Chapter 11

Natural, directional changes in the species composition of an area. The gradual replacement of one plant community by another through natural processes over time. It can be primary or secondary. Climax community?

Assumptions:

No climate change.
No catastrophic events. Long time frame (1-500 yrs.). Some stages of the characteristic sequence may be skipped. Disturbance moves the community to a different, usually earlier, successional stage.

New land (Primary succession)

Cyclic succession

Pioneer seral stage

Seral stages

Periodic disturbance can maintain subclimax Subclimax seral stages

Micro-cyclic succession Small, nonClimax cumulative changes (Dynamic equilibrium)

Disturbance at any stage can set back succession and initiate secondary succession

Refers to the ability of a tree to grow in the shade of other trees. Tolerant species can grow comparatively well when little light is available and do not show large increases in growth with increasing light levels. Climax species. Intolerant species cannot grow well in low light levels but grow very well at light levels approaching full sunlight. Pioneer species. Some species are intermediate in their ability to grow in shade.

Flowers

Bracts

Willow e.g. (Salix alba)

(Quaking Aspen)

Others include Birch, hickory, eastern cotton wood, black cherry, Sassafras.

American chestnut, Green & White Ashes, Elm, Birch

American Chestnut

American Elm

Yellow Birch

Grass-forb, 5-10 yrs.

Forbs, grasses and shrubs dominate the site.

Shrub-seedling, 15-20 yrs. Trees tend to share and then begin to dominate the site. The shade intolerant species grow rapidly and dominate over shade tolerant species. Sapling-pole (20-50 yrs). Trees eventually overtop and out-compete the forb and shrubs. The intolerant trees continue rapid height growth while the shade-tolerant trees occupy their respective niche.

Young
Rapid growth. Tree-to-tree competition may be severe resulting in competition-caused mortality. Any intolerant individuals that drop behind may die, their space occupied by the tolerant trees.

Mature
Competition-caused mortality continues. Both intolerant and tolerant trees may share the main canopy. There may be distinct layering of intolerants and tolerants.

Climax

Shade-tolerant trees dominate the site and the climax species will reproduce.
Shade-intolerant trees cannot replace themselves. Most climax stands (old growth) are set back to the early seral grass-forb or shrubseedling stage by fire in places where there is fire (e.g., Northern Rockies).

Begins in a place without any soil

Sides of volcanoes
Landslides Flooding

Starts with arrival of plants such as lichens and ferns that do not need soil to survive
Called PIONEER SPECIES

Soil starts to form as lichens and the forces of weather and erosion help break down rocks into smaller pieces When lichens die, they decompose, adding small amounts of organic matter to the rock to make soil

The simple plants die, adding more organic material The soil layer thickens, and grasses, wildflowers, and other plants begin to take over

http://www.cwrl.utexas.ed u

Decolonization following disturbance Begins in a place that already has soil and was once the home of living organisms Proceeds much faster and has different pioneer species than primary succession. Example: after forest fires, flood, bulldozing..

Brassica niger (Mastard)

Autogenic: The plants themselves cause succession to occur.

e.g. Plants produce shade and detritus, change of soil chemistry, pH, nitrogen fixation, reduce temp. fluctuation.

Allogenic: is due to factors external to the plants cause succession

e.g., periodic fires, floods, extended drought, severe wind erosion.

Progressive: Succession with increase in biomass, diversity, and structural complexity through time.
Usually with a trend toward a more mesic (moderate) site.

Retrogressive: Succession with a decrease in diversity and biomass.

Often with the site becoming more hydric (wet) or xeric (dry).

They both apply to plant communities which coexist in a complex mosaic pattern. Mosaic represents serals which are not successionally related to each other.

Chronosequence: the mosaic is due to a periodic local disturbance (e.g. fire), represents different stages of recovery from disturbances.
Toposequence: the mosaic reflects topographic differences.

Facilitation Model Pioneer species colonize new sites Early colonizers modify environment, becomes less suitable for them, more suitable for later successional stages. Early successional species replaced by later successional species, until climax is reached.

Climax = species do not change environment in a way that favors others

Tolerance model Any species may colonize initially (may be juveniles of species found in climax community). Early successional species do not facilitate or inhibit establishment of later successional species Later successional species tolerate environmental conditions created earlier Climax community = most tolerant species

Inhibition model The process whereby factors inhibit the establishment of new species, or growth of existing species.
Early successional species modify environment, becomes less suitable for all species. Later successional species can only invade if there is disturbance. Climax community = long-lived, resistant species

Historical long-term data from permanent plots. Examination of plots along a chronosequence.

Egler viewed this as one group of species replaced by another group, each representing a distinct stage of a sere. This view has also been termed facilitation by Connell and Slatyer (1977). In this view, one stage of the sere prepares the habitat for introduction by the next stage, often through changes in soil (e.g. nutrient additions) or by otherwise making the site more conducive to the next group of species.

Based on Egler 1954

The patterns of succession are more often a function of lifehistory patterns (Egler). In old field most of the pioneering spp, many of the seral species, & few of the climax species are present.

Some germinate quickly and express themselves early in successional. Others express themselves later.
Longer living, larger, slower growing plants eventually outcompete smaller pioneer species. Community dominance shifts and succession proceeds.

Succession is a function of a combination of facilitation, inhibition, life-history traits, and stochastic factors.

Life history traits: Such factors as size, rate of growth, seed size, and dispersal are of primary importance and control the general patterns of succession. Proximity to seed sources are very important.
Facilitation: The rate of these patterns is greatly enhanced by changes to the site such as addition of nutrients, organic matter, and soil moisture which facilitate the growth of species in later stages of succession. Inhibition: Also affects the rate through competitive interaction between species or through allochemicals that may inhibit growth of other species.

Stochastic factors affecting the site: Unpredictable abiotic events such as climate change, floods or catastrophic events can reset or change the direction of succession.