Primary and Secondary Succession
Primary succession occurs on bare, lifeless substrate, such as rocks, or in open water, where organisms gradually move into an area and change its nature. This kind of succession occurs in lakes and on volcanic islands that rise from the sea. Secondary succession occurs in areas where an existing community has been disturbed but organisms still remain. An example of secondary succession would be a flood a lot of the organisms that live in the wetland ecosystem of the everglades depend on the water for food and for shelter and if a flash flood occurred all of the organisms and their homes would be altered. This would cause the community to be disturbed but the organisms would still remain. The three most important factors that drive succession in the Everglades are fires, hydrology, and nutrients.