FRQ - (a)dentify the oldest stage of succession shown in the figure above.
(b) Pioneer species are important in ecological succession
(i) identify a pioneer species that could be found in an ecosystem like the one in the figure.
(ii) Describe the role of piioneer species in early succession.
(c) Explain one adaptation that helps grasses succeed in grasslands, rather than forests.
(d) Soil organisms, such as Mycorrhizal fungi, impact the rate of succession in ecosystems. M. fungi have a mutualistic relationship with various species of plants and increase the plant growth and survival. Sand dunes often lack M. fungi, and a researcher wanted to determine the effect of adding M. fungi species to sand on disturbed beaches on grass growth. The researchers set up various M. fungi communities at distributed beaches in different locations on the east coast of the United States.
(i) identify the independent variable
(ii) Identify the dependent variable