A couple of succession questions
Hey, Casey and Alex! I had a couple of questions about ecological succession that I've been mulling over ever since you did your series of episodes about it. First, if a forest is wiped off the map and starts over with early succession trees and other plants, how do those early succession trees physically...get there? Are their seeds blown in from existing trees elsewhere, or pooped out by animals that pass through? Or, have the seeds been dormant underground that whole time, biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike? Is it a little bit of all of those depending on the species of tree and the specific situation? Second, does every habitat and forest type have a more or less "formalized" succession process, where it's fairly predictable which plants will grow first, which ones will grow later, and which ones will grow last, or is that only a feature for forests that experience somewhat regular disruptions, like our forests that frequently burn down in the western united states? If an ecosystem that wasn't "used" to disruptions like this were suddenly struck by disaster, would the succession process be total chaos, as none of the plants knew who should grow back first? Followup question, do any such habitats that rarely or never get disrupted even exist? Thanks! Excited for a new year of Completely Arbitrary. Also, be sure to let Alex know that if he ever finds his way down to San Diego, there's an entire cafe devoted entirely to mango-based Japanese desserts!
Cone collection
Hi Alex, I have heard your cone collection mentioned in episodes and I am interested in starting one as well. I am a teacher and they would serve as great decorations and instructional tools for my classroom. Do you have any tips or resources you can link out to that would help someone like me who is starting with no knowledge? Thanks!