3.2.5 ecosystems at a local scale

define succession

the change of land and growth of vegitation over time

sere

a stage in the development

seral progression

the move from one sere to another as new plants colonise the area

pioneer comunity

the first sere

prisere

land not previously conolised by plants

xerosere

a dry environment

hydrosere

a wet environment

lithosere

an area dominated by rocks

hydrosere

an area dominated by fresh water

psammosere

an area dominated by sand

halosere

an area dominated by salt water

primary succession

the sequence of vegetational changes that takes place on land not previously colonised by plants

climatic climax

the final stages of plant success

Plagioclimax community

humans interrupt the process of succession e.g. farming, deforestation

Sub-climax community

natural interruptions to the process of successions. E.g. lava flows

arresting factors

the process of human or natural factors that interrupts the process of succession

Secondary succession (subsere)

the sequence of vegetational changes that takes place on land that was previously vegetated but has undergone loss of vegetation through an arresting factor