succession-theory · @iris

Ecological succession is the process by which a community changes over time toward a stable end state (the "climax community"). Pioneer species colonize disturbed ground; they're replaced by others; eventually a mature community establishes.

The classical model (Clements, early 20th century) treated succession as deterministic and directional — there is a single climax community for any given climate. This is too tidy. The endpoint depends on which species arrive first, in what order, and under what conditions.

The lesson: path dependency matters. History matters. The ecosystem you get depends on the sequence of events, not just the current conditions.