Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Secondary Integrated Science Practice test

What process replaces a community that has been damaged?

1. Primary Succession

2. Reproductive Succession

3. Secondary Succession

4. Linear Succession

The correct answer is: Secondary Succession

Secondary succession is the process that occurs when a community has been damaged or disturbed but the soil and some organisms remain intact. This type of succession typically follows events such as forest fires, floods, or human activities like agriculture, where the ecosystem experiences disruption but is not completely demolished. During secondary succession, the existing soil, seeds, and plant roots help facilitate a relatively quicker recovery of the community, allowing it to rebuild itself over time. The presence of nutrient-rich soil can lead to a return of vegetation and higher biodiversity more rapidly than in primary succession, which occurs in lifeless areas where soil has yet to form. In contrast, primary succession takes place in previously uninhabited environments where no soil exists initially, such as after lava flows or glacial retreats. Reproductive succession and linear succession are not standard ecological terms associated with community replacement processes. Therefore, the correct identification of secondary succession highlights its role in restoring and revitalizing ecosystems following disturbances while retaining some of the original biological components.