Ecological succession

ECOLOGIC SUCCESSION

• Ecologic succcession is a natural process in which structure of a biologic community changes with time.
• It is a very gradual process and imperceptible over short time scales
• Nothing remains the same and habitats are constantly changing due to natural and anthropogenic (manmade or human induced) changes
• It may also occur suddenly due to disasters (natural or man-made)
• The structure of the new community is more complex than the previous community because of introduction of new species and consequently, newer interactions.
• There are two types of succession - Primary or secondary
• Primary succession refers to community changes that occur on an entirely new habitat which has never been colonized before.
• Secondary succession refers to community changes that take place on a previously colonized, but disturbed habitat.
• Succession takes place because through the processes of living, growing and reproducing. 
• The organisms interact with and change the environment within an area, gradually.
• The changed environment gives an advantage to newer species over the native living organisms as the newer species are better adapted to the changed environment
• Succession involves the entire community
• Change in the plant species present in an area is one of the driving forces behind ecological succession
• The structure of the plant communities influences the animal species which can live in the microhabitats provided by the plants.
• Succession is directional. Communities change gradually from one stage to another.

Types of ecological succession are:

• Primary
• Secondary and 
• Cyclic

Succession continues finally ending up with a 'climax' community and stops there. 

Climax community is the final stage.

When large organisms in the climax community, new openings are created in which secondary succession will occur.

Thousands of different species might be involved in the community changes taking place over the course of a succession.

Factors controlling ecological succession are: 

• the geology and history of the area, 
• the climate, 
• microclimate, 
• weather, 
• soil type and 
• other environmental factors.

Succession occurs on many different timescales, ranging from a few days to hundreds of years.