Question

Succession in a forest ecosystem is characterised by changes in species diversity, biomass and net primary productivity as shown in the graph below. Identify curves $A, B$ and $C$.

• A. A: biomass B: net primary productivity C: species diversity
• B. A: species diversity B: net primary productivity C: biomass
• C. A: net primary productivity B: biomass C: species diversity
• D. A: net primary productivity B: species diversity C: biomass

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

Biotic or ecological succession is the natural development of a series of biotic communities at the same site, one after the other till a climax community develops which does not change further because it is in perfect harmony with the environment of the area. The change is orderly and sequential. At the end of biotic succession, i.e., when climax community has formed, the biomass has reached to the highest of all biotic stages, diversity has grown higher niches are many and specialised. However productivity has decreased as respiratory consumption has increased in the climax community.