Disclosure+3+Discussion

**Natural disturbance are a normal force within the environment. Identify the disturbances that may influence the grassland and forest ecosystems. What are the results of these influences?** **Plants and animal species develop adaptations in response to these disturbances (sometimes call pressures and threats) within their ecosystems. Adaptations provide them with the means of survival, which may be distinguished as resistance or as resilience, Ed recommends that you look at natural patterns of succession. Evidence of adaptation development can be identified through the K species and R species that are exclusive to the environment in which disturbance occur. Examine these concepts.**
 * Disclosure 3**

**K Species: (Opportunists)** this is talking about a species which has short lives and most of its life is based on reproduction. For example most insects, rodents, annual plants and bacteria are all K Species. Characteristics of K Species are: animals with lots of offspring which are often much smaller that mature animals. Can reproduce very early in its life. Often don't protect or parent offspring, which is the reason why they have so many.

__**Important fact:**__ environmental changes can cause K species to get a large boom population for a short time or can cause a dramatic drop in population, which can cause K species to move to a different environment, becoming a invasive species.

**R Species: (Competitors)** this is talking about species that have long commonly long lives and spend most of its energy gaining nutrition and protecting its offspring. Examples are birds to an extent, Ruminants (deer, elk, moose), and the obvious one humans. Characteristics of R Species are: they parent their offspring, they reach sexual maturity later in life, take some time to fully mature (years), and long generation times. K species survive best where the climate is pretty constant.

-ecological succession is the gradual and orderly process of change in an ecosystem brought about by the progressive replacement of one community by another until a stable climax is established.
 * Natural Patterns of Succession **

Occurs in essentially lifeless ares-- regions in which the soil is incapable of sustaining life as a result of such factors as lava flows, newly formed sand dunes or rocks left from a retreating glacier.
 * Types of Succession**
 * __Primary__

Occurs in ares where a community that previously existed has been removed; typified by smaller-scale disturbances that do not eliminate all life and nutrients from the environment ie.) fire that sweeps across a grassland, or a storm that uproots trees within a forest creates patches of habitat which are colonized by early successional species. Depending on the extent of the disturbance, some species might survive, others may be colonized by another nearby habitat, and others may be released from a dormant condition by the disturbance.
 * __Secondary__

Primary and secondary both create a continually changing mix of species within communities as disturbances of different intensities, sizes and frequencies alter the landscape. The sequential **progression of species** during succession is not random. At every stage certain species have evolved life histories to exploit the particular conditions of the community. A predictable change occurs though, initially only a small number of species from surrounding habitats are capable of thriving in a disturbed habitat. As new plant species take hold, they modify the habitat by altering things such as the amount of shade on the ground or the mineral composition of the soil. These changes allow other species that are better suited to this modified habitat to succeed the old species. These newer species, in turn, are replaced, by still newer species. A similar succession of animal species occurs, and interactions between plants, animals and environment influence the pattern and rate of succession change.
 * Process of Succession**

As species adapt to one another, and to their communities, they form niches* and guilds*. the development of more complex structures allows a greater number of species to coexist with one another. THe increase in species richness and complexity acts to buffer the community from environmental stresses and disasters. Rendering it more stable. //*niche: how an organisms survives// //*guild: groups of species that exploit the same resources in the same way//
 * Biodiversity and the Stability of Communities**


 * Threats**
 * plant diseases
 * forest fires-wild fires
 * natural disturbances
 * wind erosion

=**Pressures (somebody needs to fill in their info on this please) **=

Natural disturbances are usually good. Ex) fire can destroy competition and start new life.