What Is Succession?
Succession is the idea that communities proceed through recognizable and predicable changes in structure over time. Succession will often result in a climax community - a long term and stable community. The kind of climax community often is determined by the climate of the community. In the case of Kruger National Park, African Elephants also contribute to the final structure of the communities (See Essential Elephants tab for more information). There are two types of succession: primary and secondary.
Primary succession is when a community develops in an area that originally had no soil and absolutely no organisms. Some examples of surfaces where primary succession can occur include rock, water, and sand. Primary succession takes an extremely long time to reach its climax community. Events that can clear land for primary succession include volcanic eruptions, lowering sea levels that expose new land, glaciers that move and scrape away the organisms from a patch of land.
Secondary succession is more common than primary succession and takes less time to reach a climax community. Secondary succession begins with the destruction or disturbance of an already existing ecosystem. The key to secondary succession is that soil is left behind from the disturbance. Some events that can lead to secondary succession include fire, flood, windstorms, and even human activity. Undamaged communities nearby or adjacent to the disturbed community will contribute resources to the disturbed community, which can make the process go even faster.
Activities of the organisms in communities promote succession. As new species become established in a community, they begin to compete with the original species, and the original species will sometimes go extinct.
Primary succession is when a community develops in an area that originally had no soil and absolutely no organisms. Some examples of surfaces where primary succession can occur include rock, water, and sand. Primary succession takes an extremely long time to reach its climax community. Events that can clear land for primary succession include volcanic eruptions, lowering sea levels that expose new land, glaciers that move and scrape away the organisms from a patch of land.
Secondary succession is more common than primary succession and takes less time to reach a climax community. Secondary succession begins with the destruction or disturbance of an already existing ecosystem. The key to secondary succession is that soil is left behind from the disturbance. Some events that can lead to secondary succession include fire, flood, windstorms, and even human activity. Undamaged communities nearby or adjacent to the disturbed community will contribute resources to the disturbed community, which can make the process go even faster.
Activities of the organisms in communities promote succession. As new species become established in a community, they begin to compete with the original species, and the original species will sometimes go extinct.
Succession in Kruger National Park
Fire in Kruger National Park
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It has probably been a very long time since primary succession has occurred in Kruger National Park, but secondary succession occurs almost regularly. Fire is important to shaping the landscape in a savanna biome because it prevents the growth of trees. If trees were to grow in Kruger National Park, it would become a forest instead of being a savanna. Most fires that naturally occur in Kruger National Park happen in the dry season, which is May through October. However, the park management will sometimes set off fires earlier in the year so that fires that occur on their own in the dry seasons are not as intense and damaging to the landscape.
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Photo Source: http://www.irwantoshut.net/forest_succession.html