Forest Changes

Forests (as is all of nature) are always changing. Trees grow. Animals are born, live and die. Seasons progress and pass by. Weather has its impacts on everything. The natural world is constantly in a state of change.

The process of changing plant communities in a location over time is called “succession”. Plant succession is a natural process that foresters recognize and 4-H foresters should too.

Explore the web links below to see how succession works in various ecosystems in the world. Then go out in your area and try to identify fields or forests in different stages of succession.

Web Links:

Appalachian Tales

The Duke University Forest

Save Dunes Council