Back-Pocket Science Tutor · Interactive Ecology
Ecological Succession
Explore how ecosystems change over time. Compare primary succession, which begins without developed soil, with secondary succession, which begins where soil remains after a disturbance.
Start50 years100 years
Newly exposed rock surfaceStage 1 of 5
Soil development0%
Plant biomassVery low
Habitat complexityLow
What is happening?
Bare surface
The surface has little or no developed soil. Weathering and pioneer organisms begin changing the environment.
Why does the community change?
Organisms modify conditions and make resources or habitat available for other species. Succession is gradual and does not follow an identical timeline everywhere.
A later community is not automatically “better”; it has different species, structure, and interactions.