Final answer:
Succession involves primary and secondary types with pioneer species initiating the process. Both types progress from barren or disturbed land to a mature climax community through stages involving species like lichens, mosses, and grasses to shrubs and trees.
Step-by-step explanation:
Succession is the process that describes the sequential appearance and disappearance of species within a given ecological community over time. There are two types of succession: primary succession and secondary succession. Primary succession occurs in lifeless areas where there is no soil, such as after a volcanic eruption, whereas secondary succession happens in areas where a community has been disturbed but soil remains.
Pioneer species, such as lichens and some hardy plants, are critical to both kinds of succession. They colonize barren land in primary succession and help to create soil by breaking down rock. In secondary succession, they may quickly occupy the available space in a disturbed area. Mosses and grasses, which can grow in the newly developed soil, also play a significant role in both successions, improving soil quality and allowing for the growth of shrubs and eventually trees. Over time, a mature community known as the climax community is established, which is well adapted to the specific conditions of the environment.