Introduction

From your lessons so far, you have learned that ecosystems are in a state of dynamic equilibrium. Changes are constantly occurring in ecosystems, yet the interactions among the living organisms with their environment will eventually achieve a form of stability. The most stable communities, climax communities, are defined by the plants and animals that will endure until a major disturbance occurs. Most organisms have requirements that must be present in order for them to be successful in an area. This could include the availability of water, nutrients, and sunlight, the amounts and quality of which depends on organisms that may have lived there in the past.
 

Your task is to create a page (Word document) that will show, with digital pictures, the progression that will occur during primary succession. You will also explain, using text, how each stage of succession is important for the return of the region to its climax community. Your explanations will include the required biogeoclimactic conditions for the organisms (plant and animals) found in each stage of succession that you have included for each photo.
 
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You will work in groups of two. Each person will have specific tasks to complete. 

Person 1: TECHNICIAN/SEARCHER. This person will be responsible for assembling the word processor page for the group and searching the web sites for information

Person 2: ANALOG SEARCHER/RECORD KEEPER. This person will search the text and other paper references to provide information to the TECHNICIAN/SEARCHER. This person will also keep track of all the efforts made by the group to complete the web quest. They should record the urls of all web sites visited and evaluate how good they were for the quest. They should also record any processes attempted and sources used. It is essential that this record be kept in as much detail as possible as it may be the only way for you to explain the problems you encountered and why you have not completed the quest. 
 

Your final product will be composed of the following three parts included in your Word Document:

1. Description of area

• Include A picture, a climatograph and a written description of the conditions in the area of your climax community

2. A short description of an event that will lead to the destruction of this area

3. A series of 6 or more pictures that show (in order) the succession that you predict will happen during primary succession in this area to return it to the climax community. Include explanations next to each picture that list the biogeoclimactic conditions present and the benefits that the current species will provide for future species.
 

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How to complete the above three requirements:

1. Take a quick look through the pictures found on Mr. Sherlock's T-drive to get ideas for the type of climax community that your area will eventually achieve. From this search, get a general sense of the species that came and went, through the processes of succession, in order for this climax community to be present.
   
   
2. Construct a Climatograph typical for this area to show the monthly averages for precipitation and temperature.
   
   
3. Describe an event that will remove all organic material from your area so that it can then begin the process of primary succession.
   
   
4. Select a series of 6 or more pictures from Mr. Sherlock's collections to show the correct order of succession that will return your area back into a climax community.

***For each picture that you select***

(i) Identify 3 species that are present in the photo and list the requirements they need to survive (biogeoclimactic conditions). Give one adaptation that each species has to successfully survive in this area. You may also include invader species if you can justify why they might be present.

(ii) List the benefits these three species will provide to the changing ecosystem as it moves through the seral stages of succession.

Use these links to help you:

Species Identification and habitat descriptions:

1. Tree book
   
2. Use the copies of Pojar and McKinnon's Plants of Coastal BC and their other reference books for information on specific mosses, lichens, shrubs and pioneer species.

Information on primary succession

New World Encyclopedia

5. SAVE your work:

Arrange all of your images and text neatly in a word document and when you are finished save your file (using your names) into the "Science 10 Succession" folder in Mr. Sherlock's INBOX found on his T-Drive.

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Each group will be evaluated according to the following criteria. The mark will be split between all participants. 
 

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Construction of a Climatograph, description of climax community, and a description of an event that will remove all organic material	As for 2 but missing two items	Same as #3 but missing one item	Complete Climatograph, full description of climax community, description of event	Complete Climatograph, full description of climax community, description of event,identification of appropriate biome where this could occur
Identifies and arranges appropriate images depicting succession	Identifies 3 images of stages of succession and places them in the appropriate order	Identifies 4 images of stages of succession and places them in the appropriate order	Identifies 5 images of stages of succession and places them in the appropriate order	Identifies 6 or more images of stages of succession, places them in appropriate order
Analysis of species and biogeoclimactic conditions from PROCESS step 3, items (i) and (ii)	Written analysis of 1 species, Descriptions of 1 biogeoclimactic conditions	Written analysis of 2 species, Descriptions of 2 biogeoclimactic conditions	Written analysis of 3 species, Descriptions of 3 biogeoclimactic conditions	Written analysis of 3 species, Descriptions of biogeoclimactic conditions, inclusion of species adaptation

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You have now completed your web quest of SUCCESSION and may now save your assignment. This means that you now have a basic way to look at the forest over time and predict the the kinds of patterns that will emerge in primary succession. Use this information as an analysis tool whenever you are in the forest to give you an idea of the history of the area and an idea of what is likely to happen in the next decade.
 

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Credits & References
Plants of Coastal BC, Pojar and McKinnon 
Forestry 11 resource text compiled by nwilley@sd68.bc.ca 
All images by M.Sherlock and Dover Bay School Forestry 11 class spring 2002 
 

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