IB Biology D4.2 Notes

In the maintenance of ecosystem stability, you have learned about the important factors, sustainable practices, pollution, and restoration. However, sometimes ecosystem destruction (such as in natural wildfires) is beneficial for the restart of an ecosystem. During this restart, the ecosystem has to be rebuilt over time via ecological succession. 

Ecological succession refers to the process of sequential change over time in an ecosystem. Usually, it comes about in response to a disturbance and is the result of the interactions (dynamic) between biotic and abiotic conditions. Earlier communities modify the environment, making it more favourable for the future species in the communities that will come next. In time succession may result in stable, mature or climax communities. Succession that occurs where there is no soil is called primary succession.