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In Costa Rica, a dormant volcano is engulfed by a very old and mature rainforest. The Rainforest has reached its climax community for quite sometime.
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An eruption is near for smoke appears at the top of the thought dormant volcano. This threatens the rainforest and all the life found within.
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Thousands of miles of rainforest and life destroyed. The entire area surrounding the volcano is reduced to pure mineral and devoid of vegetation and soil.
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The area covered with a blanket of ash and destruction. Devoid of vegetation and soil.
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Weather and rain move solidifies the ash. This provides much needed moisture for pioneer species to arrive and settle into the area once covered by lush rainforests.
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Neighboring communities untouched by the Volcanic Eruption contain lichens and mosses. Lichens and Moss reproduce asexually and by dispersing spores into the wind. The spores land in the areas affected by the volcano and grow. Overtime, the lichens and mosses feed and break down the raw minerals left by the volcano into soil. Soil is much needed for other organisms to move into the area.
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Once soil has been established. Seeds of opportunistic or R-selected species become dispersed into the area. Seeds travel by either winds and weather or by birds and other organisms dropping them by accident. These organisms reproduce quickly and established
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The wet season arrives and the pioneer species flourish. They firmly establish a community and compete for resources.
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The wet season arrives and the pioneer species flourish. They firmly establish a community and compete for resources.
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Eventually, shrubs and small trees start moving into the area slowly. Along with animals which feed off of the many species of flora.
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Years later, medium sized trees slowly move back in from the surrounding rainforests. Here they establish more resources and also add and change the soil composition.
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The Fauna
As the Rainforest re-establishes, all sorts of creatures start moving back in. -
20 years later, the pioneer species are almost gone. They have been out competed by the larger, slower growing trees and other plants. The area is starting to resemble a forest once again.
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Flashforward 30 years. The rainforest has came back. Although, we cannot count this as a climax community quite yet. There are trees, but not the very slow growing hardwoods that would be typically found in a mature rainforest.
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An indication that the rainforest is healthy and coming back is the imigration of large mammals back into the area. Primates and other canopy dwelling mammals are a good sign. But where are the jungle cats?
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After the rainforest has grown back to provide enough canopy, larger animals can move in. Large predatory animals like the Jaguar use the shade provided by the canopy and the dense foliage established by the understory to ambush prey.
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It takes a long time for a forest to reach a climax community, but in this area the time has finally arrived.
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Characteristics of a Rainforest Biome
Just slightly over a hundred years after the catastrophic volcanic event, the Rainforest has reached its full maturity.
