Ecology - Disturbance Succession

Front 1

Intermediate disturbance hypothesis

Back 1

Moderate levels of disturbance can create conditions that foster greater species diversity than low or high levels of disturbance.

Front 2

Non-equilibrium model

Back 2

Communities are constantly changing after being buffeted by disturbances.

Front 3

Succession

Back 3

Sequential changes, following disturbance, in the biota occupying and affecting a site

Front 4

Primary succession

Back 4

The first species to arrive on a truly bare or sterilized space.

Front 5

Secondary succession

Back 5

When the space has been opened and depopulated, but some residual biota has survived.

Front 6

Degradative succession

Back 6

A species that populates a habitat that disappears over time. Examples: rotting log, infested acorn.

Front 7

Climax community

Back 7

The late succession stage in which the dominant species can replace itself - young of climax species can successfully recruit under established adults.

Front 8

Facilitation

Back 8

The earlier species has a positive effect on a later species.

Front 9

Inhibition

Back 9

The earlier species has a negative effect on later species.

Front 10

Tolerance

Back 10

The earlier species has no effect on a later species.

Front 11

Disturbance effect on food chains

Back 11

Disturbance may lengthen food chains because:
-Lower trophic levels are generally more susceptible to disturbance mortality.
-Early successional species are generally more edible.