Ecological Succession Concepts

The video explores changes in ecosystems, focusing on dispersal, exotic species, and ecosystem stability. It discusses primary and secondary succession, climax communities, and the impact of new species. Assignments include creating a Venn diagram and reading about Mount St. Helens.

What is the term used when organisms successfully settle in a new, unoccupied habitat?

• Invasion

• Colonization

• Migration

• Adaptation

Which of the following is an example of an exotic species introduced to the US?

• Bald Eagle

• Kudu Vine

• Fire Ant

• Nutria

How do environmental changes like storms and fires affect ecosystems?

• They cause community changes

• They only affect plant life

• They stabilize the ecosystem

• They have no effect

What is the first stage of primary succession?

• Soil formation

• Shrub development

• Tree growth

• Moss and lichen growth

In primary succession, what is absent at the beginning of the process?

• Water

• Soil

• Sunlight

• Air

What typically triggers secondary succession?

• Introduction of new species

• Natural disasters

• Human intervention

• Soil erosion

Which type of plants dominate the early stages of succession?

• Aquatic plants

• Perennial shrubs

• Annual plants

• Tall trees

What happens to a pond during lake succession?

• It becomes deeper

• It becomes a desert

• It turns into a wetland

• It dries up completely

What is a climax community?

• A community with no predators

• A community in biological equilibrium

• A community with only one species

• A community that is constantly changing

In a climax community, what happens when an old tree dies?

• The ecosystem collapses

• A young tree of the same species grows

• The area becomes barren

• A new species takes its place