In ecological succession, the final stable community is called

Answer Details

Ecological succession is the gradual, sequential process by which the species composition and community structure of an ecosystem change over time. It begins with colonisation of a bare or disturbed habitat by hardy organisms called pioneer species and progresses through a series of intermediate stages called seral stages (or seral communities).

The final, stable, self-sustaining community that develops at the end of the successional process is called the climax community. A climax community is in dynamic equilibrium with the prevailing environmental conditions (climate, soil type, topography). It remains relatively stable over long periods because:

• The dominant species are well adapted to the local environment.
• Birth and death rates are roughly balanced.
• Energy input and output are approximately equal.
• Species composition does not change significantly unless disturbed.

A pioneer community is the first to colonise a new habitat. A secondary community relates to secondary succession (which occurs after a disturbance that does not destroy the soil seed bank). A seral community (sometimes written "serial" in this context) is any intermediate stage, not the final one.

The term to remember: the endpoint of succession is always the climax community.