Ecological Succession Quick Check
1. Succession that occurs after a fire, tornado, or flooding (etc.) in an ecosystem is
called_____________________________.
a. primary succession
b. flame succession
c. secondary succession
d. climax succession
2. The final stable community that is made up of mature, hardwood trees is called ___________.
a. Pioneer community
b. Climax community
c. Early colonizers
d. Intermediate Community
3. How is secondary succession different from primary succession?
a. Secondary succession occurs after a disturbance in an area that was previously
uninhabited.
b. Secondary succession occurs after a disturbance in an area in which the soil has
remained intact.
c. Secondary succession occurs over a longer period of time than primary succession.
d. Secondary succession occurs when animals are introduced to an area that had only
plants.
4. How do pioneer species make ecological succession possible on an island following a volcanic
eruption?
a. They use chemicals to produce food.
b. They establish homes in which animals can live.
c. They break down rock into soil in which plants can grow.
d. They adjust the climate by altering the average temperature in a region.
5. The following natural events will cause primary succession to occur:
a. floods and hurricanes
b. wildfires and controlled burns
c. tsunamis and tornadoes
d. glacier movement and volcanoes
6. How do you know in ecological succession that the stage: ​early colonizer​ is taking place?
a. Small plants and grasses begin to form
b. Shrubs and bushes begin to form
c. A stable group of plants and animals
d. Moss begins to form
Use the diagram below for questions 7 & 8; ​Remember the stages are NOT IN ORDER!!!!
7. Which sequence represents a correct order of succession that would involve these stages?
a. 2 → 3 → 1 → 4 → 5
b. 2 → 1 → 3 → 5 → 4
c. 3 → 2 → 1 → 5 → 4
d. 3 → 1 → 2 → 4 → 5
8. In which stage from the picture above would soil be formed?
a. Shrubs
b. Grasses
c. Lichens on Rock
d. Coniferous Trees
9. A farmer stops cultivating a large tract of farmland and abandons it. The natural changes taking
place soon afterwards, such as the growth of wild grasses and weeds, can be considered secondary
succession because
a.
b.
c.
d.
a new ecosystem develops.
there is already soil present.
the land is not controlled by humans.
wild grasses and weeds make soil from rocks.
10. Which of the following describes how ecological succession is related to ​biodiversity​?
a. Ecosystems become less diverse during the process of succession because everything is
being destroyed.
b. Ecosystems become less diverse during ecological succession because there are fewer
animals moving into the ecosystem as the trees grow.
c. Ecosystems become more diverse because a greater variety of organisms fill the ecosystem
as succession progresses.