Final answer:
The growth and distribution sequence for the creosote bush changes from random, to clumped, to regular, due to ecological factors like the life cycle stage and competition for resources.
Step-by-step explanation:
- The distribution pattern sequence for the creosote bush, Larrea tridentata, as they grow is: random, clumped, regular. Initially, the seedlings are dispersed randomly due to factors like wind. As they grow, they tend to form clumps due to limited resources, like water. Over time, as the bushes mature, they become more evenly spaced or regular in distribution, primarily as a result of competition for these resources.
This sequence illustrates how the distribution of plant species can change over time due to ecological factors. These changes are based on life cycle stages and interactions with the environment, which includes competition and resource availability. For example, plants with wind-dispersed seeds, such as dandelions, are often randomly distributed initially. Group-traveling animals, such as elephants, exhibit clumped distributions. Territorial animals, like some bird species, are examples of creatures with a uniform or regular distribution. The creosote bush, being a shrub that spreads horizontally below ground, will eventually produce new shoots, thereby naturally spacing themselves out due to intraspecific competition, thus exhibiting a regular distribution as mature plants.