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29 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Ecological Succession |
The progression from the initial establishment of life of a particular place to ac ecosystem which is stable and self-renewing |
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Sere/seral stage |
A stage in a sequence of events by which the vegetation of an area develops over a period of time |
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Prisere/ Primary Succession |
The complete chain of successive series beginning with a pioneer species and ending with climax vegetation |
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Migration |
Movement of organisms intentionally between two points normally seasonal |
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Colonisation |
Movement of individuals of propagules of a species to a new territory |
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Establishment |
Subsequent growth and/or reproduction of a colonized species in a new territory |
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Competition |
The interaction between animals and plants which are attempting to gain a share of a limited environmental resource. Can be intra-specific or inter-specific |
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Stabilisation |
The process of an ecosystem applying self-regulating mechanisms to a steady state after an outside disturbance |
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Climax community |
A biological community of plants, animals and fungi which, through the process of ecological succession of the development of vegetation in an area overtime, has reached a steady state |
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Psammosere |
A seral community, an ecological succession that began life on newly exposed coastal sand. Most common psammoseres are sand dune systems |
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Halosere |
The process of succession in a saline environment e.g. a salt marsh in a river estuary |
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Xerosere |
A plant succession that is limited by water availability. It includes the different stages in a xerarch succession. Xerach succession originates in extremely dry situations such as sand deserts |
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Hydrosere |
A plant succession which occurs in an area of fresh water such as an Oxbow Lake. Often succeeded by land types such as marshes and swamps |
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Lithosere |
A plant succession that originates on a newly exposed rock surface, such as those resulting from glacier retreat, tectonic uplift or volcanic eruptions |
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Halophytes |
Plants which are adapted to surviving in saline conditions i.e. salt marsh |
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Xerophytic |
A plant which does not require much water to survive |
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Hydrophytic |
Plants that grow partially or fully submerged in water |
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Mesophytic |
Terrestrial plants which are adapted to neither a particularly dry nor particularly wet environment |
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Pioneer community (species) |
Plants, animals or fungi that first colonize a barren habitat |
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Subclimax |
A stage in an ecological succession immediately preceding a climax |
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Plagioclimax |
An area or habitat in which the influences of humans have prevented the ecosystem from developing further |
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Plagiosere |
A series of plant communities that are interrupted or disturbed by an outside agent |
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Secondary succession |
Series of community changes that take place on a previously colonized, but disturbed or damaged habitat |
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Dominant species |
The species which predominated in an ecological community, particularly where they are most numerous or form the bulk of the biomass |
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Arresting factor |
The factor that causes succession to be interrupted |
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Monoclimax theory |
1916- recognizes only one climax whose characteristics are solely determined by climate |
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Polyclimax theory |
That within 1 climate, local factors such as drainage, relief and even micro-climates can create variations in a climatic climax community |
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Autogenic succession |
Succession that is driven by the biotic components of an ecosystem |
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Allogenic succcession |
Succession that is driven by the abiotic components of an ecosystem |
