seral stage?

Answer 14

A basic soil by mosses and lichens now enables grasses and herbs to colonise the area, and outcompete mosses and lichens for sunlight, as they grow taller.

Question 15

How is Dead organic matter added into the soil in the Second seral stage?

Answer 15

Grasses seasonally dying back.

Question 16

What is Stage 3 of the Lithosere seral stage?

Answer 16

Shrubs such as Bramble.

Question 17

Why does soil become deeper?

Answer 17

Because of the growth of grass, absorbing more moisture, and more dead organic matter being added when grasses die back.

Question 18

What is stage 4 of the Lithosere seral stages?

Answer 18

Woodland such as oak.

Question 19

What happens to soil in the fourth seral stage?

Answer 19

Soil deepens until the species can colonise the area. When the trees reach maturity, the climatic climax community is reached.

Question 20

What is a pioneer species?

Answer 20

The first species to colonise new land.

Question 21

What is an example of a Lithosere?

Answer 21

Krakatoa.

Question 22

What happened to Krakatoa in 1883?

Answer 22

Volcanic eruptions, reducing Krakatoa to 1/3 of its’ original size, 50m of ash, where no vegetation was left on the island.

Question 23

What happened within 3 years?

Answer 23

26 species had reappeared. 1933 - 271 plant, 720 insect species had been recorded.

Question 24

What are the physical factors, causing a sub climax?

Answer 24

Grazing by animals, spontaneous fire, areas of poor drainage, areas of high drainage, frequent volcanic eruption.

Question 25

What are the examples of physical factors?

Answer 25

Temperate grasslands are sub climaxes, as if grazing animals were removed, the process of succession would continue. Peatlands where waterlogged conditions exist, such as raised bogs.

Question 26

What are the locations where repeated volcanic activity would interrupt the process of succession?

Answer 26

Iceland and Hawaii.

Question 27

What are the human activities, causing a plagio climax?

Answer 27

Fire clearance, grazing, agriculture.

Question 28

What % of the West Midlands is covered by the natural climatic climatic community?

Answer 28

Less than 5%.

Question 29

Why does Agriculture stop the succession process?

Answer 29

Because harvested crops don't have time to grow, before being harvested again. Pesticides and fertilisers may delay and prolong the process.

Question 30

Why does livestock stop the succession process?

Answer 30

Because animals eat plants, trample them, as well as grazing stopping larger plants from developing.

Question 31

What is an example of an extensive form of Plagioclimax?

Answer 31

Heather Moorlands, as the majority are caused by human factors, leading to a plagioclimax.

Question 32

What are the 4 stages of heather growth?

Answer 32

Pioneer phase, Building phase, mature phase, degenerate phase.

Question 33

What is the Pioneer phase?

Answer 33

Small shoots among dead heather stems, other plants present such as mosses and lichens.

Question 34

What is the Building phase?

Answer 34

Dense dome shaped plant, flowers large, little light penetrates to ground, heather is dominant.

Question 35

What is the Mature phase?

Answer 35

Reduction in vigour, stems tough, some light penetrates to ground.

Question 36

What is the Degenerate phase?

Answer 36

Large gaps, not many shoots, mosses, lichens, grasses and hedges present.

Question 37

What is Rewilding?

Answer 37

Human activities are reduced, enabling succession to recommence.

Question 38

What is the Knepp Estate?

Answer 38

3500 acre ex-dairy farm is reverting ploughed and overgrazed fields to natural vegetation.

Question 39

What is a Mosaic Habitat?

Answer 39

The landscape experiencing secondary succession, with different areas at different stages of the succession process.

Question 40

What does the effect of wild, roaming, grazing animals create?

Answer 40

Sub-climaxes in some areas.

Question 41

Why do Mosaic Habitats benefit biodiversity?

Answer 41

Because they no longer use pesticides and herbicides. Instead, natural vegetation and invertebrate species are increasing. These provide the basis of food chains.

Question 42

What are the ecosystems services which link to water and carbon cycles?

Answer 42

Surface 1 - runoff decreases, reducing flood risk. More interception, more infiltration. No machinery - reduction in carbon emissions. Increases soil's organic matter storage.

Question 43

What does the biomass store act as?

Answer 43

A carbon sink, as the biomass store increases, leading to more soil storage.

Question 44

What is the succession pathway for a bare sterile surface?

Answer 44

Natural factors interrupt succession, normal environmental conditions resume. Climatic climax community reached. Human activity interrupts succession. Human activity stops.

Question 45

What is the Succession pathway for an uninterrupted prisere?

Answer 45

Climatic climax community reached, natural factors interrupt succession, normal environmental conditions resume. Human activity interrupts succession. Human activity stops secondary succession.