Scribd
Upload
83 views

Chapter 5 Disturbance

Ecosystems undergo natural changes over time through ecological succession following disturbances. Pioneer species are the first to colonize an area after a disturbance and help modify the environment to support later colonists. Succession proceeds through different community stages towards a climax community until the next disturbance occurs. Primary succession establishes biological communities on new bare surfaces like rock through soil formation by pioneer mosses and plants. Secondary succession recovers areas disturbed by events like fires through recolonization by existing organisms. Disturbances enhance biodiversity by opening gaps for new species colonization, though resilience can be impacted if species are eliminated.

Uploaded by

Jersey Mae Perlas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
83 views

Chapter 5 Disturbance

Ecosystems undergo natural changes over time through ecological succession following disturbances. Pioneer species are the first to colonize an area after a disturbance and help modify the environment to support later colonists. Succession proceeds through different community stages towards a climax community until the next disturbance occurs. Primary succession establishes biological communities on new bare surfaces like rock through soil formation by pioneer mosses and plants. Secondary succession recovers areas disturbed by events like fires through recolonization by existing organisms. Disturbances enhance biodiversity by opening gaps for new species colonization, though resilience can be impacted if species are eliminated.

Uploaded by

Jersey Mae Perlas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

Ecosystem responses to disturbance

- Natural ecosystems operate in dynamic, changing ways

Disturbance – a significant change that kills or displaces many community member

Ecological Succession

 From the Latin, succedere, to follow after.


 It is the change in the species composition of a community over time.
 Succession occurs on large scales involving higher plants and animals, but may involve microbial communities
on a smaller scale.

Pioneer Species initiate recovery following disturbance in both primary AND secondary successions.

- Pioneers "pave the way" for later colonists by altering the biotic and abiotic environment:
 soil stabilization
 soil nutrient enrichment (organic matter and biological nitrogen fixation)
 increased moisture holding capacity
 light availability
 temperature
 exposure to wind

Species composition tends towards a Climax Community through succession.

- The climax community describes an end product of succession that persists until disturbed by
Environmental change.

Primary Succession follows the formation of new land surfaces consisting of rock, lava, volcanic ash, sand, clay, or some
other exclusively mineral substrate.

 occurs in a landscape that previously was devoid of life.


 This means that there is NO SOIL present.
Soil is a mixture of mineral material, decaying organic material, and living organisms.

 Mosses exploit bare rock


- Their spores lodge in cracks
- Moss grows and forms mats that trap soil particles
- Seeds of larger plants lodge in the moss mats
- Eventually, enough soil is trapped to support shrubs and trees

Secondary Succession an area that followed some sort of disturbance, like a fire, windstorm, or flood is invaded with
existing communities of organisms and the recovery process begins sooner.

 Crabgrass invades an abandoned agricultural field


- It is shaded out by taller grasses and weeds
- Pine trees grow in the direct sunlight and shade out grasses and weeds and their own seedlings
- Hardwoods (oaks, hickories, maple, etc.) can grow in shade and are the climax forest ecosystem

Aquatic succession
Natural succession also takes place in lakes and ponds.

 Soil particles erode from the land and enter the water
 Aquatic vegetation provides detritus that also fills the pond or lake
 Terrestrial species advance and aquatic species move further into the lake

The climax ecosystem can be a bog or forest

 Disturbances (e.g., drought, flood) can send succession back to an earlier stage

Aquatic succession of a lake:

DISTURBANCE AND RESILIENCE


 For succession to occur, plants and animals must already be present in the area
 All stages of succession are present in any landscape
- Disturbances constantly create gaps or patches
- Biodiversity is enhanced by disturbance
 Natural succession can be blocked or modified if species have been eliminated
- Forests in Iceland were eliminated
- Regeneration was prevented due to a lack of seeds and the presence of grazing sheep

FIRE AND SUCCESSION

 Fire is a major form of disturbance


 Decades ago, forest managers thought all fire was bad
 Fire releases nutrients
 Some plants need fire to germinate

RESILIENCE

Resilience: the ability of an ecosystem to return to normal functioning after a disturbance


 Helps maintain ecosystem sustainability

Resilience mechanism: the processes of replenishment of nutrients, dispersion by plants and animals, regrowth of
plants

 Resilience has its limits


- A badly degraded ecosystem can’t carry out its original functions
- A new, less productive ecosystem is created
https://www.britannica.com/science/ecological-disturbance/Characteristics-of-disturbance-and-recovery

You might also like