Plant succession usually begins with a fairly simple community known as a pioneer community . The pioneer community, and each successive community alters the environment in such a way to permit new communities to occupy the environment. These alterations of the environment include changes in the microclimate and soil conditions of the site. A climax community is the result of a long period of plant succession. Climax communities usually exhibit a good deal of species diversity and thus are relatively stable systems.
Disturbance renews a successional sequence.
Plant succession was renewed after the explosion of Mt. St. Helens with the subsequent disruption of biotic communities that inhabited the region. Human disturbance related to tropical deforestation as renewed the successional sequence of plant communities in the tropical rainforest. The plants and animals that succeed in occupying a particular location are those that can easily adapt to the unique environmental conditions of a site. Each plant and animal in the community has a specific range of tolerance for particular environmental conditions. Climate factors are the most important influence over the the successful establishment of plant and animal communities.