| A | B |
|---|
| ecological succession | predictable and orderly changes that occur over time in a community of plants and animals |
| primary succession | series of changes occurring in a newly formed, barren habitat |
| substrate | base, usually rock or soil, in which an organism lives |
| pioneer species | first species to populate or repopulate a barren or disturbed area |
| colonize | to establish growth in an ecological community |
| ecology | scientific study of the relationships between organisms and their environments |
| vegetation | plant life in an area |
| botanist | scientist who studies plant life |
| sere | stage in the series of communities formed during ecological succession |
| secondary succession | series of changes occurring in an area where the existing ecosystem has been disturbed |
| softwood | wood from conifers or evergreen trees |
| hardwood | wood from broad-leaved, mostly deciduous trees |
| topography | physical surface features of a place or region |
