ABSTRACT
Chapter 19 defines terms and describes theory regarding succession, the sequence of changes in the biota following a disturbance in which one kind of community is replaced by another. Non-degradable succession such as old-field succession is the main type of succession considered within ecological theory. Degradative succession such as corpse decomposition is defined. Theoretical discussions have been rich for more than a century because the so-called climax community patterns are strikingly similar for any one region even if early succession species are different in separate starting patches. This pattern has suggested a deterministically driven cause, not chance or randomness. The famous debate of the early 20th century between those advocating the holistic view and those advocating the individualistic view was mainly won by the individualistic view. Late-stage succession patterns are thought to be the result of chance and regular processes of climate, dispersal, competition, predation, and others. Mutualistic processes as a major contributor generally did not receive much attention during the 20th century. New theoretical models involving “complex networks” are attempting to model food web mutualisms and other biological entities. This strategy has tremendous relevance for conservation.
