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The role of habitat features in a primary succession
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Abstract(s)
In order to determine the role of habitat features in a primary succession on lava domes of Terceira Island (Azores) we addressed the following questions: (1) Is the rate of cover development related to environmental stress? (2) Do succession rates differ as a result of habitat differences? One transect, intercepting several habitats types (rocky hummocks,
hollows and pits, small and large fissures), was established from the slope to the summit of a 247 yr old dome. Data on floristic composition, vegetation bioarea, structure, demography and soil nutrients were collected. Quantitative and qualitative similarities among habitats were also analyzed. Cover development and species accumulation are mainly dependent on
habitat features. Habitat features play a critical role in determining the rate of succession by providing different environmental conditions that enable different rates of colonization and
cover development. Since the slope’s surface is composed of hummocks, hollows and pits
the low succession rates in these habitats are responsible for the lower rates of succession in this geomorphologic unit, whereas the presence of fissures in the dome’s summit accelerates its succession rate.
Description
Keywords
Calluna vulgaris Juniperus brevifolia Cobertura Vegetal Dispersão Vegetal Açores Cover Development Dispersion Azores
Pedagogical Context
Citation
"ARQUIPÉLAGO. Ciências Biológicas e Marinhas". ISSN 0873-4704. Nº 24 (2007): 1-10