Definition

1. Noun:
   • (Ecology) The gradual and orderly process of change in an ecosystem brought about by the progressive replacement of one community by another until a stable climax is established. This term describes the natural sequence of changes in the species structure of an ecological community over time.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The abandoned farmland underwent ecological succession, slowly transforming from grasses to shrubs and eventually to a forest.
  • Scientists study ecological succession to understand how ecosystems recover after disturbances like fires or volcanic eruptions.
  • Primary ecological succession occurs on new, barren landforms such as lava flows or sand dunes.

Advanced Usage

• "to undergo succession": to experience the process of ecological succession.
  • The pond will slowly fill with sediment and vegetation as it undergoes succession.
• "a stage of succession": a specific phase within the overall process.
  • Pioneer species like lichens are characteristic of an early stage of succession.

Variants and Related Words

• Succession (n): The broader process of following in sequence. In ecology, it is synonymous with "ecological succession."
  • The succession of plant communities is predictable in this climate.
• Successional (adj): Relating to or involving succession.
  • The study tracked the successional changes in the bird population.
• Sere (n): An intermediate stage found in ecological succession.
  • The meadow represents a serial sere on the way to becoming a forest.

Synonyms

• Biotic succession: Emphasizes the biological component of the change.
• Ecological development: A more general term for the process of ecosystem change over time.

Related Phrases

• Primary succession: Succession that begins in lifeless areas where there is no soil.
  • Glacial retreat provides a site for primary succession.
• Secondary succession: Succession that begins in areas where a pre-existing community has been removed but the soil remains.
  • After the forest fire, secondary succession will quickly begin.
• Climax community: The final, stable community in the successional sequence.
  • The old-growth forest is considered the climax community for this region.

Related Idioms

Noun

1. (ecology) the gradual and orderly process of change in an ecosystem brought about by the progressive replacement of one community by another until a stable climax is established