Question
Farmland abandoned in 1899 was observed to have significant changes in plant species over a 50-year period. The changes are shown in the chart below.
A forest fire burned all the trees on the land in 1955. Assuming no human interference, climate changes, or natural disasters, the plant species you would expect to see on this land in 2010 would most likely be:
Question 14 options:
beech and maple trees.
birch and cherry trees.
grasses.
shrubs and briars.
A forest fire burned all the trees on the land in 1955. Assuming no human interference, climate changes, or natural disasters, the plant species you would expect to see on this land in 2010 would most likely be:
Question 14 options:
beech and maple trees.
birch and cherry trees.
grasses.
shrubs and briars.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
In the context of ecological succession, after a major disturbance like a forest fire, a sequence of plant species typically emerges over time. In the case described, if the land was previously abandoned farmland, we can expect that following the disturbance, the first species to appear would be pioneer species such as grasses and small shrubs, which typically colonize areas after a disturbance.
After a forest fire, the immediate recolonization would include grasses and perhaps some herbaceous plants. Over time, if the area remained undisturbed, shrubs and young trees may start to establish themselves, eventually leading to the regrowth of a forest consisting of species like birch, cherry, beech, and maple.
However, for the year 2010, after the fire in 1955 and without further disturbances, we would likely still expect to see a mix of grasses, shrubs, and possibly some young trees starting to establish themselves depending on how much time has passed since the fire.
Given the options presented, the most likely predominance for 2010, considering the immediate aftermath of a fire and subsequent succession, would be:
**grasses.**
After a forest fire, the immediate recolonization would include grasses and perhaps some herbaceous plants. Over time, if the area remained undisturbed, shrubs and young trees may start to establish themselves, eventually leading to the regrowth of a forest consisting of species like birch, cherry, beech, and maple.
However, for the year 2010, after the fire in 1955 and without further disturbances, we would likely still expect to see a mix of grasses, shrubs, and possibly some young trees starting to establish themselves depending on how much time has passed since the fire.
Given the options presented, the most likely predominance for 2010, considering the immediate aftermath of a fire and subsequent succession, would be:
**grasses.**