What term describes a change in an ecosystem that occurs when one community replaces another due to changing abiotic and biotic factors?

• A. Ecological succession
• B. Primary succession
• C. Secondary succession
• D. Climax community

Answer: (A)

Ecological succession is the gradual change in which one biological community is replaced by another as environmental conditions change and species interactions shift. Disturbances or shifts in abiotic factors (like soil nutrients, moisture, or climate) and biotic factors (such as competition and predation) create opportunities for new species to establish, alter the habitat, and progressively alter which species can persist. Over time this replacement continues until a relatively stable community forms, often called a climax community. This description matches the scenario of a change in an ecosystem where one community is replaced by another due to changing abiotic and biotic factors. Primarily, primary succession begins on bare rock or lava with no soil, secondary succession occurs after disturbance in an area that still has soil, and a climax community is the endpoint of the process, not the process itself.