4 - Comparative Approach

Summary

In this chapter, we describe the structure for Part II, where we present a comparative analysis of succession triggered by 10 common types of disturbance in order of increasing human influence (Chapters 5–14): almost no influence (natural: volcanoes, glaciers, cyclones), some influence (intermediate: dunes, landslides, floods, fire), and complete influence (anthropogenic: clearcuts, plowed fields, mines) (Fig. 4.1). Within each disturbance type we cover four topics. First, we describe the disturbance, including what causes it, its spatial patterns, and subsequent disturbances that it might trigger. Second, we discuss the succession that follows that type of disturbance, including abiotic variables (substrate, light, nutrients), biotic variables (biological legacies, dispersal, species colonization and adaptations, the role of invasive alien species, plant-plant interactions, and trophic interactions), and the successional patterns that we found within and among biomes. These patterns resulted from our comparative analyses of multiple studies. Third, we outline several theoretical implications of our findings. Fourth, we address practical implications for management concerns. We end Part II with a brief overview of other anthropogenic disturbances that are not as widespread, frequent, or readily assessed from a successional perspective (Chapter 15).