Which item is not a type of ecological succession?

• A. Ecological succession
• B. Primary succession
• C. Secondary succession
• D. Climate

Answer: (D)

Ecological succession is the gradual change in species composition and ecosystem structure over time in a given area after a disturbance or the creation of new habitat. Primary succession refers to the buildup of life from essentially bare ground where there is no soil, such as newly formed lava flats or glacial retreats. Secondary succession describes the recovery of an ecosystem after a disturbance that leaves soil intact, like after a fire or clear-cutting, proceeding through successional stages toward a stable community. Climate, by contrast, is the long-term pattern of weather in a region and sets the conditions that influence which species can establish and how quickly succession proceeds, but it is not a mode of ecological change itself. Because it does not describe a sequence of ecological changes, climate is not a type of ecological succession.