Question

which describes an example of ecological succession?
a a caterpillar developing into a butterfly.
b a meadow replacing a pond in its flood plain.
c a climate gradually changing over many eons and becoming colder.
d the replacement of a native species of animal with an invasive species.

Explanation:

To determine the example of ecological succession, we analyze each option:

• Option A: A caterpillar developing into a butterfly is metamorphosis (biological development of an organism), not ecological succession (change in an ecosystem's community over time).
• Option B: A meadow replacing a pond in a flood plain is an example of ecological succession. Ecological succession is the process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time. In this case, the pond (an aquatic ecosystem) is being replaced by a meadow (a terrestrial, grass - dominated ecosystem) as the environment changes (e.g., the flood plain dries out), and different species colonize and change the community.
• Option C: A climate gradually changing over many eons and becoming colder is a change in climate, not the change in the biological community structure that defines ecological succession.
• Option D: The replacement of a native species with an invasive species is an example of biological invasion, not ecological succession. Ecological succession involves a more predictable and sequential change in the entire community, while invasion is the introduction and spread of a non - native species that outcompetes native ones, often disrupting the ecosystem but not following the typical succession sequence.

Answer:

B. A meadow replacing a pond in its flood plain.