Question

In plant succession, last community is called as
A. Ecotone
B. Climax community
C. Seral community
D. Ecosystem

Answer 1

Hint: Have you ever thought that when earth was formed, there were no forests at all but now maximum land area is being covered by the forests itself. So how does forest come into existence from a barren piece of land?

Complete answer:
To answer this question, there are few terms that are to be elaborated:
> Ecotone: The area of maximum diversity where two biological communities meet. Example: the zone between field and forests.
> Pioneer community – The community that inhabits an area firstly is called Pioneer community.
> Climax community – The last yet stable community inhabiting an area is called climax community. This is the most stable community with respect to previous seral communities. The Climax community usually comprises Mesophytes.
> Seral communities or seral stage – In succession, communities or stages which come in between pioneer community and climax community are called seral communities and the complete sequence is called sere.
Important characteristics of Ecological succession :-
(1) There is a gradual replacement from short lived to long lived plant species.
(2) Continuous change occurs in communities towards a state of stability or climax.
(3) along the succession, there is a gradual increase in species-diversity, niche specialization, biomass, humus content.
(4) Decrease in net community productivity or annual yield.
(5) Succession is a directional process i.e. future seral communities can be predicted.
(6) Succession and evolution would have been a parallel process.
(7) Ecological succession usually puts changes in vegetation.

Hence, the correct option is (B) Climax community.

Note:
> Succession in water = Hydrosere / Hydrarch
> Succession in salty water = Halosere
> Succession in acidic water = Oxalasere
> Succession at dry Region = Xerosere / Xerarch
> Succession on rocks = Lithosere
> Succession on sand = Psammosere