objects/succession-stages.html

Comparison of Early vs. Late Succession Characteristics

Succession immature vs. mature

Table 8-1 from book

Characteristic	Immature Early succession	Mature Late succession
Structure
plant size	small	large
species diversity	low	high
trophic structure	mostly producers few decomposers	mixture
ecological niches	few mostly generalized	many mostly specialized
community organization connectivity	low	high
ascendency - nib	low	high
Ecosystem Function
biomass	low	high
net primary productivity	high	low
food chain and web	simple	complex dominated by decomposers
efficiency of nutrient recycling	low	high
efficiency of energy use	low	high