AQA A2 Unit 4 Succession and Conservation

-Succession is a gradual change in communities over time. Each community changes the environment so that it becomes suitable for new species to live there. The final community is known as the climax community.

-In the early stages of succession, abiotic factors are most important in determining which species can survive. Pioneer species have adaptations that allow them to colonise these hostile environments. As succesion proceeds, biotic factors become more significant.

-species diversity tends to increase as succession proceeds

-Conservation attempts to maintain biodiversity. This invoves maintaing a variety of different habitats, which between them can support a wider range of species than a single type of habitat can do.

-Conservation frequently involves preventing succession from occurring, or the careful management of succession. Without intervention, many habitats in Britain would eventually turn into woodland.