Lesson 5.1.2

5.1.2 Succession to a climax community Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Biology, Unit 5

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 5.1.2, Succession to a climax community: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Biology (9BI0), Unit 5: On the Wild Side, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What term describes the progressive change in species composition in a community over time?

    • Eutrophication
    • Succession
    • Biomagnification
    • Natural selection

  2. What term describes the final, stable stage of ecological succession?

    • Plagioclimax stage
    • Climax community
    • Pioneer community
    • Seral stage

  3. Which organisms are typically the first colonisers of bare rock?

    • Oak trees
    • Coral reef fish
    • Lichens and mosses
    • Large mammals

  4. How do dying pioneer species make the abiotic environment less hostile for later species?

    • Decreasing soil depth
    • Removing soil minerals
    • Adding organic matter
    • Increasing light levels

  5. Why must plant species establishing late in succession be tolerant to shade?

    • Decreased soil depth
    • Increased wind exposure
    • Reduced light availability
    • Reduced soil nitrogen

  6. What is present at the start of secondary succession that is absent in primary succession?

    • Soil
    • Climax species
    • Abiotic factors
    • Pioneer species

  7. What is the correct order of plant species during succession on an abandoned farm field?

    • Lichens, mosses, trees
    • Trees, shrubs, grasses
    • Grasses, shrubs, trees
    • Shrubs, trees, grasses

  8. As succession progresses, how do soil depth and soil water retention change?

    • Both decrease
    • Both increase
    • Retention increases only
    • Depth increases only

  9. What determines the composition of a stable climax community in a given area?

    • Rate of mutation
    • Herbivore migration
    • Climate and soil
    • Pioneer species only

  10. What effect does a forest fire have on the successional stage of an ecosystem?

    • Stops all succession
    • Causes primary succession
    • Resets the succession
    • Accelerates to climax

  11. Lichens colonise bare rock first, followed by mosses and grasses. What process does this illustrate?

    • Primary succession
    • Climax stage
    • Secondary succession
    • Deflected succession

  12. How do pioneer species change abiotic conditions for succeeding species?

    • Unchanged environment
    • Drier environment
    • Less hostile environment
    • More hostile environment

  13. Why can ecologists predict the sequence of species colonising a bare habitat?

    • Pioneers never die
    • Climate is constant
    • Succession is directional
    • Species never change

  14. Which environmental factor would slow down the rate of primary succession on bare rock?

    • Low rainfall
    • High seed density
    • Abundant nitrifying bacteria
    • High temperature

  15. Which process occurs after a storm destroys trees in a woodland, leaving soil intact?

    • Secondary succession
    • Primary succession
    • Extinction
    • Deflected succession

  16. What term describes a stable community produced when human activity halts natural succession?

    • Pioneer stage
    • Plagioclimax
    • Climax community
    • Seral stage

  17. What is the main benefit of nitrogen-fixing pioneer plants during primary succession?

    • Enriching soil nitrates
    • Decreasing soil depth
    • Blocking solar radiation
    • Reducing soil moisture

  18. Where are shade-tolerant tree seedlings most likely to establish successfully?

    • Open bare ground
    • Waterlogged soil
    • Direct scorching sun
    • Beneath an existing canopy

  19. Which environmental conditions lead to the fastest rate of succession towards woodland?

    • Wind and salinity
    • Frost and darkness
    • Warmth and rainfall
    • Cold and drought

  20. What generally happens to species diversity as succession progresses towards a climax community?

    • It decreases
    • It remains constant
    • It increases
    • It drops to zero

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