Question

Why do lichens and mosses get mostly replaced by larger plant species during succession?
Responses

Larger plants are autotrophs but lichen and mosses are heterotrophs
Larger plants are autotrophs but lichen and mosses are heterotrophs

Larger plants compete for resources like space, sunlight, and soil nutrients more successfully
Larger plants compete for resources like space, sunlight, and soil nutrients more successfully

Larger plants are not edible so they are more likely to avoid predation.
Larger plants are not edible so they are more likely to avoid predation.

Larger plants do not use as many resources as lichens and mosses
Larger plants do not use as many resources as lichens and mosses

None of these
None of these

Answers

GPT-4o mini
The correct response is:

**Larger plants compete for resources like space, sunlight, and soil nutrients more successfully.**

During ecological succession, larger plants typically have adaptations that allow them to grow taller and spread wider than lichens and mosses, enabling them to capture more sunlight and outcompete these smaller species for essential resources. As a result, lichens and mosses are gradually replaced by larger plant species as the ecosystem matures.