Final answer:
Succession may not reach a climax community due to the competitive exclusion principle, abiotic factors, human actions, natural disturbances, and ecological changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Several factors can prevent succession from reaching a climax community, which is the final stage of succession where a stable community is established. One major deterrent is the competitive exclusion principle, which postulates that no two species can indefinitely occupy the same niche when vying for identical resources at the same place and time. Other limitations include abiotic factors such as soil quality and climate, which determine which species thrive in successive stages, from pioneer to intermediate to climax species. Human actions, like logging or grazing, and natural disturbances, like fire or storms, can also disrupt succession, resetting the environment to an earlier stage. Additionally, other limiting factors include light, water, nutrients, oxygen, temperature, space, predation, and the ability of the ecosystem to recycle nutrients and waste, or to manage disease and parasites. Continuous ecological change is normal and communities may undergo disturbances that prevent them from achieving a climax state.