Primary succession

Primary succession is the first stage of the succession of plant life from barren land to fully functioning plant ecosystems e.g. forest. In primary succession, Pioneer plants e.g. Mosses and lichen, start to "normalise" the habitat, creating conditions nearer the optimum for plant growth. These Pioneer plants are then dominated by more complex plants like grasses. A good example of primary succession takes place after a Volcano has erupted. The barren land is first colonised by simple pioneer plants which pave the way for more complex plants by creating soils and other necessities.