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Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture on ecological succession, ecosystem dynamics, and the example of Surtsey island.
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Ecosystem
A community where living organisms interact with each other and with abiotic components such as light, soil, and water.
Abiotic Factors
The non-living components of an environment (e.g., light, soil, water) that influence living organisms.
Dynamic Ecosystem
An ecosystem that changes over time due to factors like climate, invasive species, natural disasters, seasonal shifts, and ecological succession.
Ecological Succession
The process of gradual change in species composition and community structure over time in an ecosystem.
Primary Succession
A type of ecological succession that begins on newly formed land with no existing life or soil, where pioneer species initiate ecosystem development.
Secondary Succession
Succession that occurs in an area where an existing ecosystem has been disturbed but soil remains, allowing faster recovery and recolonization.
Pioneer Species
The first organisms—often algae, lichens, or fungi—that colonize barren environments and start soil formation in succession.
Biodiversity (during succession)
The variety of living species in an ecosystem, typically low at the start of succession and increasing over time.
Volcanic Island Formation
Creation of new land by underwater volcanic eruptions, providing a starting point for primary succession.
Surtsey
A volcanic island formed off Iceland (1963-1967) that serves as a real-world example of primary succession.
Sea Rocket, Sea Sandwort, Sea Lyme Grass
Early plant pioneers that colonized Surtsey, illustrating seed dispersal by ocean currents during primary succession.
Soil Development
The gradual accumulation of organic matter and weathered rock, essential for supporting plant life during succession.