What role does disturbance play in succession?

Disturbances can leave legacies or traces in the landscape, vegetation or soils of variable duration. They can alter the ecological succession.

Explanation:

Ecological succession is the evolution that occurs naturally, producing a dynamic ecosystem.

A disturbance is any discrete and external event that alters an ecosystem, community or population, which changes the availability of resources or physical environment.

Agents of natural disturbances:

• Winds (storms, hurricanes, tornadoes)

• Tree falls

• Moving water (floods)

• Landslides

• Frost

• Droughts  

• Fires

• Animals (grazing, pests)

Human disturbances:

• Agriculture and grazing

• Mining

• Pollution

• Irradiation

• Fires

The disturbances, depending on their characteristics, can leave legacies or traces in the landscape, vegetation or soils of variable duration. They can alter the ecological succession.

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