Pioneer species
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Pioneer species are species which colonize previously uncolonized land, usually leading to ecological succession. Since uncolonized land may have thin, poor quality soils with few nutrients, pioneer species are often hearty plants with adaptations such as long roots, root nodes containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and leaves that employ transpiration.
Pioneer species are often grasses such as marram grass, which grows on sand dunes.
The plants, or anything that has the system of a plant, will be specially adapted to the extremes that may be experienced, and once they have modified the environment may be out-competed by less specific plants, eventually leading to a climax community. Examples of the plants and organisms that colonise such areas are:
- Barren rock - blue-green bacteria,
- Barren sand - lyme grass, sea couch grass, marram grass
- Salt water - green algae, eel grass, Salicornia townsendii and Spartina townsendii
- Clear water - Algae, mosses
Pioneer species in secondary succession
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