Question

determining types of succession
sonia is riding with her mom in the car and notices an abandoned baseball field that has a lot of grass and wildflowers growing in it. what type of succession is she observing? explain your answer.

Explanation:

The abandoned baseball field has soil (from its previous use as a field) and now has grass and wildflowers. Secondary succession occurs in areas where a disturbance (like abandonment of the field) has happened, but soil and some organisms still remain. Primary succession would be on bare rock or newly formed land with no soil, so this is secondary succession as the area had a previous ecosystem (the baseball field) and now is being recolonized with plants.

Answer:

She is observing secondary succession. Secondary succession occurs in an area where a disturbance (like the abandonment of the baseball field) has disrupted an existing ecosystem, but soil and some organisms still remain. The baseball field already had soil, and now grass and wildflowers are growing, showing the recolonization of a previously inhabited (by the field's original use, even if it was human - made) area, which fits the definition of secondary succession.