Question

Compare primary and secondary succession: Is soil initially present in the environments where each type of succession occurs? What are the first organisms that typically colonize the environment where each type of succession occurs?

Answer 1

The change in the ecosystem due to change in environmental conditions, like temperature, volcanic and fire eruptions and time is called Ecological succession. Succession occurs when major changes take place in a community. It is divided into two types, namely primary ecological succession and secondary ecological succession.

The primary ecological succession deals with the growth and development of new species where there is no fertile land or life in a terrestrial ecosystem and a bottom in an aquatic ecosystem to grow new organisms (lifeless area). This process takes place several years due to climatic changes. For example, melting glaciers, newly cooled lava and newly created reservoir or Shallow pond are coming under primary ecological succession. The first colonizing species after primary ecological success are lichens, fungi, and algae.

The secondary ecological succession deals with the growth and development of new species where there is a fertile or polluted land in a terrestrial ecosystem and bottom sediment in an aquatic ecosystem to grow new organisms. This process takes place very faster than primary succession. For example, burned forests, flood lands, and streams with high pollution are coming under secondary ecological succession. After secondary succession occurs, the first species that colonize are the fast-growing plants such as conifers or ferns.