3.1 Succession and Limiting Factors

1. 3.1 Succession and Limiting Factors

2. Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems Chapter 3 3.1 Community Ecology Communities • A biological community is a group of interacting populations that occupy the same area at the same time. Oasis

3. Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems Chapter 3 3.1 Community Ecology Limiting Factors • Any abiotic factor or biotic factor that restricts the numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms is called a limiting factor. • Includes sunlight, climate, temperature, water, nutrients, fire, soil chemistry, and space, and other living things

4. Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems Chapter 3 3.1 Community Ecology Range of Tolerance • An upper limit and lower limit that define the conditions in which an organism can survive • The ability of any organism to survive when subjected to abiotic factors or biotic factors is called tolerance.

5. 3:1 Succession The living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem may change over a period of time. The changes that take place in a community as it gets older are called SUCCESSION.

6. Succession Succession happens SLOWLY! So it can be hard to see happening.

7. Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems Chapter 3 3.1 Community Ecology • Primary Succession occurs at an area of NEWLY EXPOSED rocks that has never been occupied by any living things (biotic factors)

8. Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems Chapter 3

9. Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems Chapter 3 3.1 Community Ecology • Secondary Succession occurs in places where a community has been removed (like from clear cutting a forest or plowing a field). There used to be biotic factors present

10. Succession in a Land Community In a plowed field: weeds invade first worms and grasshoppers arrive beetles and ants arrive

11. Succession in a Land Community As the animals die their bodies decompose and add nutrients to the ground. Making the soil better for other, larger animals and plants to move in!

12. Succession in a Land Community A CLIMAX COMMUNITY is the final stage of succession in a community. It is the final stage because it is STABLE and can replace itself with little change from then on.

13. Succession in a Land Community It may take 150 years or more for an area to become a climax community.

14. Succession in a Water Community Succession can occur when a lake/pond turns into a land community.

15. First, only microbes are present. Then, sediments get carried in…

16. Succession in a Water Community Eventually, algae come in, then larger plants. Over time, the pond/lake fills in with dead plant material and larger animals move in. Eventually, the pond/lake completely fills in and over 100 years becomes a terrestrial environment.