Zonation (2.4.5):

Zonation is the arrangement or patterning of plant communities or ecosystems into brands in response to change, over a distance, in some environmental factor.

Examples:

Primary Succession (2.4.6):

Secondary Succession: (2.4.10)

Changes occurring during succession (2.4.7 ):

The size of organisms increases

Energy flow becomes more complex

Soil depth, humus, water-holding capacity, mineral content and cycling increase

Biodiversity increases and then falls as the climax community is reached

NPP and GPP rise and then fall

Production: respiration ratio falls

Species diversity in successions (2.4.8):

Early stages of succession: few species

Species diversity increases with the succession

Increase continues until a balance is reached between possibilities for new species to establish, existing species to expand their range and local extinction

• In early stages of succession, gross productivity is low due to the unfavorable initial conditions and low density of producers. The proportion of energy lost through community respiration is relatively low too, so net productivity is higher that is, the system is growing and biomass is accumulating (2.4.10)
• During succession Gross Primary Productivity tends to increase through the pioneer and early wooded stages and then decreases as climax community reaches maturity. This increase in productivity is linked to growth and biomass. (2.4.10)
• Gross Primary Productivity is low but Net Primary Productivity tends to be be a large proportion of GPP as with little biomass in the early serial stages respiration is low. As the community develops towards woodland and biomass increases so does productivity. But NPP as a percentage of GPP can fall as respiration rates increase with more biomass.( 2.4.11)
• In later stages of succession, with an increased consumer community, gross productivity may be high in a climax community. However, this is balanced by respiration, so net productivity approaches 0 and the productivity:respiration (P:R) ratio approaches 1 (2.4.11)

R - specialist:

Short life

Rapid growth

Early maturity 

Numerous and small offspring

Little parental care or protection

Adapted to unstable environment.

Pioneers, colonizers

Niche generalists

Prey

Survivorship strategies ( 2.4.9 )

K - specialist:

Long life

Slower growth

Late maturity

Fewer, but larger offspring

High parental care and protection

High investment in individual offspring

Adapted to stable environment

Later stages of succession

Niche specialist

Predators