In an area that was previously uninhabited, the initial colonization and soil formation part of succession is described by which term?

• A. Primary Succession
• B. Secondary Succession
• C. Pioneer Species
• D. Aerobic

Answer: (A)

Primary succession is the establishment of a biological community in an area that starts with bare rock or substrate and no soil. The initial colonizers, the pioneer species such as lichens and mosses, tolerate harsh conditions and begin to weather the rock, contributing organic material as they grow and die. This starts the formation of soil, and as it develops, grasses, then shrubs, and eventually trees can establish, leading to a more complex ecosystem. This process differs from secondary succession, which occurs after a disturbance in an area that still has soil and some life. Pioneer species describe the first colonizers within this process, but the term for the overall sequence of soil formation and community development in a barren landscape is primary succession.