Read Succession from Bare Rock
Succession begins differently depending on whether soil and a previous community remain.
Living-system questions are solved by matching a structure or organism to its function, process and stated condition.
Start with the substrate
Primary succession starts on a surface with little or no soil, such as bare rock. Burned forest, flooded land and abandoned fields may retain soil and therefore can undergo secondary succession.
Read post-fire recovery across topography
Fire leaves soil, so forest recovery is secondary succession. In the comparison graph, the valley has greater species richness early on, indicating an earlier start; during the middle phase the slope rises faster and overtakes the valley. Read the plotted values rather than assuming one site leads throughout.
Succession and ecosystem development
Primary succession begins on newly exposed substrate without developed soil; secondary succession begins where soil remains. During pond development, food webs generally become more complex, and early daytime production can exceed nighttime respiration.
OlympIQ exam lens
- ✓Bare rock → primary succession.
- ✓Disturbed soil → often secondary succession.
Look for whether soil remains after the disturbance.
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