1. Succession, Nutrient Cycles & Pollution
Compare primary and secondary succession.
How are matter and nutrients recycled through an ecosystem?

2. Succession – the predictable changes that an environment goes through as its being established or redeveloping
Competition for light influences the stages of succession.

3. Primary Succession -

4. Stages of Primary Succession:
Pioneer species – Lichens
Mosses & Ferns
Grasses
Shrubs & small softwood trees
Large hardwood trees (climax community)

5. Secondary Succession -

7. Keystone species – critical to homeostasis ex
Keystone species – critical to homeostasis ex. Top predators (sharks, mountain lions), hummingbirds -pollinators
Climax community – stable ecosystem in equilibrium or steady state
Other Vocab

8. Nutrient Cycles
Matter and Nutrients are recycled through an ecosystem.
Energy, however, is replenished by the sun.

9. Water Cycle Water occurs on Earth as a solid, liquid, and gas.
PrecipitationAccumulationEvaporationCondensation

10. Water Cycle

11. Carbon Cycle
Carbon is found in ALL living things- Organic Molecules

13. Nitrogen Cycle Nitrogen makes up almost 78% of air.
Every living organism needs nitrogen to make proteins & nucleic acids
Nitrogen fixation by lightning & bacteria

15. Nitrogen Fixation
Many organisms cannot directly use the nitrogen to make protein and DNA
Nitrogen Fixation- bacteria living on roots of legumes (bean family) convert N2 to NH3 “Fixed” Nitrogen
NH3 “Fixed” Nitrogen is then passed from consumer to consumer along the food chain
The nitrogen is then “reused”