Succession is ”the process by which a plant or animal community successively gives way to another until a stable climax is reached.” Primary succession is when plants and animals first colonize a lifeless area. Anywhere without soil requires primary succession too have life. The first step to primary succession is the arrival of pioneer species. Pioneer species are the first species to arrive. They begin to convert the rock to soil. This process takes hundreds of years. Once a small layer of soil has accumulated simple vegetation can grow. This includes small annual plants and lichens. The next step to primary succession is the arrival of grasses and shrubs. The arrival of new vegetation is based on the amount of soil accumulated.  Not too soon smaller shade tolerant trees will begin to grow. A few hundred more years and color trees like beaches will grow. Taller tree like these over shadow  the smaller undergrowth. At this point the community has reached its climax.

Secondary succession occurs when a natural disaster leaves a community lifeless. Some of the differences between primary and secondary succession is that secondary succession is much faster and already has soil, while primary succession only has bear rock.  Secondary succession has the steps of primary succession after the soil has accumulated. Because there is already soil when it begins the succession does not have to follow the accumulation of soil. This is why secondary succession is so much faster. To put the speed into contrast secondary succession takes around a century and a half while primary succession can take hundreds if not thousands of years. Because soil is a staple for plant life, life cannot occur without it. If a volcano eruption‘s occurs primary succession will begin again because of the bear rock surface.

Questions:

Why does succession stop after a climax community is formed?

Is thirdadary succession a thing?

Are there other forms of ecological succession?