Ecological Succession

Primary Succession:
https://research.wsulibs.wsu.edu:8443/jspui/bitstream/2376/1151/1/v73%20p186%20Titus%20et%20al.PDF
This article describes how wetlands went through primary and secondary succession to return to their previous state 14 years after the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980.
Definition of Primary Succession: The development of life in an area without topsoil. Primary succession occurs after events such as volcano explosions and or glacier movement.




Secondary Succession:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=35521
Hurricanes that ravage the coast of Louisiana often cause secondary succession in the wetlands near the Gulf of Mexico. Plant life is destroyed during these hurricanes, which means that new plant life must replace that which is destroyed during these events.
Definition of Secondary succession: Ecological succession that occurs with topsoil. This occurs after natural disasters and when disease riddles a community.