Succession
Primary succession occurs on land where no previous growth has taken place and there is no substrate, or soil. Secondary succession occurs on land where there has been previous growth. The soil and seed bank makes up the substrate. If a disturbance affects the community without completely destroying it, secondary succession occurs.
Primary succession takes hundreds of years. The pioneer species are the first species to grow. Lichens, annual plants, grasses, and perennials are all considered to be pioneer. The intermediate species include grasses, shrubs, and shade-intolerant trees. The intermediate species seeds are spread by wind. The seeds will go to different parts of the forest to grow. The climax community, also called secondary trees, are spread by animals. The animals eat the seeds and disperse them through waste throughout the forest.
Farmers in the rainforest cut down large areas of trees each day to grow their crops. After a few years, the soil becomes infertile. After the farmer moves, secondary succession sets in. This is the first stage of secondary succession. Factors such as fertilizing the soil and growing small plants and trees will eventually have the forest grown back in a few hundred years.