Ecological Succession:
A major part of legacy is the constant change in generations. Without this continual change, there would be no motivation to maintain one’s legacy, as there wouldn’t be anyone to remember the legacy and want to learn from or be inspired by it. This is echoed in biology’s principles of ecological succession, both primary and secondary.
Primary succession begins when vegetation is established in an area previously uncolonized by it. In fact, it may actually begin from bare rock. The pioneer organism in this community is called lichen and is the product of a symbiotic, mutualistic relationship between algae and fungi in which the fungi provides a habitat for the algae, breaking down rock and absorbing material, while the algae uses photosynthesis to provide food for the fungus.
As time goes on, thin soil begins to accumulate and weeds will grow. These weeds die, decompose, and create more soil so that grasses can grow. These grasses die, decompose, and create more soil so that shrubs/bushes can grow. Thus begins a cycle of death, decomposition, and creation of soil that follows the organisms from shrubs/bushes to conifers to deciduous trees (hardwoods) after a long period of time. Eventually the forest of trees will continue to grow and establish itself as a climax community that will remain unless it is disrupted by a natural disaster or human activities. Some examples include deforestation, development, forest fires, floods, volcanic eruptions, severe weather, etc.
If one of these tragedies occurs, a new form of succession will take place. Known as secondary succession, it is defined as the recolonization of an area that had been previously inhabited but was somehow disrupted. The same cycle is followed, however secondary succession will take less time to occur than primary succession because the soil already exists. Also, ash and detritus (dead material) supply this existing soil with nutrients. Similarly, secondary succession skips the lichen stage, as the bedrock does not need to be broken down for soil.
A third type of succession occurs in ponds in which the appearance of ponds gradually shifts over periods of time. Initially, mud and silt slowly build up along the shoreline and gradually accumulate inward. This mud and silt will support plant growth, continuing the cycle of the buildup and erosion of mud and silt. Eventually, the aquatic pond community will be replaced by a terrestrial community.
Future communities in the natural environment continue to be impacted by succession, as it is an everlasting process. The change in community forces us to remember and learn from the legacy of the past communities. They may hide answers to some of life’s most burning questions.
Primary succession begins when vegetation is established in an area previously uncolonized by it. In fact, it may actually begin from bare rock. The pioneer organism in this community is called lichen and is the product of a symbiotic, mutualistic relationship between algae and fungi in which the fungi provides a habitat for the algae, breaking down rock and absorbing material, while the algae uses photosynthesis to provide food for the fungus.
As time goes on, thin soil begins to accumulate and weeds will grow. These weeds die, decompose, and create more soil so that grasses can grow. These grasses die, decompose, and create more soil so that shrubs/bushes can grow. Thus begins a cycle of death, decomposition, and creation of soil that follows the organisms from shrubs/bushes to conifers to deciduous trees (hardwoods) after a long period of time. Eventually the forest of trees will continue to grow and establish itself as a climax community that will remain unless it is disrupted by a natural disaster or human activities. Some examples include deforestation, development, forest fires, floods, volcanic eruptions, severe weather, etc.
If one of these tragedies occurs, a new form of succession will take place. Known as secondary succession, it is defined as the recolonization of an area that had been previously inhabited but was somehow disrupted. The same cycle is followed, however secondary succession will take less time to occur than primary succession because the soil already exists. Also, ash and detritus (dead material) supply this existing soil with nutrients. Similarly, secondary succession skips the lichen stage, as the bedrock does not need to be broken down for soil.
A third type of succession occurs in ponds in which the appearance of ponds gradually shifts over periods of time. Initially, mud and silt slowly build up along the shoreline and gradually accumulate inward. This mud and silt will support plant growth, continuing the cycle of the buildup and erosion of mud and silt. Eventually, the aquatic pond community will be replaced by a terrestrial community.
Future communities in the natural environment continue to be impacted by succession, as it is an everlasting process. The change in community forces us to remember and learn from the legacy of the past communities. They may hide answers to some of life’s most burning questions.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Protecting our environment is important. We want to save our environment to ensure that our children and all future generations can live safely and in peace in our planet. This is why it is important to take actions into helping Earth like recycling, using more energy efficient methods (ex. Hybrid cars and Fluorescent lightbulbs), and using less of our irreplaceable sources (ex. oil) and using reusable sources (ex. sunlight and water). The government is also taking action to help the environment. In the Recovery Act of 2009, technological advances in science, and we are investing to help the planet. For more on land preservation, please see our interview with Dr. Staudt.
