Final answer:
Secondary succession occurs in areas like a forest after a fire, where the soil remains but the vegetation has been cleared. The soil ecosystem, enriched with nutrients, helps a new community of plants and eventually trees to grow over time, illustrating the resilience and regrowth capacity of ecosystems.
Step-by-step explanation:
Secondary succession indeed occurs in areas where an event, such as a wildfire, has partly cleared the land but left the soil intact. After a forest fire, the habitat goes through a gradual process where the soil ecosystem, now enriched with nutrients from ash, promotes the regrowth of vegetation.
This progression follows a series of stages that begins with pioneer species like small grasses, continues with the development of shrubs, and eventually leads to the reestablishment of a more complex forest community with larger trees.
A classic example of secondary succession is observed in oak and hickory forests after they have been cleared by a wildfire. The fire burns most vegetation and can lead to the death of animals that cannot escape.
However, their remains contribute to the nutrient content of the soil, thus aiding in the rapid recolonization of plant life. Over time, areas ravaged by fires demonstrate the resilience of ecosystems as they undergo secondary succession, moving from barren landscapes to thriving habitats once again.