BRAINCAKEClimax Communities
A climax community is the final, stable community at the end of a succession. It stays in the same state over a long period, unless it is disturbed. The populations within it still rise and fall, but the species composition remains roughly constant.
Which climax community develops depends mainly on the climate, especially temperature and rainfall, so it is often called a climatic climax. For example:
• in lowland Britain, with a temperate climate and enough rain, the climax community is usually deciduous woodland, often dominated by oak;
• in colder climates, such as northern Scandinavia, it is coniferous forest;
• in very hot, dry climates, the climax may be desert scrub or grassland, because there is not enough water for trees.
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More in Populations in Ecosystems
- Systematic Sampling along Transects
- Mark-Release-Recapture
- Assumptions of Mark-Release-Recapture
- Succession
- Primary Succession
- Secondary Succession
- Conservation and Succession
- Managing Succession in Conservation
All 20 lessons in Populations in Ecosystems · All AQA A-level Biology topics