Invasion and Succession

Invasion and succession are the establishment of one or more species in an area previously uninhabited by those species and the subsequent progression of the ecological community's species composition in that area through time. As ecological terms, invasion and succession are usually discussed independently from each other. Invasion, in an ecological sense, occurs when a species, usually an exotic or nonindigenous species, is introduced to an area and is able to persist in that area, often at the expense of native species. Ecological succession refers to the changes in species composition in an area over time. Succession is typically conceptualized as a progression of species compositions in an area that eventually achieves a climax stage, which remains dominant in an area until a disturbance in ...