The trajectory of ecological change can be influenced by site conditions, by the interactions of the species present, and by more stochastic factors such as availability of colonists or seeds, or weatherconditions at the time of disturbance. Some of these factors contribute to predictability of successional dynamics; others add more probabilistic elements. In general, communities in early succession will be dominated by fast- growing, well-dispersed species (opportunist, fugitive, or r-selected life-histories). As succession proceeds, these species will tend to be replaced by more competitive (k-selected) species. 39. Miks suktsessioon peatub? According to classical ecological theory, succession stops when the sere has arrived at an equilibrium or steady state with the physical and biotic environment. Barring major disturbances, it will persist indefinitely. This end point of succession is called climax. 40
I remember seeing a preview screening of Star Wars on the Fox lot and being completely taken in by the critical few seconds of this scene. I had invested something of myself in Luke Skywalker and when he appeared to be dead, I instantly became a disembodied presence in the screen. I began flitting from surviving character to character, wondering who I could identify with next. W o u l d I ride through the rest of the story as the spoiled Princess Leia, the selfish opportunist H a n Solo, or the beasdy Wookiee? I didn't feel comfortable in any of their skins. In these few seconds I experienced something like panic. T h e hero, for me, was truly in the belly of the whale, inaccessible, effectively dead. W i t h the hero dead, who was I in this movie? W h a t was my point of view? M y emotions, like the basketball held under water, were depressed. Just then Luke Skywalker explodes to the surface, slimy but alive. H e has died
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