hydrosere

• stage 1 is deep open fresh water. micro organisms like algea and plankton. little sediment for plants to grow
• stage 2 is submerged plants. sediment deposition decreses water depth and allows for rooted plants like water lilys and emergent reeds this increses dissolved oxygen. insect life starts to be attracted attracting small vertabrates
• Hydrosere is a succession of plant and animal communities in a freshwater habitat, starting from an open water body and ending with a terrestrial community.
• stage 3 is a swamp. further decrease in water depth, lots of plant life in the water, rooted plants colonise further (flag iris). high biodiversity
• stage 4 is a marsh. waterlogged earth, plants adapted to shallow water can no longer survive. pants like mint and willow saplings start to grow
• stage 5 is alder and willow carr. wet soil allows alder and willow to grow, this causes water content to drop. woodland plants start to colonise the ground, small mammals start to appear
• stage 6 is climax woodland. large trees like ash, oak and beech dominate woodland, reducing light lots of mammals and fungi. terrestrial plants have outcompeted aquatic one.