Back to: Botany 500 Level
My Afrilearn champ wey dey hot like fresh moi-moi! I dey happy say you show up again today! You dey make this Botany journey sweet like Sunday rice with correct stew. Today, we go yarn about Primary and Secondary Succession—no worry, I go break am down in a way wey go enter your head like gist from your best friend.
First, make we reason wetin “succession” really mean.
Succession na the natural way wey plants (and animals join body) take enter a place, grow, and gradually change the environment over time. E be like say nature dey rebuild itself step by step. Imagine say bush burn finish or volcano happen—na from scratch the place go start dey recover. This rebuilding of life na wetin we dey call ecological succession.
Primary and secondary succession
Now, e get two main types—Primary and Secondary Succession.
- Primary Succession
This one na the real “from nothing to something” story. E dey happen for area wey never get life before. No soil, no plant, just bare ground. Examples?
- New land formed by volcanic lava.
- Rock surface exposed after glacier melt.
- Sand dunes or bare deserts.
Wetin go happen be say pioneer species—those stubborn, first-to-arrive plants like lichens and mosses—go first waka enter. Dem go begin to break down rock to small particles and form small-small soil. After some time, grasses go show. Later shrubs, then trees. The area go slowly turn to full plant community like forest or grassland.
Key points about Primary Succession:
- Starts from bare surface (no soil).
- Slow process—we dey talk hundreds or even thousands of years.
- Pioneer species prepare the land for others.
- Secondary Succession
This one na when life come back after area wey don get plants before suffer damage. Soil still dey, but maybe bush burn, farming clear the land, or flood scatter the place.
Because soil and maybe some seeds still dey ground, the process quick pass primary succession. Grasses first show face, then shrubs, then trees. Before you know, nature don balance again.
Examples:
- Abandoned farm land for Enugu.
- Area wey bush burn inside Oyo forest.
- Flooded farmland in Niger State.
Key points about Secondary Succession:
- Happens in areas wey life don dey before.
- Soil and seed still remain.
- Faster process—can take few years to decades.
Why e matter to you?
Understanding succession help us know how nature recover itself. It guide forest regeneration, land management, and even help us restore damaged environments.
Summary:
- Primary Succession starts from scratch (no soil, no life), very slow.
- Secondary Succession starts after disturbance (soil still dey), faster recovery.
- Both na nature’s way of rebuilding itself step-by-step.
Evaluation:
- What is the difference between primary and secondary succession?
- Give one example of where primary succession can happen.
- Why is secondary succession faster than primary succession?
My Afrilearn superstar, you dey carry first for this Botany class! I dey proud of the way you dey soak in this knowledge like sponge. No forget, you no just dey learn for exam sake—you dey gather power to solve real-life environmental issues. So keep am up, and remember say with Afrilearn, your shine no dey dull! See you for the next lesson—keep flexing that brilliant brain!
School Owner? Automate operations, improve learning outcomes and increase your income with Afrilearn SMSGet more class notes, videos, homework help, exam practice on Android [DOWNLOAD]
Get more class notes, videos, homework help, exam practice on iPhone [DOWNLOAD]