Question

The image above shows the natural progression of a forest in a process called ecological succession. If a mature climax forest is heavily harvested for mature trees to be used as pulp and lumber, which effect is most likely?

Answer 1

Explanation:

The community may enter primary succession.

Ecological communities are highly dynamic- they gradually evolve. Typically their progression involves:

• colonizing species exploiting uninhabited areas (Primary succession)
• becoming a habitable and increasingly complex community
• there is increased diversity of organisms (Secondary)

The makeup of biological communities is crucial to defining Primary and Secondary succession; eventually, through changes in this makeup, a steady-state or equilibrium is reached called a climax community. While Primary succession starts off with the modification of a previously unoccupied area along with increasing variation; secondary succession begins after major disruption in the community such as fires, storms and flooding.

Like the harvested climax forest, secondary communities do not begin with the removal of soil and all biological life; other species, may be more suited to the altered conditions and begin to modify the area creating a new community.

However, the process of becoming a climax community can be pretty complicated- it is very dependent on other factors like temperature and rainfall. Communities that experience rapid change, frequent major disruptions and even human intervention, are less likely to attain a stable equilibrium and may never become climax communities.

Learn more about primary succession at brainly.com/question/1603854

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