When lava flows and glaciers recede, predicting how species take over

When fire, clearcutting, lava or receding glaciers create empty habitat, species arrive to form a new ecological community. Adverse conditions -- such as isolation of the new community or an unfavorable climate -- may hinder the arrival of new species and change the pattern of succession. This study provides a framework to understand why communities mature at different rates, which is fundamental to managing clear cuts or fire.

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All News summaries for May 23, 2007