An area is undergoing secondary succession.Early in the process, facilitating species such as nitrogen fixers and decomposers predominate.Later in succession, there are more inhibiting species, such as competitors.What is a major reason that facilitating species outnumber inhibiting species early in succession?
A) Facilitation is an easier process than inhibition.
B) Early settlers are too simple taxonomically to carry out competition interactions.
C) Early settlers must facilitate each other to survive; they prepare the environment for later species.
D) More species carry out facilitation than competition and are thus more likely to settle first.
E) Inhibiting species are shorter-lived and thus have more difficulty becoming established, compared with facilitating species.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Facilitating species such as nitrogen fixers and decomposers prepare the environment for later species to come by transforming the physical and chemical components of the ecosystem. Early settlers must facilitate each other to survive in the initial stages of succession, as the environment lacks the necessary resources for growth and development. As the environment becomes more suitable for growth, competitors, which inhibit the growth of other species or consume shared resources, begin to outnumber facilitating species.

An Area Is Undergoing Secondary Succession