Do Now – January 27th, 2014: Draw a picture or describe what you think this neighborhood looked like 200 years ago.

Can you identify this ecosystem?

New York City (1500) (2011)

Succession Succession is a series of slow changes that occur in an area until a stable community is reached. An abrupt change in an ecosystem (like a forest fire or flood) can lead to succession.

                                                   Describe the change that you see happening from 1840 to 1990 in this ecosystem. This ecosystem started as a pond but then gradually was filled in until the pond had become part of a forest.

What do we call this kind of ecological change?                                                    What do we call this kind of ecological change? Does this kind of change usually happen quickly or gradually? succession gradually

Fish, seaweed Trees, plants, animals                                                    Which species would have been harmed the most by this succession? Which species would have benefited the most by this succession? Fish, seaweed Trees, plants, animals

How might a forest fire lead to more succession of this ecosystem?                                                    How might a forest fire lead to more succession of this ecosystem? Gradually, the ecosystem would return to being a forest even after a forest fire destroyed the trees.

Exit Slip Describe three stages of succession that would occur as a lake was becoming filled up with soil over time.