Question

Differentiate between the following:

Pioneer and Climax community

Answer 1

Basis of Difference	Pioneer community	Climax community
Position in succession	It is the first community that colonises a bare area.	It is the final and last community of succession.
Growth and lifespan	Species have a high rate of growth and a short life span.	Species are generally slow-growing and long-lived.
Stability	It is unstable and is replaced by later seral communities.	It is stable and remains in equilibrium with the environment.
Species composition	It has fewer species and generalised ecological niches.	It has a large number of species with specialised niches.
Biomass and dominance	It has low biomass and is dominated by small-sized species.	It has high biomass and is dominated by large trees.