Which ecosystem below would be the best example to use when explaining the idea of secondary succession?

Question

a. A building lot is cleared but never built on.

b. A lava flow extends into the sea expanding the land area of an island.

c. A landslide wipes out a section of forest down to bare rock.

d. A flood washes away a hillside.

e. A glacier retreats leaving barren landscape behind.

I have put down B as the answer, but I feel really unsure as my book explained different things that could be secondary succession but it never really says exactly what secondary succession is therefore I am confused how i can define any of these as secondary succession.

Answer 1

Im not doing your homework for you. nice try though.  

Answer 2

You must be in AP Biology. I am as well.

The correct answer would be

d. A flood washes away a hillside.

Secondary succession occurs after disturbance destroys an area & leaves the area lifeless BUT leave the soil intact, plants & animals begin to recolonize the area.

a. is incorrect because if after the lot is cleared, no life forms colonized the area, then succession has not occurred.

b. is incorrect because a lava flow would not leave soil intact, therefore it would be an example of primary succession

c. is incorrect because, like b, the soil is not left intact so it would be an example of primary succession

e. is incorrect because the area was not previously colonized, nor was it damaged by a disturbance

Hope this helps!

If you have anymore questions, e-mail me at [e-mail]

Answer 3

c

Answer 4

"A" is the best answer.  In this example, plant communities are reduced, but not totally eliminated.  Also, soil still exists on the lot (unlike the other examples), allowing the plant communities to gradually return to the original climax community.

Answer 5

answer is c. secondary succession occurs on preexisting soil. only happens where plants are and where life already exists.

READ THIS MIGHT HELP  Trees are colonizing uncultivated fields and meadowsSecondary succession is one of the two types of ecological succession of plant life. As opposed to primary succession, secondary succession is a process started by an event (e.g. forest fire, harvesting, hurricane) that reduces an already established ecosystem (e.g. a forest or a wheat field) to a smaller population of species, and as such secondary succession occurs on preexisting soil whereas primary succession usually occurs in a place lacking soil. A harvested forest going back from being a cleared forest to its original state, the "climax community" (a term to use cautiously), is an example of secondary succession. Each stage a community goes through on its way to the climax community in succession can be referred to as a seral community.