A STUDY OF SUCCESSION

p r o j e c t I I A STUDY OF SUCCESSION

BACKGROUND

“Ecological succession is the process that describes how the structure of a biological community changes over time.” However, this research-based project focused heavily on secondary succession and how a biological community has the ability to regenerate after small-scale disturbances such as fire.

This rendering illustrates an overgrown grassland environment that has undergone prescribed burning to decrease debris and excessive woody species. Habitats are then altered and undesirable species are eliminated. Although the burning appears to devastate the land, the soil and former biological communities are still present and contain an abundance of nutrients from the burned organic matter. This allows the land to begin it’s regrowth cycle which generates more native grasses and wildflowers that provide habitat for other native animals and insects.

Prof. Paul Russell LARC 8230 Spring 2020

The image above created in Photoshop illustrates succession within grassland environments after prescribed burning has taken place. The life cycle of grasslands that undergo prescribed burning, from left to right, is shown above to demonstrate how controlled burning can benefit a once overgrown environment. 11