Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Succession in Ecological Education

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
The Wetland Book

  • 188 Accesses

Abstract

As complex and dynamic systems, wetlands offer the opportunity to investigate and incorporate the ecological concept of succession in educational settings. For example, the well-known, classic hydrosere concept is illustrated in numerous ecology and life-science textbooks. In this chapter, the drawbacks of using the hydrosere successional concept are assessed, and two examples of using wetlands to illustrate the process of succession for educational purposes are described. In each case, the premise and approach is that students best “learn ecology by doing ecology.”

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anderson S, Moss B. How wetland habitats are perceived by children: consequences for children’s education and wetland conservation. Int J Sci Ed. 1993;51:473–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barko VA, Burke BA, Gibson DJ, Middleton BA. Seedling growth of Wisconsin fast plants (Brassica rapa) in field environments.. In: Teaching issues and experiments in ecology, Volume I, January 2004. (C. D’Avanzo & B.W. Grant, editors). ESA EdWeb, Ecological Society of America, Baltimore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharyya S. An evaluation of an inquiry-based field laboratory. MS thesis, Southern Illinois University Carbondale; 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson DJ. Textbook misconceptions: the climax concept of succession. Amer Biol Teacher. 1996;58:135–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson DJ, Middleton BA, Saunders GW, Mathis M, Weaver WT, Neely J, Rivera J, Oyler M. Learning ecology by doing ecology. Amer Biol Teacher. 1999;61:217–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson DJ, Middleton BA, Foster K, Honu YAK, Hoyer EW, Mathis MJ. Species frequency dynamics in an old-field succession: effects of disturbance, fertilization and scale. J Veg Sci. 2005;16:415–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson EA, Miyanishi K. Testing the assumptions of chronosequences in succession. Ecol Lett. 2008;11:419–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klinger LF. The myth of the classic hydrosere model of bog succession. Arctic Alpine Res. 1996;28:1–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathis MJ. Deer herbivory and old field succession. PhD Dissertation, Southern Illinois University Carbondale; 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Middleton BA. Succession and herbivory in monsoonal wetlands. Wetl Ecol Manag. 1999;6:189–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitsch WJ, Tejada J, Nahlik A, Kohlmann B, Bernal B, Hernández CE. Tropical wetlands for climate change research, water quality management and conservation education on a university campus in Costa Rica. Ecol Eng. 2008;34:276–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitsch WJ, Zhang L, Stefanik KC, Nahlik AM, Anderson CJ, Bernal B, Hernandez M, Song K. Creating wetlands: primary succession, water quality changes, and self-design over 15 years. Bioscience. 2012;62:237–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neiring WA. Vegetation dynamics (succession and climax) in relation to plant community management. Conserv Biol. 1987;1:287–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niering WA. Wetland vegetation change: a dynamic process. Wetl J. 1994;6:6–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oyler M, Rivera J, Roffel M, Gibson DJ, Middleton BA, Mathis M. The macaroni lab: A directed inquiry project on predator-prey relationships. Amer Biol Teacher. 1999;61:39–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rice MR, Middleton BA, Gibson DJ. Fractal analysis of movement pathways of earthworms in vegetated and unvegetated landscapes. Bioscience. 1999;69:176–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Valk AG. Succession in wetlands: a Gleasonian approach. Ecology. 1981;62:688–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker LR, Wardle DA, Bardgett RD, Clarkson BD. The use of chronosequences in studies of ecological succession and soil development. J Ecol. 2010;98:725–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Biology, Center for Ecology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, 62901, USA

    David J. Gibson

  2. U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA, 70506, USA

    Beth A. Middleton

Authors
  1. David J. Gibson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Beth A. Middleton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to David J. Gibson or Beth A. Middleton .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, Australia

    C. Max Finlayson

  2. International Water Security Network, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK

    Mark Everard

  3. UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands

    Kenneth Irvine

  4. RM Wetlands and Environment Ltd., Littleworth, Oxfordshire, UK

    Robert J. McInnes

  5. U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA, USA

    Beth A. Middleton

  6. Aquatic Ecosystems Group, Department of Water Science and Engineering, UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands

    Anne A. van Dam

  7. Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, Australia

    Nick C. Davidson

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Gibson, D.J., Middleton, B.A. (2018). Succession in Ecological Education. In: Finlayson, C.M., et al. The Wetland Book. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9659-3_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation