B11 Plants (4) - Succession

Which best describes ecological succession?

• A process that leads to the extinction of all species in a community
• A random and chaotic mixing of different species in a community
• A sudden and unpredictable change in the types of species in a community
• A gradual process of change and replacement of the types of species in a community

An environment that undergoes primary succession begins with

• bare rock or sand
• no living organisms over a soiled region

• concrete pavement
• mature forest

The first species to enter a barren area are known as the

• Pioneer species
• Starter species
• Initial species
• Primary species

What are common first colonizers when glaciers retreat?

• Lichens, mosses, and grasses
• Ferns, dandelions, and sunflowers
• Oak trees, pine trees, and maple trees
• Palm trees, cacti, and succulents

Which of the following is not a biotic factor?

• Animals

• Bacteria

• Temperature

• Protists

What causes small plant species to decline in a maturing forest ecosystem?

• Decreased competition from larger plant species
• Increased competition from larger plant species
• Decreased shade from larger trees
• Increased sunlight in the forest understory

As succession proceeds, what happens to biodiversity?

• Decreases
• Increases
• Remains constant
• Becomes extinct

Ecosystems are most stable when diversity is

• nonexistent
• low
• medium
• high

An environment that undergoes secondary succession begins as

• overcrowded
• completely untouched
• fully developed
• disturbed or disrupted

True or false: after succession the original ecosystem will be reformed.

• True

• False