Which type of succession occurs after life has been destroyed by a natural disaster?

Prepare for the GACE Middle Grades Science Test. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Ace your exam!

The type of succession that occurs after life has been destroyed by a natural disaster is secondary succession. This process takes place in an area where an ecosystem has been disturbed but where soil and some organisms still remain. Natural disasters such as fires, hurricanes, or floods can clear away vegetation and animal life, but they often do not completely strip the soil of its nutrients and microorganisms.

Secondary succession allows for a quicker recovery and re-establishment of life compared to primary succession, which occurs in areas where no soil exists, such as after a lava flow or glacial retreat. In contrast, primary succession starts from bare rock and requires the formation of soil before any plant life can begin to grow.

Natural selection refers to the evolutionary process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. Biome transition speaks to changes among larger ecological regions rather than the specific process of ecological recovery after a disturbance.

Understanding the distinction between these types of succession and the specific conditions under which they occur is important in grasping ecological concepts and the dynamics of ecosystems.

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