The process of succession is driven by:
Species interactions are major drivers of succession because organisms change both the physical environment and one another’s probability of establishment and survival. Pioneer plants may facilitate successors by building soil, adding nitrogen, or providing shade. Residents may instead inhibit newcomers through competition, allelopathy, or occupation of space. In tolerance pathways, later species establish independently but ultimately prevail because they survive low light or resources better. Herbivory, predation, mutualism, and decomposition also redirect trajectories. The keyed choice highl
Ref: Ecology: Concepts and Applications, Molles, 9th Ed., Ch. 20