Which term best describes secondary succession as a process following a disturbance?

Which term best describes secondary succession as a process following a disturbance?

• A. Secondary Succession
• B. Primary Succession
• C. Deforestation
• D. Reforestation

Answer: (A)

Recovery after a disturbance that leaves soil intact is described by secondary succession. This term fits because the ecosystem rebuilds its community using existing soil, seeds, roots, and surviving organisms, so the process unfolds more quickly than starting from bare ground. Deforestation is the disturbance itself—the removal of forest—while reforestation is the act of restoring forest after loss. The sequence of life returning after such a disturbance, leveraging what's already there, is secondary succession.

Recovery after a disturbance that leaves soil intact is described by secondary succession. This term fits because the ecosystem rebuilds its community using existing soil, seeds, roots, and surviving organisms, so the process unfolds more quickly than starting from bare ground. Deforestation is the disturbance itself—the removal of forest—while reforestation is the act of restoring forest after loss. The sequence of life returning after such a disturbance, leveraging what's already there, is secondary succession.