Succession Worksheet PDF

Succession
How do ecosystems develop over time?
Why?
On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens in the state of Washington erupted with the force of a hydrogen
bomb. The volcano had been dormant for over 120 years, but now 57 people were dead and forests and
lakes were totally destroyed, including nearby Spirit Lake, which became a mud hole. The blast leveled
trees in areas over 10 miles from the crater and ash deposits suffocated life on the mountain. However,
within weeks, mammals that had taken shelter underground started to reappear in the area, and now, over
thirty years later, many areas of the mountain are colonized with a large variety of plant and animal life.
How does an area move from a sterile, barren wilderness to one full of life?
Model 1 – Primary Succession
bare rock pioneer seral
A B C
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Barren rock from Low-growing plants such Fast-growing grasses, flow-

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beneath a retreating as mosses, ferns, and ering plants, and small

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glacier, or due to a lichens begin to colonize. shrubs begin to take root. A

volcanic eruption. thin layer of soil develops.
climax
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seral community
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D E
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Fast-growing trees such 100–200 years since

as birch and mountain colonization began, large,
ash form a low forest and slow-growing trees, such as
shade out lower plants. an oak, become established.
Succession
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1. Refer to Model 1.
a. On what type of land does primary succession first begin to occur?
barren rock
b. Does there appear to be any life on the land when primary succession begins?
no
c. Why would most plants such as shrubs and trees find it difficult to grow here?
because there's nothing like trees and plants but only rock
2. Refer to diagram B in Model 1.
a. What are the first organisms (colonizers) on this land?
mosses, ferns, lichens
b. Suggest the mechanisms by which the first colonizers arrived on the land.
random distribution of spores by the wind
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Read This!
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The first colonizers are referred to as the pioneer community. These can include lichens, mosses, ferns,
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and bacteria—all organisms with low nutrient requirements. As they colonize, they break the weathered
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rock surface, which helps to create the first thin layer of soil. Without soil other plant life cannot be
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sustained and without plants no animal life can exist.
3. Refer to Model 1.
o
a. Which diagram illustrates a pioneer community?

aC s
diagram B
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b. What are some of the features of the pioneer community?

there are low growing plants that don't require a lot of nutrients
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4. Notice the colonizers in diagrams C and D are taller and require more nutrients than those in the
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pioneer community. Considering what you already know about plants and photosynthesis, why
might it be a competitive advantage for a plant to be taller?
taller plants get more sun which means they photosynthesize more
sh is
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5. What happens to the pioneer organisms once the new colonizers become established?
the pioneer organisms get shaded out and die
2 POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology

Read This!
As the newer colonizers begin to take over, animals will also begin to appear so they can feed on the more
diverse food source. The pioneer plants die and decompose and the animals leave behind manure. Both
add to the thin soil layer.
6. What effect will the addition of animal waste and decayed plant matter have on the soil and
land?
animal waste and decayed plant matter will add to the soil and add nutrients
7. How will grazing animals help plants to become established?
they will spread seeds and pollinate
8. How will the grazing animals prevent or control further colonization by other plants?
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they will eat/destroy them
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9. Using the diagrams in Model 1 as a guide to develop a definition with your group for the term
primary succession, as it relates to the colonizing of barren land.
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primary succession is the established of pioneer species to barren land
Read This!
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As soil quality and quantity improves, the life forms present in the area undergo a series of changes, each
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referred to as a seral stage. Eventually a stable climax community is formed.
10. Label the pictures in Model 1 as pioneer community, seral stages, and climax community.
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11. Most climax communities are mature forests. What features of mature forest species, such as oak
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trees, make them able to dominate and compete in the ecosystem?
they grow tall and shade out the pioneer plants

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12. What environmental factors may affect the type of climax community that develops in an
ecosystem?
temperature, resource availability,
Succession
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Model 2 – Secondary Succession
A B C
Established climax Forest fire. Plants have been destroyed

community. and animals have fled the
burned out area. A layer
of ash is over the soil.
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D E F
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After 3–5 years grasses After 20 years small trees 50–100 years after the
and low-growing shrubs form young woodland. setback event, mature
have colonized the land. oak woodland is restored.
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13. Refer to the diagrams in Model 2.

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a. What stage of development does diagram A represent?

climax community
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b. What appears to have happened in diagram B?

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a forest fire
c. What could be two causes of this event?
humans, lightning
d. What process will begin again after this event has occurred?
secondary succession
14. Can the ecosystem totally recover from this set-back? What evidence is given in Model 2?
yes, it says that mature oak woodland is restored after 50-100

15. What effect does an existing soil presence have on the seral stages of secondary succession and
the time it takes to return to the climax community compared to primary succession? Give your
answer in complete sentences and justify your reasoning.
it accelerates the process of growth with nutrients already in place to work towards a climax community
16. Why is the title of Model 2 Secondary Succession rather than Primary Succession?
because it happens after the first succession
17. Consider each event below and determine if the recovery process for the environment will
happen by primary succession or secondary succession.
a. Melting, receding glaciers.
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primary succession
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b Logging a wooded area.
secondary succession
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c. Major flooding of a creek bed.
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secondary
d. Volcanic eruption with lava flow.
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primary
aC s
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18. Are these destructive methods always natural? Explain your answer.
no, not always natural, for example, events such as deforestation or

human-caused forest fires
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19. Human activity may alter or “deflect” the natural course of succession, which leads to a change
in the climax community. An example of a human activity that deflects succession would be
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grass mowing. The climax community that develops from a deflected succession is called a
plagioclimax community. Suggest some other human actions that may lead to plagioclimax
communities.
pesticides/herbicides
Succession
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Extension Question
20. Large canopy trees in rainforests reduce light penetration to the forest floor and slow down the
growth of tree saplings. In a dense forest, selective logging is often used as a means of conserva-
tion, rather than clear cutting large sections of land. Why might selective logging be considered
preferable to clear cutting?
selective logging can help with he recovery process of the tress because they cut trees that
shade out other trees instead of whole sections so that the logging helps make other trees
grow.
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Succession

How do ecosystems develop over time?

Model 1 – Primary Succession

bare rock pioneer seral

Barren rock from Low-growing plants such Fast-growing grasses, flow-

beneath a retreating as mosses, ferns, and ering plants, and small

glacier, or due to a lichens begin to colonize. shrubs begin to take root. A

Fast-growing trees such 100–200 years since

a. Which diagram illustrates a pioneer community?

b. What are some of the features of the pioneer community?

the pioneer organisms get shaded out and die

2 POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology

7. How will grazing animals help plants to become established?

they will spread seeds and pollinate

referred to as a seral stage. Eventually a stable climax community is formed.

trees, make them able to dominate and compete in the ecosystem?

they grow tall and shade out the pioneer plants

temperature, resource availability,

Established climax Forest fire. Plants have been destroyed

13. Refer to the diagrams in Model 2.

a. What stage of development does diagram A represent?

b. What appears to have happened in diagram B?

yes, it says that mature oak woodland is restored after 50-100

4 POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology

because it happens after the first succession

no, not always natural, for example, events such as deforestation or

6 POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology

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