Ecological Succession and Virginia Ecosystems
Primary and Secondary Succession
Succession is the development a biological community over time. There are two different types of succession: primary succession and secondary succession. In this interactivity, click on a section to learn more about each type of succession. Click the player button to begin.
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Characteristics of a Climax Community
Ultimately, succession slows, and there are fewer changes in a community. As a community matures and reaches a stable balance of abiotic and biotic factors, it becomes a climax community. In this interactivity, click on each of the spinning icons to learn more the characteristics shared by climax communities.
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Virginia Ecosystems
As you know from previous geography and Earth science studies, Virginia is composed of a very diverse landscape that extends from the beaches and barrier islands of the east all of the way to the highly elevated Appalachian Plateau in the western part of the state. The Blue Ridge Mountains run through Virginia, creating areas of valleys and ridges, as well as a large area of piedmont, or foothills in the central part of the state.
There are several ecosystems found throughout Virginia. The climax community found in most of Virginia is a deciduous hardwood forest. The state has almost 16 million acres of forest. Wildlife common to the forests include a variety of birds, like the red-shouldered hawk, small lizards, like the white-spotted slimy salamander (as shown in the image to the right), small mammals, like the Allegheny wood-rat, and even larger mammals, like the black bear.
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries compiles information about species common to Virginia. Take a few minutes to look through their Wildlife Information webpage. If you click on the name of a species, you will be provided with a description of the species, as well as information about where the animal is commonly found.
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed
The Chesapeake Bay is a very unique, important body of water. The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary, which is a body of water that is open to the ocean. This means fresh water from streams mixes with salt water from the ocean. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest, most productive estuary in the United States. This immense body of water supports over 3,600 different species, making it an important abiotic factor in many ecosystems, like the marshes, ponds, and beaches that border it.
Learn more about the life in the Chesapeake Bay by viewing the video Creeks and Oceans from eMediaVASM. While you view the video, take note of how these species rely on one another, as well as the abiotic factors in their ecosystems.
Ecological Succession and Virginia Ecosystems Review
Now that you have learned about ecological succession and the ecosystems present in Virginia, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Read each statement and decide whether it is True or False. Then, click SUBMIT to check your responses. Click the player button to get started.