Ecological Succession in the TVCC Native Habitat Area

From Wikipedia:

"Ecological succession, a fundamental concept in ecology, refers to more-or-less predictable and orderly changes in the composition or structure of an ecological community. Succession may be initiated either by formation of new, unoccupied habitat (e.g., a lava flow or a severe landslide) or by some form of disturbance (e.g. fire, severe windthrow, logging) of an existing community. Succession that begins in areas where no soil is initially present is called primary succession, whereas succession that begins in areas where soil is already present is called secondary succession."

Illustration of Secondary Succession from Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona

    The TVCC Native Habitat Area is in the early stages of secondary succession. At this early stage numerous species of "weeds" and grasses can be expected to proliferate. This may give an "unkempt" appearance to the area. As succession advances, the community will gradually be replaced by native shrubs and trees. As these species mature they will produce a leaf canopy that will increase the amount of shade to the understory. This will produce a further shift in the community structure as shade-intolerant plants are replaced by shade-tolerant species. Shade tolerant species common to this area include flowering dogwood, redbud, dwarf youpon, American holly, rusty blackhaw, farkleberry, and many more. Growth of trees around the Dilcey creek will help stabilize the banks and reduce erosion. The increased shade around the banks will allow native riparian species such as ferns, mosses, and liverworts to grow. These species are common to undeveloped streams in East Texas but are essentially extinct on the TVCC-Athens campus. The biology department will be "helping out" succession by transplanting native species to the area to more quickly restore the native plant community structure. Wildlife can also be expected to be attracted back to campus as a more natural ecosystem is restored. Refer to the TVCC Native Habitat species photogallery to follow the stages of succession in the TVCC Native Habitat Zone.

Succession photogallery