University of Caloocan City

Biglang Awa St Cor. 11th Ave Catleya, Brgy 100, Caloocan, 1400 Metro Manila

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
BSED-SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

Detailed Lesson Plan

I. Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. Define what is ecological succession

2. Differentiate primary succession to secondary succession
3. Describe how primary and secondary succession occurred.
II. Subject Matter:

A. Topic: Ecological Succession

Subtopics: Primary Succession and Secondary Succession
B. Reference: https://www.britannica.com/science/ecological-
succession
Materials: visual aids (PowerPoint presentation), Video
presentation
C. Skills: listening skills and thinking skills
D. Values: appreciation,
E. Concept: Ecological succession and how it happened.

III. Procedure:

Ecological succession,
- the process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time. Two different
types of succession—primary and secondary—have been distinguished. Primary
succession occurs in essentially lifeless areas—regions in which the soil is incapable of
sustaining life as a result of such factors as lava flows, newly formed sand dunes, or rocks left
from a retreating glacier. Secondary succession occurs in areas where a community that
previously existed has been removed; it is typified by smaller-scale disturbances that do not
eliminate all life and nutrients from the environment.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SUCCESSION

Primary and secondary succession both create a continually changing mix

of species within communities as disturbances of different intensities, sizes, and frequencies
alter the landscape. The sequential progression of species during succession, however, is not
random. At every stage certain species have evolved life histories to exploit the particular
conditions of the community. This situation imposes a partially predictable sequence of change
in the species composition of communities during succession. Initially only a small number of
species from surrounding habitats are capable of thriving in a disturbed habitat. As
new plant species take hold, they modify the habitat by altering such things as the amount of
shade on the ground or the mineral composition of the soil. These changes allow other species
that are better suited to this modified habitat to succeed the old species. These newer species
are superseded, in turn, by still newer species. A similar succession of animal species occurs,
and interactions between plants, animals, and environment influence the pattern and rate of
successional change.

Primary succession
is one of two types of biological and ecological succession of plant life, occurring in an
environment in which new substrate devoid of vegetation and other organisms usually lacking
soil, such as a lava flow or area left from retreated glacier, is deposited. In other words, it is the
gradual growth of an ecosystem over a longer period.
In contrast, secondary succession occurs on substrate that previously supported vegetation
before an ecological disturbance from smaller things like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and fires
which destroyed the plant life.

Occurrence
In primary succession pioneer species like lichen, algae and fungi as well as other abiotic
factors like wind and water start to "normalize" the habitat. Primary succession begins on rock
formations, such as volcanoes or mountains, or in a place with no organisms or soil. This
creates conditions nearer optimum for vascular plant growth; pedogenesis or the formation of
soil is the most important process.
These pioneer plants are then dominated and often replaced by plants better adapted to less
harsh conditions, these plants include vascular plants like grasses and some shrubs that are
able to live in thin soils that are often mineral based.
For example, spores of lichen or fungus, being the pioneer species, are spread onto a land of
rocks. Then, the rocks are broken down into smaller pieces and organic matter gradually
accumulates, favouring the growth of larger plants like grasses, ferns and herbs. These plants
further improve the habitat and help the adaptation of larger vascular plants like shrubs, or even
medium- or large-sized trees. More animals are then attracted to the place and finally a climax
community is reached.
Example
A good example of primary succession takes place after a volcano has erupted. The lava flows
into the ocean and hardens into new land. The resulting barren land is first colonized by pioneer
plants which pave the way for later, less hardy plants, such as hardwood trees, by
facilitating pedogenesis, especially through the biotic acceleration of weathering and the
addition of organic debris to the surface regolith. An example of primary succession is the island
of Surtsey, which is an island formed in 1963 after a volcanic eruption from beneath the sea.
Surtsey is off the South coast of Iceland and is being monitored to observe primary succession
in progress. About thirty species of plant had become established by 2008 and more species
continue to arrive, at a typical rate of roughly 2–5 new species per year.
Secondary succession
is one of the two types of ecological succession of plant life. As opposed to the first, primary
succession, secondary succession is a process started by an event (e.g. forest
fire, harvesting, hurricane, etc.) that reduces an already established ecosystem (e.g. a forest or
a wheat field) to a smaller population of species, and as such secondary succession occurs on
preexisting soil whereas primary succession usually occurs in a place lacking soil. Many factors
can affect secondary succession, such as trophic interaction, initial composition, and
competition-colonization trade-offs The factors that control the increase in abundance of a
species during succession may be determined mainly by seed production and dispersal, micro
climate; landscape structure (habitat patch size and distance to outside seed sources) ; bulk
density, pH, and soil texture (sand and clay)
Simply put, secondary succession is the ecological succession that occurs after the initial
succession has been disrupted and some plants and animals still exist. It is usually faster than
primary succession
The process of succession
Primary and secondary succession both create a continually changing mix of species
within communities as disturbances of different intensities, sizes, and frequencies alter the
landscape. The sequential progression species during succession, however, is not random. At
every stage certain species have evolved life histories to exploit the particular conditions of
the community. This situation imposes a partially predictable sequence of change in the
species composition of communities during succession. Initially only a small number of species
from surrounding habitats are capable of thriving in a disturbed habitat. As new plant species
take hold, they modify the habitat by altering such things as the amount of shade on the ground
or the mineral composition of the soil. These changes allow other species that are better suited
to this modified habitat to succeed the old species. These newer species are superseded, in
turn, by still newer species. A similar succession of animal species occurs, and interactions
between plants, animals, and environment influence the pattern and rate of successional
change.