Question

The biodiversity increases when one moves from the pioneer to the climax stage. What could be the explanation?

Answer 1

Ecological succession:

Ecological succession is a gradual process where there is a sequential development in the species composition in a particular area. Ecological succession begins with the colonisation of pioneer species and slowly proceeds towards the formation of the climax community.

Pioneer stage:

● The Pioneer stage is the beginning of succession where the conditions are not as favorable for the growth and development of all types of species.

● The plants of the pioneer stage do not have biomass to support different fauna.

● On bare rock, the pioneers are mainly the lichens as they can tolerate harsh environmental conditions. Thus the biodiversity is low.

Climax stage:

● The climax stage is the most stable and has all the conditions favorable for the growth of different species.

● As there are different types of plants they have more biomass to support different fauna.

● Hence, the biodiversity in the climax community is more.