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Herb

Unit 2 - Ecosystems & Ecology

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Globe Showing Europe Africa

Unit 1 - Foundations Of Environmental Systems & Societies

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Flexed Biceps

Unit 3 - Biodiversity & Conservation

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Writing Hand

Unit 4 -Water & Aquatic Food Production Systems & Societies

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Deciduous Tree

Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies

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Cloud

Unit 6 - Atmospheric Systems & Societies

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Thermometer

Unit 7 - Climate Change & Energy Production

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Briefcase

Unit 8 - Human Systems & Resource Use

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Bar-Chart

Internal Assessment

Hello, world-changer in training! Today, we&#39;re embarking on a journey of transformation, not of a caterpillar to a butterfly, but of habitats through time. It&#39;s called succession, and it&#39;s nature&#39;s way of outdoing itself. Let&#39;s dive right in!

Succession is like an extreme home makeover of the environment, by the environment! It&#39;s when species change their surroundings and make room for new species. Imagine moving into a house and redecorating it to fit your style, only for the next tenants to change it again, but everyone leaves the place better than before.

In this ecological story, each stage of change is known as a &#39;seral stage.&#39; The exciting part? The first scene, featuring the &#39;pioneer community&#39;, often stars tough cookies like lichens and mosses who can live on bare rocks. They&rsquo;re the brave adventurers setting up the stage for those to follow.

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As we flip through the chapters, we see the communities becoming more complex, like a plot thickening in a mystery novel. The grand finale? The &#39;climax community.&#39; Stay tuned to find out what happens then!

Our characters &ndash; the species &ndash; cause changes in both the living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) parts of their environment. More plants, better soil aeration, improved soil fertility due to decaying vegetation &ndash; it&rsquo;s like turning a haunted house into a five-star hotel! All these changes mean more diverse habitats and thus, increased biodiversity.

Let&#39;s paint a picture of a succession: a transition from bare rock to a lush, climax temperate forest community

<ul>
	<li>Pioneers: Lichens and mosses are like Bear Grylls of the plant world - they don&#39;t need much to survive. They latch onto bare rock, photosynthesize, absorb water, and even form the first layer of soil upon their death. These guys are setting up the buffet for our next visitors!</li>
	<li>Grasses and Ferns: As soon as the soil gets comfy, grasses and ferns strut in. They grow taller than our pioneers, snagging more sunlight for photosynthesis. Their roots hold the soil in place, preventing erosion. Plus, they grow faster thanks to their larger photosynthetic area.</li>
	<li>Herbaceous Plants: Next up, plants like dandelions and goose-grass enter the scene. They&#39;re more demanding, needing more soil, but they&#39;re also stronger competitors, overtaking the grasses with their wind-dispersed seeds and rapid growth.</li>
	<li>Shrubs: As the plot thickens, shrubs such as bramble, gorse, and rhododendron make their appearance. Bigger and better, they thrive in the improved soil and outperform the slower-growing earlier settlers.</li>
	<li>Climax Community: Finally, it&#39;s time for the climax, where towering trees shade out the shrubs, and shade-tolerant forest floor species take the stage. Organic matter increases as the previous stars &#39;retire&#39;, and soil organisms break down this organic litter, enriching the soil and trapping moisture. The habitat now welcomes a broader range of species!</li>
</ul>

In a nutshell, succession is nature&#39;s own renovation project, where the hard work of one species benefits another, leading to a biodiverse, balanced ecosystem. Think about this the next time you&#39;re taking a walk in the park or forest. It might have been a barren land once, only to be transformed by nature&#39;s persistent gardeners over time!

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Remember, every species, big or small, plays a crucial role in our environment. So let&#39;s do our part to protect them, and in turn, ensure the beauty of succession continues to unfold. After all, the earth is our shared home, and it&#39;s up to us to look after it!

Nature's Makeover: Habitat Succession

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Standard Level

Environmental Systems & Societies SL

Unit 2 - Ecosystems & Ecology

Nature's Makeover: Habitat Succession

Table of content

Succession-the grand makeover

Seral stages- the chapter marks of change

Unlock the Full Content!

Unit 2 - Ecosystems & Ecology

Nature's Makeover: Habitat Succession

Table of content

Succession-the grand makeover

Seral stages- the chapter marks of change

Unlock the Full Content!