Succession Test

1. Succession that occurs after a fire in an ecosystem is

called______________________________________.
a. primary succession
c. secondary succession
b. flame succession
d. climax succession
2. Plants that grow after lichens that help to further break down rocks are
called_________________________.
a. pioneer species
c. mosses
b. legumes
d. pines
3. The following natural events will cause primary succession to occur:
a. floods and hurricanes
b. wild fires and controlled burns
c. tsunamis and tornadoes
d. glacier movement and volcanoes
4. Lichens are most likely to grow in the following type of area:
a. an old growth deciduous forest.
b. after a volcano erupts.
c. a grassy area cleared by a wild fire.
d. an open farm field.
5. The first plants to grow after a fire are called the ________________________.
a. climax community
c. pioneer species
b. succession community
d. seeds
6. In ecology, succession refers to:
a. balances of power
b. survival of the fittest.
c. natural selection.
d. one species gradually being replaced by another.
7. A pioneer species such as ______________________ are a combination of algae and fungus
that grow on bare rock.
a. mistletoe
c. legumes
b. lichens
d. mushrooms
1. A type of succession that occurs on abandoned farmland is called
c. primary succession
c. climax community
d. old-field succession
d. pioneer species
8. How do lichens contribute to primary succession?
a) Lichens decompose organic matter from animals and plants.
b) Lichens begin to break down rock to form soil.
c) Lichens are nitrogen fixing bacteria.
d) Lichens convert carbohydrates into fossil fuels.

9. What type of vegetation would you expect to find on an abandoned farm after 150 years?
a. short grasses
c. pine trees and oak trees
b. shrubs
d. lichens
10. Natural disasters such as flooding and tornadoes are linked to ______________________
succession.
a. primary
c. old-field
b. secondary
d. ecosystem
11. The final stable community that is made up of mature, hardwood trees is called
a. pioneer community
c. climax community
b. farmland
d. old field
12. __________ succession is more likely to take thousands of years before trees are seen.
a. Old-field
c. Primary
b. Ecological
d. Secondary
13. The pioneer species most likely to be found in secondary succession includes:
a. pine trees
c. lichens
b. oak tress
d. grasses
14. Where does most primary succession take place in the United States?
a. Hawaii
c. Europe
b. Calvert County
d. Old farms
15. How are animals affected by ecological succession?
a. lack of food
b. predator prey interactions
c. lack of shelter
d. all of the above
16. What natural disaster affected LaPlata, MD and the ecological succession of the surrounding
area?
a. hurricane
c.tsunami
b. tornado
d. earthquake
17. When does a climax community change?
a. Never, it always remains stable
b. After human disturbance
c. After natural disaster
d. Both b and c
18. Lichens that colonize bare rock are an example of a pioneer species. In which environment
would a pioneer species such as lichens be most successful?
a. An old-growth deciduous forest
b. A hillside that has been cleared by a forest fire
c. A mountain meadow after the spring snowmelt
d. After a volcanic eruption