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Rangeland Succession

Rangeland Succession. Succession. The orderly change of plant communities over time. The gradual replacement of one plant community by another through natural processes over time Primary = From parent material Secondary = With soil in place. Primary Succession.

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Rangeland Succession

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  1. Rangeland Succession

  2. Succession • The orderly change of plant communities over time. • The gradual replacement of one plant community by another through natural processes over time • Primary = From parent material • Secondary = With soil in place

  3. Primary Succession • Soil and plants evolve together Primary succession on grassland rangelands. From Gay 1965

  4. Primary Succession • Begins in a place without any soil • Sides of volcanoes • Landslides • Flooding • Starts with the arrival of living things such as lichens that do not need soil to survive • Called PIONEER SPECIES

  5. Overview of Primary Succession Ecological Succession by by Ted Wohnsiedler from class called “Biology of Nature (http://web.me.com/wohnsiet/Site/Dr._Ted_Wohnsiedler.html)

  6. Primary Succession • 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 http://botit.botany.wisc.edu www.saguaro-juniper.com/

  7. An island of lichen and plants forming soil http://www.life.uiuc.edu

  8. Secondary Succession • Begins in a place that already has soil and was once the home of living organisms • Occurs faster and has different pioneer species than primary succession • Example: after forest fires • Others?

  9. Overview of Secondary Succession Succession After Wildfire: by University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension

  10. Basic idea of Succession • The simple plants die, adding more organic matter. • The soil layer thickens, and grasses, wildflowers, and other plants begin to grow (annuals & herbaceous). • These plants die, and they add more nutrients to the soil. • Shrubs and tress can then survive. • Insects, small birds, and mammals begin to inhabit. ** What was once bare rock now supports a variety of life. ** We manage forces that cause these changes.

  11. Forces of Ecosystem Change • Immigration and establishment of plants • Competition between plants • Site modification • Add organic matter • Change available moisture and nutrients • Stabilization • Reduced yearly variation in kind and amount of plants and animals.

  12. Climax Community • The end point of succession = Climax • A stable group of plants and animals that is the end result of the successionprocess • Trees in forests • Grasses in prairies • Cacti in deserts • Lichens and shrubs in the tundra • The end point depends on climate

  13. Ecological Services& Resources • forage for livestock • wildlife habitat • watershed management • biodiversity conservation • open space • carbon sequestration Forces & Impacts Herbivory ClimateChange Fire Human UsesDevelopment,Fragmentations, & Recreation Invasion RangelandsGrasslands, Shrublands, Woodlands

  14. Fire LivestockGrazing WeedMgmt HumanImpacts Restoration/Rehabilitation • Ecological Services& Resources • forage for livestock • wildlife habitat • watershed management • biodiversity conservation • open space • carbon sequestration Forces & Impacts Herbivory ClimateChange Fire Human UsesDevelopment,Fragmentations, & Recreation Invasion RangelandsGrasslands, Shrublands, Woodlands Tools for Stewardship

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