One of the characteristics of secondary succession is that it

Secondary succession is a process that occurs when an ecosystem that has already been colonized by living organisms is disturbed, but the soil and some of its organisms remain intact. This can happen after events such as forest fires, hurricanes, or human activities like farming. In contrast to primary succession, secondary succession does not start from scratch or a barren surface.

The characteristic of secondary succession is that it starts on an already colonized surface. This means that the area had life before but was disturbed, so the succession process is somewhat quicker since the soil contains seeds, nutrients, and microorganisms that speed up the recovery of the ecosystem. This contrasts with primary succession, which starts on bare and barren surfaces, like rocks or volcanic lava fields, where soil needs to form first.