Homework Clinic
Science Clinic => Geography => Topic started by: kshipps on Aug 22, 2018
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What happens to climax communities after a disruption? How do these communities re-establish themselves after a disruption like a tropical storm? What is this process called?
Question 2
How do volcanoes and earthquakes modify the shape of coastlines? Give an example of each.
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Answer to Question 1
Succession is the process in which a disrupted climax community is re-established.
The disruption makes the environment hostile and unsuitable for original species of the community. The destruction of the original community opens up the habitat and the niches within it to other species.
A few tolerant species move into the area once the original community is gone. These initial species then draw in other species that depend on them.
Eventually the climax community will return to the area. New climax communities develop when the disruption forever alters the environment.
Answer to Question 2
Most islands that rise from the deep ocean are of volcanic origin. If the volcanism has been recent, the coasts of a volcanic island will consist of lobed lava flows extending seaward, common features in the Hawai'ian Islands. Volcanic craters at a coast can also collapse and fill with seawater. Uplift of wave-cut platform from tectonic activity can lead to increased erosion at elevations greater than the current sea level. This results in a stair-step formation along the coast known as wave-cut terrace, or marine terrace. Examples of marine terraces can be in California and Oregon.