Succession can happen even in mature or climax communities. For example, when a tree falls in a mature forest, sunlight may again be able to reach the forest floor, which would allow new growth to begin. In this case, succession would begin with new smaller plants. Communities are always changing and growing.

Ecological succession is a series of changes over time to community structure that affect community dynamics and encourage the assemblance of plants and animals. Primary succession starts with the introduction of organisms and species, usually on newly exposed rock. Pioneer species like lichens on rock come first.

A community is all of the populations of different species that live in the same area and interact with one another. A community is composed of all of the biotic factors of an area. An ecosystem includes the living organisms (all the populations) in an area and the non-living aspects of the environment (Figure below).

Ecological succession is important for the growth and development of an ecosystem. It initiates colonization of new areas and recolonization of the areas that had been destroyed due to certain biotic and climatic factors. Thus, the organisms can adapt to the changes and learn to survive in a changing environment.

An ecosystem is said to possess ecological stability (or equilibrium) if it is capable of returning to its equilibrium state after a perturbation (a capacity known as resilience) or does not experience unexpected large changes in its characteristics across time.

Ecological succession is the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time. It is a phenomenon or process by which an ecological community undergoes more or less orderly and predictable changes following a disturbance or the initial colonization of a new habitat.

Ecological succession, a fundamental concept in ecology, refers to more-or-less predictable and orderly changes in the composition or structure of an ecological community.

While ecologists today recognize that successional processes are less predictable than those proposed by Clements in the 1920s, several of his predicted patterns are generally considered to hold true for successional systems. For example, species diversity tends to increase with the successional age of an ecosystem.

An ecological community in which populations of plants or animals remain stable and exist in balance with each other and their environment. A climax community is the final stage of succession, remaining relatively unchanged until destroyed by an event such as fire or human interference.

4 Sequential Steps involves in the Process of a Primary Autotrophic Ecological Succession

• Nudation:
• Invasion:
• Competition and reaction:
• Stabilization or climax:

The labels I-VII represent the different stages of primary succession. I-bare rocks, II-pioneers (mosses, lichen, algae, fungi), III-annual herbaceous plants, IV-perennial herbaceous plants and grasses, V-shrubs, VI-shade intolerant trees, VII-shade tolerant trees.

Ecological succession breaks down into three fundamental phases: primary and secondary succession, and a climax state. The study of ecological succession generally focuses on the plants present on a particular site.

Ecological succession is the development of species after a disaster that destroys an ecosystem. Since ecological succession increases the number of species living in an area, it also increases biodiversity.

The change a terrestrial ecosystem experiences as it recovers from a disturbance depends on the intensity and magnitude of the disturbance. The major mechanisms of recovery in such ecosystems are primary and secondary succession. Primary succession occurs in a landscape that previously was devoid of life.

Greater biodiversity in ecosystems, species, and individuals leads to greater stability. For example, species with high genetic diversity and many populations that are adapted to a wide variety of conditions are more likely to be able to weather disturbances, disease, and climate change.

Succession is the process of ecosystem recovery after some disturbance. Biomass is at maximum in the undisturbed ecosystem; it increases up to this maximum during succession. Plant productivity also grows, especially if the plant cover was destroyed substantially by the disturbance.