This book is for anyone interested in the consequences of disturbance. What happens after the lava cools, or when the muddy floodwaters recede or an old road is abandoned? Primary succession is the process of ecosystem development on barren surfaces where severe disturbances have removed most vestiges of biological activity. It includes the development of complex systems from simple biotic and abiotic (non-biological) components. Primary succession starts when plants, animals and microbes colonize new surfaces. The process is influenced by local conditions, context and site history. All newsurfaces are initially devoid of life, so primary succession has been crucial throughout Earth’s history. Today, all communities of plants, animals and soils.
