Process of Ecology

Communities go through a process of development from youth to maturity similar to that seen in individual organisms. This developmental process is called ecological succession. If a community develops on a newly formed site, this is called primary succession. If a community develops on a site that previously had a community on it, but which was disturbed or disrupted in some fashion, it is termed secondary succession. Some species (pioneer species) do very well during the early stages of succession but tend to be replaced by other species as the community matures. These species tend to be ecological generalists and do not hold-up well in the face of competition from more specialized species. Ev...