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#ecology basics

7 public questions tagged with this topic.

In allogenic succession, the change is due to:

Allogenic succession is driven mainly by forces external to the resident community, including erosion, sediment deposition, flooding, climatic shifts, or changes in hydrology. Such abiotic processes alter habitat conditions independently of biological modification and can redirect community composition. A disturbance changes the availability of space, resources, and biological legacies, creating opportunities for colonization. Whether succession is primary or secondary depends chiefly on the starting substrate and survival of soil, not simply on the identity of the disturbance. Colonists must

Ref: Ecology: Concepts and Applications, Molles, 9th Ed., Ch. 20

Which component of the ecosystem primarily regulates ecological processes and supports life systems?

Energy flow is a fundamental functional process that sustains ecosystem organization. Producers capture solar energy through photosynthesis, or chemical energy through chemosynthesis, and store part of it in organic molecules. Consumers and decomposers transfer that chemical energy through feeding and decomposition, while respiration at every trophic level releases much of it as heat. Because heat cannot be completely recycled into biological work, energy moves directionally and requires continual input. This flow constrains food-chain length, biomass at higher trophic levels, and rates of pro

Ref: Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems, Begon et al., 5th Ed., Ch. 17