Community Succession

Basically, community succession is the process by which ecosystems renew themselves. Though many ecosystems, such as the red wood forests in California, are rather stable and remained essentially unchanged for centuries, many others go through periods of disturbances. These disturbances could result from volcanic eruptions, forest or grass fires, or human intervention such as cattle grazing. All of these disturbances alter the community by destroying most, if not all, of the plants in the ecosystem. Through community succession, the ecosystem returns to a stable and persistent climax community.

For instance, after the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens, most of the plants along the mountainside were destroyed and buried under ash. This ash provides many nutrients to plants, but only those organisms that are hearty enough to handle the extreme sunlight, high winds, and shallow soil. As these first plants gain a foothold in the environment, they slowly make the environment more suitable for other, less hearty plants. Eventually, the plants that were dominant in the early stages of succession are replaced by other plants until the plant community returns to the climax community.