Question

If one of the four volcanoes near Mount St Helen's erupted, in a similar fashion, would you expect the terrestrial and aquatic communities to reassemble and progress through the same successional series? Make sure to use Niche based or neutral models of community composition and or structure in your answer?

Answer 1

Yes. They will follow the same successional series.

The communities, especially the plants grown in volcanic erruption prone area are adapted to live in the environment. The plants destroys during volcanic erruption. Volcanic soil is very rich in nutrients,so after everything is cools, the plants will regrown again. The dead organism decayed and decomposed so as to increase nutrients to the soil for the growth of new plants. Thus, the area recovers ecosystem after explosion soon as possible in same series of succession .

Thermophiles (hot temprature adapted microorganisms) also lived in this environment. When lava flows into water, new rocks will form. Volcanoes maintain the structure of the existing and changing communities. The plants grown in that area enriches nutritiens to the soil.