Climax species

An image of ecological succession, starting with pioneer species and ending with an old-growth forest that is dominated by climax species, which is denoted by VIII.

Climax species, also called late seral, late-successional, K-selected or equilibrium species, are plant species that can germinate and grow with limited resources; e.g., they need heat exposure or low water availability.[1] They are the species within forest succession that are more adapted to stable and predictable environments, and will remain essentially unchanged in terms of species composition for as long as a site remains undisturbed.[2]

The seedlings of climax species can grow in the shade of the parent trees, ensuring their dominance indefinitely. The presence of climax species can also reduce the prevalence of other species within an ecosystem.[3] However, a disturbance, such as fire, may kill the climax species, allowing pioneer or earlier successional species to re-establish for a time.[4] They are the opposite of pioneer species, also known as ruderal, fugitive, opportunistic or R-selected species, in the sense that climax species are good competitors but poor colonizers, whereas pioneer species are good colonizers but poor competitors.[5]

Given the prevailing ecological conditions, climax species dominate the climax community. When the pace of succession slows down as the result of ecological homeostasis, the maximum permitted biodiversity is reached.[6] Their reproductive strategies and other adaptive characteristics can be considered more sophisticated than those of opportunistic species.[7]

Through negative feedback, they adapt themselves to specific environmental conditions. Climax species are mostly found in forests. Climax species, closely controlled by carrying capacity, follow K strategies, wherein species produce fewer numbers of potential offspring, but invest more heavily in securing the reproductive success of each one to the micro-environmental conditions of its specific ecological niche. Climax species might be iteroparous, energy consumption efficient and nutrient cycling.[8]

  1. ^ Shimano K (2000-02-01). "A power function for forest structure and regeneration pattern of pioneer and climax species in patch mosaic forests". Plant Ecology. 146 (2): 205–218. doi:10.1023/A:1009867302660. ISSN 1573-5052. S2CID 275790.
  2. ^ Wehenkel C, Bergmann F, Gregorius HR (2006-07-01). "Is there a trade-off between species diversity and genetic diversity in forest tree communities?". Plant Ecology. 185 (1): 151–161. doi:10.1007/s11258-005-9091-2. S2CID 20085178.
  3. ^ Do HT, Grant JC, Zimmer HC, Trinh BN, Nichols JD (2020-05-29). "Site conditions for regeneration of climax species, the key for restoring moist deciduous tropical forest in Southern Vietnam". PLOS ONE. 15 (5): e0233524. Bibcode:2020PLoSO..1533524D. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0233524. PMC 7259571. PMID 32469962.
  4. ^ Wehenkel C, Bergmann F, Gregorius HR (2006-07-01). "Is there a trade-off between species diversity and genetic diversity in forest tree communities?". Plant Ecology. 185 (1): 151–161. doi:10.1007/s11258-005-9091-2. ISSN 1573-5052. S2CID 20085178.
  5. ^ Brown S, Dockery J, Pernarowski M (March 2005). "Traveling wave solutions of a reaction diffusion model for competing pioneer and climax species". Mathematical Biosciences. 194 (1): 21–36. doi:10.1016/j.mbs.2004.10.001. PMID 15836862.
  6. ^ Ernest SK (January 2008). "Homeostasis". In Jørgensen SE, Fath BD (eds.). Encyclopedia of Ecology. Oxford: Academic Press. pp. 1879–1884. doi:10.1016/b978-008045405-4.00507-3. ISBN 978-0-08-045405-4.
  7. ^ Shimano K (2000-02-01). "A power function for forest structure and regeneration pattern of pioneer and climax species in patch mosaic forests". Plant Ecology. 146 (2): 205–218. doi:10.1023/A:1009867302660. ISSN 1573-5052. S2CID 275790.
  8. ^ McShaffrey D. "Relationships Among Species". Marietta College. Archived from the original on 16 June 2009.