Ecological Succession

Defined Change in community composition over time Can be seen following a disturbance Volcanic Eruption Glacial Movement Fire

Primary Succession Volcanic Explosion Glacier Receding Bare Rock

Secondary Succession Areas where living organisms occurred but a disturbance destroyed the community

Pioneer Communities Very Little to no Soils Lichens and Mosses Wind dispersed fast growing plants Little to no animals

Intermediate Communities Soil formed from decomposed primary community Grasses Full sun exposed fast growing trees and shrubs Herbivores

Mature Communities Deeper Soils Slow Growing Trees Plant Species that are more tolerant of variable conditions Shade Species of Flowers and Shrubs

Lichen Symbiotic association between a photosynthetic microorganism and a fungus Grows on Rocks Rotting logs Trees www.elkhornslough.org/ newspages/lichens.htm http://www.rbge.org.uk 8

Dandelions (Taraxacum) Grow quickly and produce large number of seeds Seeds dispersed by wind currents 9

Cenchrus spinifex (Field sandspur) Annual grass in the Poaceae family, grows up to 1 foot tall Grows in full sun and in disturbed sites http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CESP4 10

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) www.britannica.com/ebc/art/print?id=55849 Diet includes: Leaves, twigs, and fruits or nuts of most vegetation including trees, as well as lichens and other fungi. 11

Ruffed Grouse www.pbase.com/muskrat/image/45132899 These birds forage on the ground or in trees but spend most of their time on the ground Diet includes: berries, seeds, fruits, nuts, leaves, and insects 12

Gray Squirrel Primary component of diet includes hard nuts and fruit Will also eat seeds, fungi, insects and other arthropods, tree bark, nectar, leaves, buds, flowers, and sometimes bird eggs, nestlings and carrion (carcasses of dead animals). Gray Squirrel www.snowmancam.com/wildlife_identification.htm 13

Wild Turkey Diet includes seeds, insects, and an occasional frog or lizard www.statesymbolsusa.org/.../bird_wild_turkey.html 14

American Burying Beetle Diet includes the bodies of dead and decaying animals Play a major role as decomposers 15

Timber Rattlesnake Diet mainly includes small mammals, but may include small birds, frogs, or other snakes. 16

Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) Evergreen, fast growing tree Reaches heights up to 80 feet tall Needs full sun, and well-drained soil http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Pinus_strobus_trees.jpg/513px-Pinus_strobus_trees.jpg 17

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) Deciduous shrub or tree, grows up to 50 feet tall Prefers full-sun Light sandy soils http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/epa/oakhickory.htm 18

Deciduous Holly (Ilex decidua) Deciduous shrub or tree, grows up to 18 feet tall Prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/i/iledec/iledec1.html 19

Four-leaf Milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia) Perennial wildflower grows up to 2 feet tall Semi-shade tolerant and thrives in a variety of soil conditions Pollinated by butterflies, bees, moths, and attracts many different species of wildlife Four-leaf Milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia) © Gary P. Fleming 20

Dense blazing stars (Liatris spicata) Slow growing wildflower; grows up to 4.5 feet tall Grows best in full sunlight but is also partially shade tolerant images.whiteflowerfarm.com/32955a.jpg 21

Bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix) Perennial grass, grows up to 5 feet tall Wind pollinated and seeds are dispersed by wind Found in meadows and woodlands © Gary P. Fleming 22

Red Maple (Acer rubrum) Deciduous, shade tolerant tree, grows up to 90 feet tall Tolerates many sun conditions and soil environments http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/epa/oakhickory.htm 23

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) Tall, deciduous tree, grows up to 75 feet tall Moist, nutrient rich soils Fruits and nuts are food sources for many different wildlife species http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/epa/oakhickory.htm 24

White Oak (Quercus alba) Slow growing, deciduous tree Grows up to 100 feet tall, and several feet wide Canopy species that creates large amounts of shade http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/epa/oakhickory.htm 25

Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) Perennial wildflower, grows up to 6 inches tall Shade tolerant Underground stem is eaten by rodents © Gary P. Fleming 26

Star Chickweed (Stellaria pubera) Native perennial wildflower, grows up to 1 foot tall Shade tolerant Found in moist, well-drained, nutrient rich soil http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/star_chickweed.htm 27

Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) Woody vine that grows on trees and shrubs Moderately shade tolerant Wildlife including songbirds, turkey, and deer feed on it http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/t/wtora2-br10834.jpg 28

Wake Robin (Trillium grandiflorum) Wildflower that grows up to 18 inches Shade tolerant, forest floor species Fruit eaten by ants Wake Robin (Trillium grandiflorum) http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/eastern/LakeVesuviusRockHouseTrail/images/trillium_grandiflora_lg.jpg 29

Black Bear (Ursus americanus) Omnivore Spring diet includes emerging plants and carcasses of animals that have died during the winter Summer diet includes fruits Fall diet includes fruits, acorns and beechnuts that have accumulated on the floor (mast) Black bears will also eat pinecones, roots, ants, and honey from wild or domestic bees Black bears are strong predators, and in some areas they frequently kill moose, calves, and deer fawns during spring. Black Bear (Ursus americanus) greennature.com/.../black-bear.html 30

Bobcat (Lynx rufus) Diet includes rodents, rabbits, hares, and some birds. 31

Yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens) Most individuals extract small insects among foliage of trees or shrubs 32

Nuthatch Searches tree trunks and rocks for food Diet includes insects and seeds Stores seeds for winter months Nuthatch 33