Mr. Scott's 6th Grade Class
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Land Ecosystems

—Ecological succession – the process of one ecological community gradually changing into another.

—Climax community – a stable community that no longer goes through major ecological changes
  • —Differ depending on biome
  • —Usually stable for hundreds of years
  • —As plants die – new plants grow
  • —Will continue as long as climate stays the same—
Primary succession – Ecological succession in new areas of land with little or no soil.
—Examples: lava flow, sand dunes, exposed rock

—Pioneer species – The first species that colonize new or undisturbed land.
—Examples: lichens and mosses

—Secondary succession – Ecological succession in areas where existing ecosystems have been disturbed or destroyed.
—Example – cleared forests

Freshwater Ecosystems

—Freshwater ecosystems change over time in a natural predictable process called aquatic succession.

—Aquatic succession
  • —Sediments carried by rainwater and streams accumulate on the bottoms of ponds, lakes, and wetlands.
  • —The decomposed remains of dead organisms add to the buildup of soil.
  • —As time passes – more soil accumulates
  • —Eventually – so much soil – water disappears and the area becomes land. —
Eutrophication – the process of a body of water becoming nutrient-rich.
  • —Decaying organisms fall to the bottom of a pond, lake, or wetland and add nutrients to the water.
  • —Natural part of aquatic succession
  • —Humans contribute with fertilizers and waste from farm animals.
  • —When fertilizers and pollution run off into a pond or lake, nutrient concentrations increase.
  • —High nutrient levels support large populations of algae and microscopic organisms.
  • —Organisms use most of the dissolved oxygen which leave less oxygen for fish.
  • —Many of the fish then die and decay speeding up succession.
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