Primary Succession on Land

Primary succession is the establishment and subsequent development of the first assemblage of species on a previously unvegetated surface. In the past, research into succession concentrated on the more widespread communities of grassland, herbland and forest. However, the initial stages of a community are characterized by algae, lichen and mosses, and despite their importance as primary colonizers, little attempt has been made to include the microbial community and its effects within the framework of research into primary succession. This symposium volume draws together microbiologists, ecologists, botanists and zoologists into a more coherent discussion of the early stages of community development; aided particularly by the ecological opportunities offered by the