Final answer:
After a forest fire, the forest will slowly reestablish itself through secondary succession, where new plants gradually recolonize the habitat. This occurs when there is a soil ecosystem present that provides the foundation for new plant growth. The forest goes through a series of communities, starting with small grasses and eventually developing into a climax community with stable species composition.
Step-by-step explanation:
After a forest fire, the process that occurs where the forest slowly reestablishes itself is called secondary succession. This type of succession happens when a habitat has been disturbed or destroyed but there is still a soil ecosystem present, allowing for the rapid recolonization of new plants.
In the case of a forest fire, the fire burns most vegetation and kills animals that cannot flee the area, but it also returns nutrients to the ground in the form of ash. This creates a foundation for new plant growth. The first plants to grow back after the fire are usually annual plants, followed by quickly growing and spreading grasses and other pioneer species. Over time, shrubs and small trees emerge, and eventually, the forest reaches an equilibrium point, known as the climax community, where species composition is stable and resembles the community before the fire.