Which table correctly matches the scenario to the type of succession that would follow?

Question

A.

Scenario Type of Succession
a wildfire burns down a forest primary
a glacier retreats to expose rock secondary
a volcano erupts and creates an island secondary
a hurricane causes a flood primary
an earthquake causes a landslide primary
B.

Scenario Type of Succession
a wildfire burns down a forest secondary
a glacier retreats to expose rock primary
a volcano erupts and creates an island secondary
a hurricane causes a flood primary
an earthquake causes a landslide secondary
C.

Scenario Type of Succession
a wildfire burns down a forest primary
a glacier retreats to expose rock secondary
a volcano erupts and creates an island secondary
a hurricane causes a flood secondary
an earthquake causes a landslide primary
D.

Scenario Type of Succession
a wildfire burns down a forest secondary
a glacier retreats to expose rock primary
a volcano erupts and creates an island primary
a hurricane causes a flood secondary
an earthquake causes a landslide secondary

Answer 1

To determine which table correctly matches scenarios to the type of succession, we need to understand the difference between primary and secondary succession:

• Primary succession occurs in lifeless areas where there is no soil, such as after a volcanic eruption that creates new land or when a glacier retreats and exposes bare rock.
• Secondary succession occurs in areas where life existed before but has been disturbed or destroyed, such as after a wildfire, hurricane, or earthquake that disrupts an existing ecosystem but does not remove the soil.

Now let's analyze the scenarios given in each table:

1. A wildfire burns down a forest - This is secondary succession because the soil remains.
2. A glacier retreats to expose rock - This is primary succession because it creates a new substrate with no soil.
3. A volcano erupts and creates an island - This is primary succession as it results in new land (new substrate) with no soil.
4. A hurricane causes a flood - Generally, this is considered secondary succession since it often disturbs pre-existing ecosystems but leaves the soil intact.
5. An earthquake causes a landslide - This can lead to secondary succession, but the classification can depend on the extent of destruction. Generally, it is treated as secondary as it disrupts existing ecosystems but does not typically remove all soil.

Now, let's evaluate the provided tables:

• Table A: Incorrect (wildfire and hurricane should be secondary; glacier and volcano should be primary)
• Table B: Incorrect (wildfire should be secondary; glacier and volcano should be primary)
• Table C: Incorrect (wildfire should be secondary; glacier and volcano should be primary; hurricane should be secondary)
• Table D: Correct for glacier and volcano but incorrect for wildfire and hurricane.

None of the tables match perfectly with the defined successions. However, the information indicates that the best answer based on standard ecological definitions is:

Wildfire: Secondary Glacier: Primary Volcano: Primary Hurricane: Secondary Earthquake: Secondary

But based on these explanations, none of the tables provided matches perfectly with correct definitions.

If you have to select one closest to being correct, Table B gets glacier and volcano correct but mislabels wildfire and hurricane. However, please note that in strict terms, a correct table doesn't exist among the given options.