Succession POGIL answer key

1.
a. Barren
b. No
c. There is no soil, only rock, so roots would not be able to take hold and there is also a lack of
nutrients
2.
a. Small ferns, mosses and lichens
b. Seed blown by the wind, dropped by birds, etc.
3.
a. Diagram B
b. Low nutrient requirements, small or low growing shallow roots systems
4. Taller plants can receive more sunlight and shade out smaller plants therefore decreasing the
competition. More sunlight would increase the rate of photosynthesis helping the plant grow
5. The number of pioneer organisms because they are struggling to survive
6. As the plant dies out, they decay and enrich the composition of the soil, adding humus and nutrients.
7. Grazing animals would leave footprints for the seeds to lie in and leave manure to fertilize the seeds.
They consume early pioneer species to make room for the next colonizers and aid in seed dispersal
8. The level of grazing can impact any further succession as the animals eat the young plant shoots
9. Primary succession in the successive rise and fall of population of plants from original colonizers to
mature trees and shrubs, beginning with barren rock that has no initial soil layer
10.
11. The trees are taller so they can out-compete other plants for light, they are slower growing so they can
withstand short term changes in conditions
12. Temperature, amount of light and length of day and water availability.
13.
a. The climax community
b. A fire has burned the forest and destroyed it
c. Natural lightning or man started the fire
d. The process of succession will have to start over again
14. Yes evidence is provided in diagram F, where once again a climax community is established
15. There is no colonizing by lichens and mosses as soil or some other substrate is already present. This
speeds up the recovery time from hundreds of years to tens of years
16. Because the already present climax community was set back by the fire and is starting form an area
with soil rather than starting from a barren land
17.
a. Primary succession
b. Secondary succession
c. Secondary succession
d. Primary succession
18. Not always. Man is responsible for deforestation by cutting down trees for lumber or land
development
19. Forest managements, controlled burning, managed animal grazing
20. Selective logging will open up small spaces for light penetration, which allows existing saplings to grow
rapidly and fill in the gaps. Clear cutting of large areas will open up land and begin the process of full
decondary succession so the area will take longer to regenerate.