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Which of the following is an example of primary succession?
Primary succession commonly occurs after a volcanic eruption or a glacier recedes, because these areas have been stripped of organic matter. Primary succession is the process by which pioneer species colonize an area otherwise uninhabitable for plant life and generate nitrogen for other plant communities.
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Which of the following is the most accurate example of secondary succession?
Primary succession is characterized by a total loss of biomass and soil from the ecosystem or a beginning lack thereof. Land that has been covered by a glacier or under the seabed will be devoid of soil, much like the exposed bedrock seen after the Dust Bowl or the Mount St. Helens eruption. By contrast, a forest fire can typically be characterized as secondary succession because the soil remains intact and the ecosystem can typically recover much quicker because of that fact.
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Which of the following provides the most accurate example of primary succession?
Primary succession is characterized by plants establishing themselves in areas that were initially devoid of soil (usually bedrock). Grasses establishing themselves on a newly-formed island that is mostly bedrock is the best fit for this definition.
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Which of the following would NOT contribute significantly to primary succession?
Primary succession is characterized by pioneer species establishing themselves in areas that are predominantly bedrock and devoid of organic material. The formation of organic material in these areas typically occurs with the accumulation of wind-carried soil erosion, nutrients deposited by flowing bodies of water, and erosion of bedrock. Wildlife populations are also a significant contributor of soil nutrients, with feces being rich in both nitrogen and phosphorus. In contrast, pre-existing nitrogen-fixing plants (or any pre-existing plant communities) are uncommon to nonexistent in an area with no established soil system.
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Which of the following is a structural change in a community and its nonliving environment over time that alters the ecosystem?
Succession is a structural change in a community and its nonliving environment over time. Community changes alter the ecosystem in ways that favor competitors, and species replace one another in a somewhat predictable manner until a stable community is reached. Examples are the changes that occur after volcanos erupt and forest fires. Adaptation is a characteristic of an organism that helps it survive and reproduce in a particular environment. The differential survival and reproduction on the basis of genetic differences among individuals is termed natural selection. Evolution is any change in the proportions of different genotpyes in a population from one generation to the next. Mutation is a change in the base sequence of DNA in a gene that is usually significant enough to alter the appearance or function of the organism.
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Which of the following are least likely to be present during primary succession?
Primary succession begins with no soil. Eventually, lichens and mosses grow and die, which creates some soil. Small plants such as grasses and some ferns use this soil and grow. It would be very unlikely for a tree to grow in this environment.
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Which of the following is an accurate example of primary ecological succession?
Primary succession is, by definition, the establishment of living communities in areas where life had not previously existed. A waterfront that is barren rock does not initially have the potential to support life until mineral and soil deposits allow new plant communities to establish themselves. The other answers are not correct because plant communities already exist in these examples, which is not characteristic of primary succession.
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Ecosystems recover from disturbances in unique ways. A landscape ecologist observes in area right after a volcanic eruption. There is lava and dust across the landscape, and all vegetation has been removed. What is this ecosystem experiencing?
The correct response is primary succession. This represents the initial growth following a disturbance, such as a volcanic eruption. While pioneering succession involves the colonization of a location that has been affected by ecological damage, primary succession is a better answer since it refers specifically to vegetation colonizing a location in which soil is absent (such as after a volcanic eruption). Climax succession is not a term used to describe species succession over time, rather, a climax community is one that, over time, has reached a steady state.
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After an event such as a fire or a tree fall in a forest, early successional species are the first to reappear. Which is an example of early successional species?
Grasses are also early successional species because they reproduce quickly and require minimal diversity of resources to survive. Their quick reproduction and growth also categorizes them as R-selected species.
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A glacier has just receded across the landscape. As the glacier retreated, it completely decimated all standing vegetation. The landscape recovers quickly because there are plenty of seeds left in the seed bank. What is this an example of?
The correct response is secondary succession. This process occurs following some disturbance when the seedbank is still intact. For example, after an earthquake or fire all the vegetation is removed but there are still seeds in the ground. This would be an example of secondary succession because the vegetation can still recover. This is different from primary succession - primary succession occurs when there is no prior vegetation on the landscape and there is no seedbank. Tertiary and quaternary succession are made up terms.
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What is the process by which ecosystems change gradually overtime?
Ecological succession is the change of the structure of an environment overtime. The environment can be changed due to a sudden disruption or small changes overtime. These changes can take place over a few decades or millions of years.
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Which of the following organisms would be most likely to be found in an ecosystem undergoing primary succession?
Lichens are able to survive on bare rocks, with very few nutrients available. As a result, they are one of the first organisms to colonize an area of primary succession, where they usually break down rocks over time to form the base of soil in the new habitat.
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Which of the following is an example of primary succession?
Primary succession commonly occurs after a volcanic eruption or a glacier recedes, because these areas have been stripped of organic matter. Primary succession is the process by which pioneer species colonize an area otherwise uninhabitable for plant life and generate nitrogen for other plant communities.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which of the following is the most accurate example of secondary succession?
Primary succession is characterized by a total loss of biomass and soil from the ecosystem or a beginning lack thereof. Land that has been covered by a glacier or under the seabed will be devoid of soil, much like the exposed bedrock seen after the Dust Bowl or the Mount St. Helens eruption. By contrast, a forest fire can typically be characterized as secondary succession because the soil remains intact and the ecosystem can typically recover much quicker because of that fact.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which of the following provides the most accurate example of primary succession?
Primary succession is characterized by plants establishing themselves in areas that were initially devoid of soil (usually bedrock). Grasses establishing themselves on a newly-formed island that is mostly bedrock is the best fit for this definition.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which of the following would NOT contribute significantly to primary succession?
Primary succession is characterized by pioneer species establishing themselves in areas that are predominantly bedrock and devoid of organic material. The formation of organic material in these areas typically occurs with the accumulation of wind-carried soil erosion, nutrients deposited by flowing bodies of water, and erosion of bedrock. Wildlife populations are also a significant contributor of soil nutrients, with feces being rich in both nitrogen and phosphorus. In contrast, pre-existing nitrogen-fixing plants (or any pre-existing plant communities) are uncommon to nonexistent in an area with no established soil system.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which of the following is a structural change in a community and its nonliving environment over time that alters the ecosystem?
Succession is a structural change in a community and its nonliving environment over time. Community changes alter the ecosystem in ways that favor competitors, and species replace one another in a somewhat predictable manner until a stable community is reached. Examples are the changes that occur after volcanos erupt and forest fires. Adaptation is a characteristic of an organism that helps it survive and reproduce in a particular environment. The differential survival and reproduction on the basis of genetic differences among individuals is termed natural selection. Evolution is any change in the proportions of different genotpyes in a population from one generation to the next. Mutation is a change in the base sequence of DNA in a gene that is usually significant enough to alter the appearance or function of the organism.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which of the following are least likely to be present during primary succession?
Primary succession begins with no soil. Eventually, lichens and mosses grow and die, which creates some soil. Small plants such as grasses and some ferns use this soil and grow. It would be very unlikely for a tree to grow in this environment.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which of the following is an accurate example of primary ecological succession?
Primary succession is, by definition, the establishment of living communities in areas where life had not previously existed. A waterfront that is barren rock does not initially have the potential to support life until mineral and soil deposits allow new plant communities to establish themselves. The other answers are not correct because plant communities already exist in these examples, which is not characteristic of primary succession.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Ecosystems recover from disturbances in unique ways. A landscape ecologist observes in area right after a volcanic eruption. There is lava and dust across the landscape, and all vegetation has been removed. What is this ecosystem experiencing?
The correct response is primary succession. This represents the initial growth following a disturbance, such as a volcanic eruption. While pioneering succession involves the colonization of a location that has been affected by ecological damage, primary succession is a better answer since it refers specifically to vegetation colonizing a location in which soil is absent (such as after a volcanic eruption). Climax succession is not a term used to describe species succession over time, rather, a climax community is one that, over time, has reached a steady state.
Compare your answer with the correct one above