Name: ____________________________________________

Mr. LaFranca’s - Period ___________ Date: _____________________

Aim: How do ecosystems change over time?

Do Now: In I Am Legend, Will Smith’s character is the last man in an abandoned

NYC. Why do you think grass is overtaking (growing over top of) the middle of Manhattan?

1) ________________________________________________________________________________

• Major Climate Change (____________________)

• Natural Disasters (_____________________________________)

• Disease (__________________________)

• Pollution (__________________________________________)

• Human Influence (___________________________________)

• Most of the time, life doesn’t end _________________________.

• The damage ecosystem usually ___________________________.

• This “starting over” involves many stages of __________________

______________________________________________________.

• This pattern of growth is known as _____________________.

• Primary Succession

- Succession that occurs where there are ______________________.

There is ____________________________.

• Secondary Succession

- Succession that occurs where there is ___________________________

___________________________________________________________

What are some

causes of major

changes (or

disruptions) in

an ecosystem?

What happens

when an

ecosystem is

disturbed?

Two Types of

Succession

Biology - Note Packet #55

Stamp

Area

The entire _____________________________ and has to start over!

• Volcanoes cover the soil with _______________________. When

these cool a ________________________________________________.

• As glaciers move, __________________________________________.

• Humans cover soil with _____________________________________.

• Ecological Succession – A series of ____________________________

______________________________________________________________

•

•

• Usually the changes are part of a recovery from a ________________

_________________________________________

• Plants need _____________________________.

• If the land is stripped of soil, _________________________________

______________________________________.

• As cracks form in the rock, seeds carried by ____________________

_____________________________________________________________.

What may an

ecosystem look

like right after a

disturbance?

Ecological

Succession

How does

succession work?

• As they grow they continue to _______________________________

_____________________________________________________________.

• The first plants to grow are the “____________________________”

• Pioneer Species – __________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

• This organism is usually __________________ because it is an

autotrophic organisms that can live of minerals in rocks; _______________

_______________.

• Once soil starts to form, other plants can grow; _________________

________________________________________.

• These plants arrive from seeds transport there by _______________.

• As the soil _______________, more and more __________ of plants

grow.

• These new plants eventually _________________________________

__________________________________________________________.

• Succession always begins with simple plants (________________) and

climax (end) with complex plants (____________________)

• ______________________________

• ______________________________

• ______________________________

• ______________________________

• ______________________________

Pioneer Species

How does

succession

work? (cont)

The order of

plants in

Ecological

succession

• ___________________, a community of plants and animals that has

reached an _________________________________________________.

• The climax community is composed of species

___________________ to average conditions in that local area.

If the climax community was an oak forest, and it was destroyed; in about

150 years it would return back into the ______________________

Questions:

1. Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge has been developed from an

abandoned airport to restore habitat for six species of birds that require an area

rich in tall grasses. Workers must continually remove trees that are beginning to

invade the area as a result of

A) direct harvesting

B) genetic engineering

C) evolutionary change

D) ecological succession

2. Events that occur in four different ecosystems are shown in the chart below.

Which ecosystem would most likely require the most time for ecological succession to

restore it to its original state?

A) A B) B C) C D) D

Climax

community

Important!!!!

3. Base your answer to the following question on the diagram below, which shows the

sequence of plant communities that have occupied land that was left barren 300 years

ago, and on your knowledge of biology.

Which plant species represent pioneer organisms?

A) broomsedge and pine seedlings B) ragweed and aster

C) crabgrass and horseweed D) oak and hickory trees

4. Base your answer to the following question on the chart below.

Which stage represents a pioneer community?

A) A B) B C) C D) D

5. Base your answer to the following question on the diagram below and on your

knowledge of biology

The lichens and mosses can be classified as

A) a pioneer community

B) abiotic factors

C) a climax community

D) a population

6. Changes in an ecosystem over a long period of time are shown in the diagram

below.

These changes will most likely lead to a

A) stable ecosystem that can last for many years

B) loss of heterotrophs that cannot be recovered

C) long-term rise in environmental temperatures

D) forest consisting of only producers and decomposers

7. The diagram below represents the various stages of ecological succession in New

York State.

If the ecosystem is not altered, which stage would be the most stable?

A) grass B) shrub C) pine forest D) hardwood forest

8. What is a characteristic of a stable environment?

A) It usually contains only one type of producer.

B) It usually contains a great diversity of species.

C) It contains simple food chains that have more consumers than producers.

D) It contains complex food webs that have more heterotrophs than autotrophs.

9. An ecological process is represented below.

Which statement describes an event in this process?

A) Community B modifies the environment, making it suitable for community C.

B) Community D modifies the environment, making it suitable for community C.

C) Community E will develop into community A, if the environment remains stable.

D) Community A organisms will develop directly into community D organisms.

10. Over a long period of time, the stages represented in the diagram below were each

present in a particular ecosystem.

After a forest fire, what is the most likely order in which these stages appeared?

A) D C A B B) B D C A

C) A B C D D) B C D A

This diagram can be used to illustrate the

A) effects of reduced competition between different types of plant life

B) effect of human intervention on a stable ecosystem

C) ecological succession from bare rock to stable ecosystem

D) evolution of mosses to trees over 200 years

11. This diagram below represents a process that occurs in nature.

A) The mature forest will most likely be stable over a long period of time.

B) If all the weeds and grasses are destroyed, the number of carnivores will increase.

C) As the population of the shrubs increases, it will be held in check by the mature forest

community.

D) The young forest community will invade and take over the mature forest community.

12. Which statement best describes one of the stages represented in the diagram

below?

A) The mature forest will most likely be stable over a long period of time.

B) If all the weeds and grasses are destroyed, the number of carnivores will increase.

C) As the population of the shrubs increases, it will be held in check by the mature forest

community.

D) The young forest community will invade and take over the mature forest community.