Habitat Succession
Habitat succession, or ecological succession, is the process of predictable change in the species and structure of an ecological community over time, given the right conditions. Certain events can interrupt or restart the process: natural events such as fire, flood, severe weather, volcanic eruption, large-scale outbreaks of insects or plant diseases; and human activity such as logging, agriculture, urbanization, fire suppression, and introduction of invasive species.
Some conservation benefits of maintaining an early successional habitat include:
- Creation of a desired plant community
- Reduced soil erosion and sedimentation
- Improved water quality
- Increased streamflow
- Improved wildlife habitat
- Improved forage
- Reduced wildfire hazard
