Unit 1 Notes:

Succession &

Biodiversity

Where did we come from?• Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration

• Feeding Relationships & Energy

• Human Impact• Biomagnification• Invasive Species• Climate Change

Where are we going?

• Ecosystem Stability

• Ecosystem Biodiversity

(1) Biodiversity•Biodiversity is the variety of different types of living organisms in an ecosystem.

•The larger the variety, the greater the stability of the ecosystem during times of change.

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(2) Changes to Ecosystem Stability•Each unique ecosystem cycles energy and matter because of the specific plants, animals, and climate patterns it contains and experiences.

•The following can cause dramatic changes in an ecosystem:•Change in climate.•Negative human activities.•Loss of biodiversity, plants, and animals.

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(3) Succession•Succession is the process in which the structure of an ecosystem’s community changes due to some event.

•The “change in structure” is due to the change in the types of plants and animals that inhabit the area at different times.

(4) Common Succession Catalysts•Forest Fires

•Storms

•Tectonic Activity (Earthquakes, Volcanic Eruptions, Change to Land Masses)

•Human construction / agriculture

(5) Primary Succession•Succession that happens in an open area without any living organisms (and usually without soil).

•Example: Formation of new land mass.

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(6) Secondary Succession•Succession that occurs to an area AFTER primary succession has been disrupted/destroyed by another event.

•Some soil and plants/animals have already invaded the area.

•Example: A natural disaster / human activity disturbs an already established habitat of plants and animals.

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