Biology Ecological Succession WebQuest

succession

a series of events by which life comes back

primary and secondary succession

what are the two parts of ecological succession

erosion/weathering

wind

rain

what three abiotic factors make it possible for soil to gather and build on rock landscapes

Surtsey

what is the name of the new island that has begun succession since 1963

wind

birds

floating vegetation

what are three things that can bring life to a barren island

yes, so that life can spring back afterwards

is soil necessary for secondary succession

occurs when there is some kind of disturbance, but the soil still remains

what is secondary succession

primary succession is when there is there bare rock (no soil or vegetation left. secondary succession is when there is a disturbance in the environment (there is soil, but no vegetation)

what is the difference between primary and secondary succession

forest fires, human disturbances, and radiation

what are some examples of disturbances that lead to secondary succession?

pioneer species

what are the first organisms that inhabit a barren landscape called?

they can take nitrogen from the air and put It back into the soil

why are lupine important to primary succession

the plants and organisms that come back

what are climax species

grasses, mosses, lichen, and pine trees

if your area experienced a severe disturbance, what type of pioneer species do you think would emerge in your area

its bare rock, no soil or life

describe the features of the volcanic island after it cools

primary succession

when succession happens in a place with no life or soil, is it primary or secondary succession

they consist of both algae and fungus

what do lichens consist of

mutualism

what type of symbiosis do algae and fungi have

fungus can anchor onto the rock and break it down with the acids it produces

why can lichen grow on bare rock

the algae

what is photosynthetic

only in moist areas

where can mosses live

they don't have roots

do mosses have roots

they use structures called rhizoids

how do moss anchor onto things

it helps them attach to the ground

how does having little soil be beneficial to moss

they dig into the soil to extract water and nutrients

describe the roots of grasses

herbivores

what are grasses a good source for

lichens

mosses

grasses and annual flowers

bushes and shrubs

trees

what order do organisms appear during primary succession

1. lichens and smaller plants produce soil that allows larger plants to grow

2. large trees produce shade and compete for resources with smaller plants, causing a reduction in a population

how do living things alter the biotic and abiotic environment to cause the process of succession

animals

what do flowering plants need to be pollinated by

an intact ecosystem is disrupted by a natural disaster

pioneer species like grasses and flowers grow

bushed begin to dominate

trees become common and outcompete other plants for sunlight

the climax community in the are is restored once again

what is the sequence of events in secondary succession

they need deep soil because they have deeper roots

what type of soil do bushes need? why?

they control the population of the primary consumers

how do secondary consumers help the ecosystem

producers (plants)

primary consumers

secondary consumers

tertiary consumers

what is the sequence from first to last from organism to a successfully colonized area

organisms that are the first to colonize an area

what is a pioneer species

by wind or animal dispersal

how do trees enter the island

they eat secondary consumers

what do tertiary consumers eat

grasses

what was the perfect pioneer species for your island

because there is already soil

why can your pioneer species be different in secondary succession

competition for light and resources with grasses

according to the graph, what best explains the decrease in the mass of mosses

since there is life and soil still present

why can flowers rapidly germinate

they steal the water, nutrients, and sunlight from the soil from smaller plants

how do trees affect smaller plants

primary succession occurs in an area with no life and no soil but secondary succession happens in an area where an existing community was disrupted

what is the difference between primary and secondary succession?

they need deep soil to thrive

what do trees require in order to survive

barren rock with soil

what does primary succession start with

for many types of animals

what do trees provide habitat for

the climax consumers

what is the stable community that will remain on your island for a very long time called

they are dropped by birds onto the islands

how do grass seeds come to the island

a climax community

what does primary succession end with

they continue to build up the amount of soil to help succession

how do mosses help succession

all of the statements

which of the statements is true

because the soil is deep enough to support

why do grasses spread rapidly

they break down rocks and soil

how do lichen alter the abiotic environment to favor the establishment of other species of plants

a pioneer species

lichens are often the first species to colonize an environment during primary succession. in general, the first species to colonize an environment is called

they need to be pollinated by other animals

what do flowering plants need in order to reproduce

flowers and bees

what two organisms have a mutualistic relationship

it increases for a while, but then decreases

according to the graph, what best describes what occurs to the amount of grasses in the graph

biodiversity increases through the process of succession

biodiversity is the variety of life in an area. think about the process of succession. how does biodiversity change during succession

they produce waste products so the soil can be fertile

how do primary consumers benefit plants

they are a food source in many ecosystems

why are flowering plants important

helps to control the population of primary consumers

what do secondary consumers help to control

because they can grow on the bare rock and they can break down rock with their acid

why are lichen a great pioneer species

since they are larger and need deeper soil (they take longer to grow also)

why do bushes populate the island after grasses and flowering plants

they are blown by the wind to an island

how does moss arrive to the island

they arrive by being carried by wind, water, or animals

how does lichens arrive to the island

.

.

the survival of plants

what are pollinators critical to

because the trees that were burned down before left seeds

why are tree seeds already on the island

producers (plants)

what do primary consumers eat

the changes in species composition in a community over time as species colonize an area

which of the following best describes succession

secondary succession

what is the process of rebuilding a community that is disrupted called

-lichen

-mosses

-grasses

-flowers

-bushes

-trees

-pollinators

-primary consumers

-secondary consumers

-tertiary consumers

List the organisms in the order that you placed the from the pioneer species to climax community on the lines below

primary consumers

what do secondary consumers eat

sunlight and resources

what do the grasses outcompete the mosses for

disasters such as forest fires

what triggers secondary succession on the island

plants come first because animals rely on them for food production

do plants or animals come first in succession? why?

birds drop them onto the island or the wind carries them

how do flowering plants come to the island

larger plants tend to compete for resources such as space, sunlight, and soil nutrients more successfully

why do lichens and mosses get replaced by larger plant species during succession