Consider the following statements regarding ecological succession. 1. The gradual and fairly predictable change in the species composition of a given area is called Climax Community. 2. The entire sequence of communities that successively change in a given area is called sere. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
An important characteristic of all communities is that their composition and structure constantly change in response to the changing environmental conditions . This change is orderly and sequential , parallel with the changes in the physical environment . These changes lead finally to a community that is in near equilibrium with the environment and that is called a climax community. The gradual and fairly predictable change in the species composition of a given area is called ecological succession. Hence, Statement 1 is incorrect. During succession , some species colonize an area and their population becomes more numerous whereas populations of other species decline and even disappear. The entire sequence of communities that successively change in a given area is called sere(s). Hence, Statement 2 is correct. The individual transitional communities are termed seral stages or seral communities. In the successive seral stages , there is a change in the diversity of species of organisms , an increase in the number of species and organisms as well as an increase in the total biomass . The present-day communities in the world have come to be because of succession that has occurred over millions of years since life started on earth. Actually, succession and evolution would have been parallel processes at that time. Succession is hence a process that starts in an area where no living organisms are there – these could be areas where no living organisms ever existed , say bare rock ; or in areas that somehow, lost all the living organisms that existed there. The former is called primary succession, while the latter is termed secondary succession.