Field to Forest Succession
What is succession?
As we learned at the start of the trail, the Emmons Pond Bog Preserve was, in recent memory, used for farming and cattle grazing. When a forest is cleared by human actions (or natural forces like fire), the resulting field will, if left alone, slowly become woodland again, in a process called field to forest succession. First, pioneer plants such as grasses take over the field, holding the existing soil in place and adding additional organic material to it. Perennial plants follow, and after that, shrubs and pioneer trees. Eventually the field will become a forest, and the forest itself will continue to develop and 'mature'. It might even become a field again, if humans or fire intervene again!
As you pass through the meadows of the Emmons Pond preserve, we'll point out some of the unique features of this important ecosystem, including species evolved to thrive in the meadow environment. From this vantage point, you can see examples of grasses, perennials, shrubs and pioneer trees, and as you look down the trail toward the pond, you can see the beginning of the forest proper. What plants and animals do you notice in this meadow?