SME
Grade 9 Science · Problem type
Primary succession
Use this for “Put these communities in the order they grow on new volcanic rock.”
Put in order
Put the stages of primary succession in order.
1
?
2
?
3
?
4
?
5
?
6
?
7
?
Assumptions
•
Primary succession starts with no soil: new lava rock, or rock left bare by a glacier.
•
Pioneer lichens break down rock; each community changes the soil and shade so the next can grow.
•
Secondary succession, after a fire or on a plowed field, starts at grasses because the soil remains.
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Related lessons
Ecosystems: energy pyramids, matter cycles, succession and biodiversity
Main lesson
Pyramid of numbers
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Simpson’s diversity index
Use this for “Which pond community is more diverse: 25, 5, 5, 5 or 10, 10, 10, 10?”
The nitrogen cycle
Use this for “How do plants such as beans add nitrogen to the soil?”
The carbon cycle and energy
Use this for “How do photosynthesis and respiration move carbon between the air and living things?”