Question

Trace the succession of plants on a dry bare rock.

Answer 1

Hint: Succession is the natural, orderly change in plant and animal that occurs over time. If left undisturbed an open field may become an ‘aging’ forest in 300 or more years.

Complete answer:
-Depending upon the nature of the habitat on which the plant succession begins seven types of seres may be distinguished:
(a)Plant species succession on abandoned land
Stage I- Pioneer species colonise a bare or distributed site causing soil building.
Stage II- Changes in the physical environment occur like light, moisture.
Stage III- New species of plants displace because their seedlings are better able to become established in the changed environment.
Stage IV- Animals come in with or after the plants they need to survive.
Stage V- Eventually a climax community that is more or less stable will become established and have the ability to reproduce itself
Stage VI- Disturbance will start the process of succession again.

Additional Information:
Plant species succession on water
and consists of six serial stages
Stage I- Submerged stage: The number of aquatic plants occupy the shallow pond or lake which accumulates after death and decay.
Stage II- Floating stage: The plant rooted in the mud and their broad leaves float on the surface of the water shading the submerged plants below.
Stage III- Reed- swamp stage: This is initiated in extremely shallow water where plants remain only partly submerged in water.
Stage IV- Sedge meadow stage: The soil level continues to rise and soil organic matter continues to increase.
Stage V- Woodland stage: The formation of health land which remains saturated with water in spring and early summer where the new sub-climax vegetation dominated by shrubs and small trees make their appearance in the area.
Stage VI- Climax forest stage: More and more plants appear in the area and competition among these plants all increase with soil becoming more fertile and the area is invaded by larger trees.
-Type of succession:
Primary- Establishment of plants on land previously not cultivated.
Secondary- Invasion by plants on land that that was previously vegetated.
Allogeneic- The environmental changes the composition of the plant community
Autogenic-Where both plant community and environment change caused by the activities of plants over time
Progressive-Where the community becomes more complex with time, more species contains more biomass over time.
Retrogressive- The community regresses becomes more simplistic and contains fewer species and less biomass.

Note: -The environmental conditions, climate, permafrost, topology and natural and natural forces may affect the pattern of succession.
-Hydrosere: When the succession starts with the aquatic environment.
-Xerosere: When the succession starts on dry bare land.