Plants have a temperature range within which they can survive as well as optimum temperatures for each of their functions. Ecological succession is a development sequence in which plant communities succeed one another as they progress to a stable climax, the most complex community of organisms possible in an area. Succession starts with pioneer species that can survive in harsh conditions. These pioneers moderate the harsh conditions and gradually other species move in. Disturbances that can interrupt the sequence include fires, insects, disease and human activities such as cutting and clearing.
Biomes are the largest recognizable subdivision of terrestrial ecosystems.
These include the forest, savanna, grassland, desert and tundra biomes. These ideal conditions produce a forest of tall, closely set trees with a multilayered canopy and the largest diversity of species of any lifezone. The monsoon forest grows in a wet-dry tropical climate. The stress of the dry season results in a deciduous forest that sheds its leaves. It has an open canopy allowing more development in the lower forest layers.