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Difference Between Primary and Secondary Succession, Meaning and Examples

Difference Between Primary And Secondary Succession is that primary succession occurs in lifeless areas, while secondary succession occurs in previously inhabited disturbed areas.

Krati Saraswat9 Jun, 2025

Difference Between Primary And Secondary Succession: The Earth's ecosystem is constantly changing due to a variety of factors. In biology, ecological succession refers to the process by which different natural communities emerge and replace one another. There are two main types of ecological succession: primary and secondary. Primary succession occurs in barren habitats devoid of soil or minimal soil content, where abiotic factors like water, wind, and pioneer species such as algae and lichen play essential roles.

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Secondary succession occurs on land with soil but lacks natural vegetation due to natural disasters or human activity. Regeneration of abandoned cropland is a good example of secondary succession. This article elaborates on the difference between primary and secondary succession.

Difference Between Primary And Secondary Succession Overview

Ecological succession occurs in two stages: primary and secondary succession. Primary succession occurs in newly formed habitats, such as barren lands or open water, where pioneering species establish their first presence. This process can take a long time because natural disasters like volcanic eruptions or glacier movements are rare. As a result, primary succession is often time-consuming and unpredictable. Secondary succession occurs when a pre-existing ecosystem is disturbed or destroyed, resulting in the recolonization of the area. This is a more complex process in which external factors deliberately destroy the primary ecosystem. For example, if a landowner plants trees on a plot of land and then destroys them to build a multiplex, this would be considered secondary succession. Secondary succession is distinguished by vegetation regrowth after disrupting the primary ecosystem.

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Difference Between Primary And Secondary Succession

Ecological succession is divided into two types: primary succession and secondary succession. Ecological succession is gradual community changes over time due to environmental shifts. The main distinction between these two is the starting conditions of the succession process: Primary succession begins in areas with no previous biological colonization, such as barren rock surfaces or newly formed landmasses, whereas secondary succession begins in areas where a previous community has been disturbed or destroyed, leaving behind remnants of soil and vegetation. The following table outlines the specific difference between primary and secondary succession:

Difference Between Primary And Secondary Succession
Properties	Primary Succession	Secondary Succession
Meaning	It is a type of succession that starts from barren or uninhabited land.	This type of succession occurs in a habitat where life existed previously.
Occurs	It occurs in lifeless or barren areas.	It occurs in recently denuded or previously inhabited areas.
Time to complete	Takes around 1000 years, which may be more.	It takes place in 50 to 200 years.
Physical Conditions	Conditions are least suitable for the survival of life. Soil is devoid of nutrients or there is no soil at all.	As life once existed. There is the presence of soil and may also even some nutrients in the soil.
Humus	Humus is absent.	Humus is present due to the presence of previous inhabitants.
Seral community	There are several intermediary seral communities.	Few intermediary seral communities are present, compared to the primary succession.
Environment	It begins with an unfavorable environment.	The environment is more or less favorable right from the beginning.
Reproduction	No previous community so reproductive structure starts from the first inhabiting species.	Reproductive structure varies from primary succession due to the presence of previous communities in that habitat.
Examples	Bare rock, ponds, desert, lava-filled lands, etc.	The areas that are affected by natural calamities, covered under deforestation, or devastated by human interactions, etc.

Primary Succession

Primary succession is the gradual process by which plants and animals colonize barren habitats. For instance, on a newly formed volcanic island, seeds carried by the wind may settle in crevices and start to germinate as the rock cools. Initially, these pioneering plants often consist of fast-growing grasses, which quickly reproduce but remain low in height. As these plants grow, die, and decompose, they form soil pockets, providing a suitable environment for other plants and fungi to thrive. Over time, as vegetation expands across the island, seeds from various plant species are introduced, possibly transported by migrating birds. As the plant community evolves, taller and more robust species begin to outcompete the initial colonizers, eventually becoming dominant. With the arrival of more plants and animals transported by floating debris or flying from nearby regions, the ecosystem undergoes further transformations. Over several decades, as different species establish stable populations, the ecosystem's structure becomes increasingly resilient and complex.

Secondary Succession

Secondary succession is the stage of ecological succession that follows the disruption of a primary ecosystem. It refers to the gradual recolonization of plants and animals in an area following major disturbances such as wildfires, landslides, or volcanic activity. Unlike primary succession, which begins in barren habitats, secondary succession occurs in environments where some life forms and nutrients survive despite disruption. Pioneer species, such as small plants and weedy organisms, are the first to reestablish themselves, followed by larger plant species as the process progresses. These plants grow into taller trees over time, affecting sunlight penetration and reshaping the ecosystem structure beneath the canopy. As the succession proceeds, more complex and stable plant and animal species emerge. Ecological stability occurs when an area remains undisturbed for an extended period, allowing for the formation of a climax community. Physics Wallah is popular for NEET online coaching because we help students prepare effectively. PW NEET online coaching courses are designed to provide medical students with a quality education at an affordable cost. PW ensures that students study the NEET exam subjects, such as physics, chemistry, and biology, with India's best faculty.

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Difference Between Primary and Secondary Succession FAQs

What are primary and secondary successions?

Primary succession (PS) happens in areas that are barren or without life, while secondary succession (SS) occurs in areas recently cleared and previously inhabited. At the start of PS, there's no soil and the environment isn't suitable for life. In contrast, SS begins with some soil and existing organisms.

Can you give an example of primary succession?

Primary succession occurs when new landforms or become exposed for the first time. This can happen when lava cools, forming new rocks, or when a retreating glacier reveals rocks without soil.

What's an example of secondary succession?

Secondary succession involves re-establishing a previously-existing community of plants and animals after destruction. This can occur following events like a forest fire or a flood.

Why is secondary succession faster than primary?

Secondary succession is often faster because the substrate, or surface, for growth is already there. Unlike primary succession, which starts from scratch, it occurs where an ecosystem existed before.

Why aren't lichens needed in secondary succession?

In primary succession, mosses and lichens are pioneer species because they can grow without soil. However, grasses and wildflowers, which need soil to grow, are the pioneer species in secondary succession since soil is already present.

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NEET Biology Syllabus	NEET Biology Diagrams
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NEET Biology Notes	NEET Previous Year Question papers

Difference Between Primary And Secondary Succession Overview

Explore -

Difference Between Primary And Secondary Succession

Difference Between Primary And Secondary Succession
Properties	Primary Succession	Secondary Succession
Meaning	It is a type of succession that starts from barren or uninhabited land.	This type of succession occurs in a habitat where life existed previously.
Occurs	It occurs in lifeless or barren areas.	It occurs in recently denuded or previously inhabited areas.
Time to complete	Takes around 1000 years, which may be more.	It takes place in 50 to 200 years.
Physical Conditions	Conditions are least suitable for the survival of life. Soil is devoid of nutrients or there is no soil at all.	As life once existed. There is the presence of soil and may also even some nutrients in the soil.
Humus	Humus is absent.	Humus is present due to the presence of previous inhabitants.
Seral community	There are several intermediary seral communities.	Few intermediary seral communities are present, compared to the primary succession.
Environment	It begins with an unfavorable environment.	The environment is more or less favorable right from the beginning.
Reproduction	No previous community so reproductive structure starts from the first inhabiting species.	Reproductive structure varies from primary succession due to the presence of previous communities in that habitat.
Examples	Bare rock, ponds, desert, lava-filled lands, etc.	The areas that are affected by natural calamities, covered under deforestation, or devastated by human interactions, etc.

Primary Succession

Secondary Succession

Difference Between Related Links
Difference Between Mitosis And Meiosis	Difference Between Arteries and Veins
Difference Between Food Chain And Food Web	Difference Between Osmosis and Diffusion
Difference Between Breathing and Respiration	Difference Between Biology and Biotechnology
Difference Between Sexual and Asexual Reproduction	Difference Between Bone and Cartilage
Difference Between Endocrine and Exocrine Glands	Difference Between Cell Wall and Cell Membrane
Difference Between Antibody and Antigen	Difference Between Serum and Plasma
Difference between Active and Passive Transport	Difference Between Pollination and Fertilization
Difference Between Unicellular and Multicellular Organisms	Difference Between Spermatogenesis and Oogenesis
Difference Between Leopard and Cheetah	Difference Between Ligaments and Tendons
Difference Between Turtle and Tortoise	Difference Between Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park
Difference Between Nucleotide and Nucleoside	Difference Between Sympathetic and Parasympathetic
Difference Between Active and Passive Immunity	Difference Between Dicot And Monocot Root