Prisere: A plant succession from Primary Colonisers through to Climax Vegetation | Back |
     

Plant successions from bare ground are known as priseres. There are four main types of priseres:
 

Xerosere(Dry)

Lithoseres

where the plants colonise bare rock

 e.g. after glacial retreat, Snowdonia or a rocky shore, Oxwich Point, Gower or a newly created volcanic island (e.g. Surtsey, Iceland)
Psammosere where plants colonise coastal sand dunes e.g. The south Gower - Oxwich Bay.

Hydrosere (Wet)

Hydroseres

where the plants colonise fresh water, as at a pond margin

 e.g. Llanfihangel Gobion, Monmouthshire - ox-bow lakes

Haloseres

where plants colonise salt marshes and sea estuaries

 e.g. The North shore of the Gower, Lanrhidian salt marsh
 
The kinds of communities that you might find in order of succession for each environment is as follows:

Lithosere: bacteria – lichens and mosses – grasses – small trees – conifers – oak.

Psammosere: marram grass – flowers and heather – shrubs – small trees – conifers – oak.

Halosere: algae – salt tolerant plants – grasses – rushes (boggy) – shrubs – small trees – conifers – oak.

Hydrosere: algae and moss – water lilies – reeds (boggy) – small trees – conifers – oak.