In scientific ecology, climax community or climatic climax community is a historic term for a community of plants, animals, and fungi which, through the process of ecological succession in the development of vegetation in an area over time, have reached a steady state. This equilibrium was thought to occur because the climax community is composed of species best adapted to average conditions in that area. The term is sometimes also applied in soil development. Nevertheless, it has been found that a "steady state" is more apparent than real, particularly across long timescales. Notwithstanding, it remains a useful concept.
Warren Woods in Michigan, USA, is an example of a beech-maple climax forest. Beech (center) and sugar maple (bottom left) dominate the forest due to their towering height and tolerance of shade.
The idea of a single climax, which is defined in relation to regional climate, originated with Frederic Clements in the early 1900s. The first analysis of succession as leading to something like a climax was written by Henry Cowles in 1899, but it was Clements who used the term "climax" to describe the idealized endpoint of succession.[1]
Clements described the successional development of an ecological community comparable to the ontogenetic development of individual organisms.[2] Clements suggested only comparisons to very simple organisms.[3] Later ecologists developed this idea that the ecological community is a "superorganism" and even sometimes claimed that communities could be homologous to complex organisms and sought to define a single climax-type for each area. The English botanist Arthur Tansley developed this idea with the "polyclimax"—multiple steady-state end-points, determined by edaphic factors, in a given climatic zone. Clements had called these end-points other terms, not climaxes, and had thought they were not stable because by definition, climax vegetation is best-adapted to the climate of a given area. Henry Gleason's early challenges to Clements' organism simile, and other strategies of his for describing vegetation were largely disregarded for several decades until substantially vindicated by research in the 1950s and 1960s (below). Meanwhile, climax theory was deeply incorporated in both theoretical ecology and in vegetation management. Clements' terms such as pre-climax, post-climax, plagioclimax and disclimax continued to be used to describe the many communities which persist in states that diverge from the climax ideal for a particular area.
Climax community in Tongass National Forest, Alaska, a Sitka spruce-western hemlock forest. The primary disturbances are floods, landslides, and salt spray, all of which occur only in small areas, allowing for a relatively stable equilibrium.[4]
Though the views are sometimes attributed to him, Clements never argued that climax communities must always occur, or that the different species in an ecological community are tightly integrated physiologically, or that plant communities have sharp boundaries in time or space. Rather, he employed the idea of a climax community—of the form of vegetation best adapted to some idealized set of environmental conditions—as a conceptual starting point for describing the vegetation in a given area. There are good reasons to believe that the species best adapted to some conditions might appear there when those conditions occur. But much of Clements' work was devoted to characterizing what happens when those ideal conditions do not occur. In those circumstances, vegetation other than the ideal climax will often occur instead. But those different kinds of vegetation can still be described as deviations from the climax ideal. Therefore, Clements developed a very large vocabulary of theoretical terms describing the various possible causes of vegetation, and various non-climax states vegetation adopts as a consequence. His method of dealing with ecological complexity was to define an ideal form of vegetation—the climax community—and describe other forms of vegetation as deviations from that ideal.[5]
Continuing usage of "climax"edit
Despite the overall abandonment of climax theory, during the 1990s use of climax concepts again became more popular among some theoretical ecologists.[6] Many authors and nature-enthusiasts continue to use the term "climax" in a diluted form to refer to what might otherwise be called mature or old-growth communities. The term "climax" has also been adopted as a description for a late successional stage for marine macroinvertebrate communities.[7]
Additionally, some contemporary ecologists still use the term "disclimax" to describe an ecosystem dominated by invasive species that competitively prevent the re-introduction of once native species. This concept borrows from Clements' earliest interpretation of climax as referring to an ecosystem that is resistant to colonization by outside species. The term disclimax was used in-context by Clements (1936), and despite being an anthropogenic phenomenon which prevents the facilitation and succession to a true climax community, it is one of the only examples of climax that can be observed in nature.[8][9]
^Cowles, Henry Chandler (1899). "The Ecological Relations of the Vegetation on the Sand Dunes of Lake Michigan". Botanical Gazette 27(2): 95-117; 27(3): 167-202; 27(4): 281-308; 27(5): 361-391.
^Clements, Frederic E. 1916. Plant Succession: An Analysis of the Development of Vegetation. Washington D.C.: Carnegie Institution of Washington.
^Hagen, Joel B. 1992. An Entangled Bank: The Origins of Ecosystem Ecology. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.
^Eliot, Christopher (March 2007). "Method and metaphysics in Clements's and Gleason's ecological explanations". Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. 38 (1): 85–109. doi:10.1016/j.shpsc.2006.12.006. PMID 17324810.
^See, for example, Roughgarden, Jonathan, Robert M. May and Simon A. Levin, editors. 1989. Perspectives in Ecological Theory. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
^Rosenberg, R; Agrenius, S; Hellman, B; Nilsson, Hc; Norling, K (2002). "Recovery of marine benthic habitats and fauna in a Swedish fjord following improved oxygen conditions". Marine Ecology Progress Series. 234: 43–53. Bibcode:2002MEPS..234...43R. doi:10.3354/MEPS234043.
^Clements, Frederic E. (February 1936). "Nature and Structure of the Climax". The Journal of Ecology. 24 (1): 252–284. Bibcode:1936JEcol..24..252C. doi:10.2307/2256278. JSTOR 2256278.
^Johnson, K. 1984. Prairie and plains disclimax and disappearing butterflies, in the central United States. Atala. Vol. 10-12, pp. 20-30
External linksedit
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February 16, 2024
climax, community, scientific, ecology, climax, community, climatic, climax, community, historic, term, community, plants, animals, fungi, which, through, process, ecological, succession, development, vegetation, area, over, time, have, reached, steady, state,. In scientific ecology climax community or climatic climax community is a historic term for a community of plants animals and fungi which through the process of ecological succession in the development of vegetation in an area over time have reached a steady state This equilibrium was thought to occur because the climax community is composed of species best adapted to average conditions in that area The term is sometimes also applied in soil development Nevertheless it has been found that a steady state is more apparent than real particularly across long timescales Notwithstanding it remains a useful concept Warren Woods in Michigan USA is an example of a beech maple climax forest Beech center and sugar maple bottom left dominate the forest due to their towering height and tolerance of shade The idea of a single climax which is defined in relation to regional climate originated with Frederic Clements in the early 1900s The first analysis of succession as leading to something like a climax was written by Henry Cowles in 1899 but it was Clements who used the term climax to describe the idealized endpoint of succession 1 Contents 1 Frederic Clements use of climax 2 Continuing usage of climax 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksFrederic Clements use of climax editClements described the successional development of an ecological community comparable to the ontogenetic development of individual organisms 2 Clements suggested only comparisons to very simple organisms 3 Later ecologists developed this idea that the ecological community is a superorganism and even sometimes claimed that communities could be homologous to complex organisms and sought to define a single climax type for each area The English botanist Arthur Tansley developed this idea with the polyclimax multiple steady state end points determined by edaphic factors in a given climatic zone Clements had called these end points other terms not climaxes and had thought they were not stable because by definition climax vegetation is best adapted to the climate of a given area Henry Gleason s early challenges to Clements organism simile and other strategies of his for describing vegetation were largely disregarded for several decades until substantially vindicated by research in the 1950s and 1960s below Meanwhile climax theory was deeply incorporated in both theoretical ecology and in vegetation management Clements terms such as pre climax post climax plagioclimax and disclimax continued to be used to describe the many communities which persist in states that diverge from the climax ideal for a particular area nbsp Climax community in Tongass National Forest Alaska a Sitka spruce western hemlock forest The primary disturbances are floods landslides and salt spray all of which occur only in small areas allowing for a relatively stable equilibrium 4 Though the views are sometimes attributed to him Clements never argued that climax communities must always occur or that the different species in an ecological community are tightly integrated physiologically or that plant communities have sharp boundaries in time or space Rather he employed the idea of a climax community of the form of vegetation best adapted to some idealized set of environmental conditions as a conceptual starting point for describing the vegetation in a given area There are good reasons to believe that the species best adapted to some conditions might appear there when those conditions occur But much of Clements work was devoted to characterizing what happens when those ideal conditions do not occur In those circumstances vegetation other than the ideal climax will often occur instead But those different kinds of vegetation can still be described as deviations from the climax ideal Therefore Clements developed a very large vocabulary of theoretical terms describing the various possible causes of vegetation and various non climax states vegetation adopts as a consequence His method of dealing with ecological complexity was to define an ideal form of vegetation the climax community and describe other forms of vegetation as deviations from that ideal 5 Continuing usage of climax editDespite the overall abandonment of climax theory during the 1990s use of climax concepts again became more popular among some theoretical ecologists 6 Many authors and nature enthusiasts continue to use the term climax in a diluted form to refer to what might otherwise be called mature or old growth communities The term climax has also been adopted as a description for a late successional stage for marine macroinvertebrate communities 7 Additionally some contemporary ecologists still use the term disclimax to describe an ecosystem dominated by invasive species that competitively prevent the re introduction of once native species This concept borrows from Clements earliest interpretation of climax as referring to an ecosystem that is resistant to colonization by outside species The term disclimax was used in context by Clements 1936 and despite being an anthropogenic phenomenon which prevents the facilitation and succession to a true climax community it is one of the only examples of climax that can be observed in nature 8 9 See also editStratification vegetation Wood pasture hypothesisReferences edit Cowles Henry Chandler 1899 The Ecological Relations of the Vegetation on the Sand Dunes of Lake Michigan Botanical Gazette 27 2 95 117 27 3 167 202 27 4 281 308 27 5 361 391 Clements Frederic E 1916 Plant Succession An Analysis of the Development of Vegetation Washington D C Carnegie Institution of Washington Hagen Joel B 1992 An Entangled Bank The Origins of Ecosystem Ecology New Brunswick Rutgers University Press Alaskan Pacific maritime ecosystems www fs fed us Retrieved 2021 05 08 Eliot Christopher March 2007 Method and metaphysics in Clements s and Gleason s ecological explanations Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 38 1 85 109 doi 10 1016 j shpsc 2006 12 006 PMID 17324810 See for example Roughgarden Jonathan Robert M May and Simon A Levin editors 1989 Perspectives in Ecological Theory Princeton Princeton University Press Rosenberg R Agrenius S Hellman B Nilsson Hc Norling K 2002 Recovery of marine benthic habitats and fauna in a Swedish fjord following improved oxygen conditions Marine Ecology Progress Series 234 43 53 Bibcode 2002MEPS 234 43R doi 10 3354 MEPS234043 Clements Frederic E February 1936 Nature and Structure of the Climax The Journal of Ecology 24 1 252 284 Bibcode 1936JEcol 24 252C doi 10 2307 2256278 JSTOR 2256278 Johnson K 1984 Prairie and plains disclimax and disappearing butterflies in the central United States Atala Vol 10 12 pp 20 30External links edit nbsp Media related to Climax community at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Climax community amp oldid 1189898515, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
