Exam 19: Community Succession

(Figure 19.14) Researchers studying deciduous forests in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania found that browsing by deer in mature climax forests caused changes in the understorey. The figure shows the importance values for the trees in the canopy and the understorey. What do these results suggest about the stability of the current climax community?

What is the clearest way to document succession?

Why don't gaps in a forest canopy always help early-succession species establish?

Which of the following is a pioneer species?

Researchers have recently proposed a new way lake succession can occur. What is one feature of this new model?

Secondary succession takes place in habitats that

(Figure 19.10) These graphs show that succession is associated with a rapid increase in species richness that slows and levels off over time. How might you explain a graph showing succession with an initial increase in species richness followed by a decline in species richness over time?

Why does stream succession rely less on how fast organisms can move themselves than terrestrial succession?

To apply the concept of chronosequence, ecologists assume that:

In the study of stream succession following a major flood event at Sycamore Creek in Arizona, what was the first organism to recolonize the stream?

Why does succession in intertidal communities tend to happen faster than succession after a disturbance in terrestrial communities?

In deciduous forests of Pennsylvania in the United States, the climax community used to be composed of large trees of mostly oak, hickory, and tulip poplar, but over time the composition of the understorey changed to sugar maple and beech. What was the cause of this shift?

Topic: Climax communities under extreme environmental conditions In some areas of the western United States pines are an important part of the climax community. Fires occur at regular intervals in these areas. How could fire maintain these pine populations?

The last seral stage in the process of succession is called the _____ community.

Which of the following habitats could NOT undergo secondary succession?

Some of the first species to colonize an area following disturbance have to persevere under inhospitable conditions such as disturbed soils, low soil moisture, and altered nutrient levels. This is an example of

Inhibition is a mechanism of succession in which

In fire-maintained climax communities in the southeastern United States, periodic fires

Early-succession plant species are often shade intolerant, whereas late-succession plant species are often shade tolerant. Why are differences in shade tolerance important in succession?

Why does secondary succession occur faster than primary succession?