FORSite>Contents>The Forest Community
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The Forest Community
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| Forest ecosystems are very dynamic. Changes are always taking place. One plant species replaces another plant species. As the plant community changes so may the animal community. Scientists call this orderly and progressive replacement of one type of plant community with another succession. | |
| A very common type of successional pattern resulting in a forest is called old-field succession. When agricultural fields are abandoned they slowly revert back to forest. Initially short-lived, shade intolerant trees invade the site. These species gradually die out and are replaced by longer living species. A good example of old-field succession is abandoned tobacco farms which are initially invaded by herbaceous (e.g. grasses) plants, followed by pine species (e.g. loblolly pine, Virginia pine) which in turn are later replaced by oak species. | 
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Successional patterns also take place after large disturbances such as a fire. Many pine species depend on fire to reset succession. In the absence of fire these pine species eventually give way to hardwoods. |
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