This page talks about how manipulating Community-Dynamics brings about changes to plant and animal species, and improvements in profit...

Community-dynamics is the process of change and development within communities of living organisms. It is sometimes also referred to as biological-succession. The two extremes of biological-succession are a true desert, where there are no species (although most deserts have a few species present in very low numbers), right through to a rain forest where there is a huge diversity of species

There is a fundamental rule of succession. Take some time to read and learn what this means:

A species will move into an environment when the conditions become suitable for its establishment, and will move out of that environment when the conditions become unsuitable for its reproduction

What it is saying is this: When the conditions are suitable for a particular species, it may establish in an environment. If the conditions are not suitable it will not establish, or, if it once used to exist in that location, it will move out. Depending on the direction of successional movement, a higher or lower successional species will move in.

Note:
'Succession' should never be confused with 'evolution'. Evolution is the biological adaption of a species to a certain combination of environmental factors. Evolution occurs over time as multiple generations of a species genetically adapt to thrive in conditions which their ancestors could not tolerate or survive.

Different community behaviour
When successional conditions are low, both the plant and animal communities tends to have a low number of species whose populations can rocket out of control very rapidly. There is not much stability and the community-dynamics ecosystem process is essentially dysfunctional. Examples include plague locusts and thistle populations.

As successional conditions increase there tends to be many more species present, all regulating each other, and there is much greater stability. The community-dynamics ecosystem process is functional. Rainforests are typical of highly effective communities.

Indicators of community-dynamics getting better
Some of the simple indicators are:

• An increasing diversity of desirable perennial plant species


• Soil covered in mulch and litter


• An increasing diversity of small animals


• Grasses tend to be broad-leafed, and to dry down to a golden colour


• Grass seeds tend to be small and round rather than pointed or aggressive

Where you should start...
You can start by observing what is happening on your land. If you see a 'weed' appearing then you have to own up to the awful truth: your management created the conditions suitable for that plant to establish!! As they say, 'You can run but you can't hide!' You cannot blame others for the management you apply to your land.

The really great news is that as so called 'weeds' grow and mature they minutely change the ecosystem around them - different microbes are present, soil surface conditions change, and slowly succession moves upwards. It is a dynamic process!

You should monitor...
Keep an eye on soil cover. Bare soil is a low successional condition and these conditions can only ever be home to low successional communities of plants, animals and other living organisms. The process of change begins by deliberately improving soil cover with organic matter.

The role of mosses, lichens and algaes
Mosses, lichens and algaes (known as cryptogams) are low successional communities of organisms that establish on bare soil. They undoubtedly provide some soil cover, but left to their own devices upward succession takes a very long time to occur. If the business of agriculture is the 'capturing-packaging and marketing of sunlight for a profit' farmers will be well broke before nature helps them. Disturbing these communities with animal impact can often create the conditions suitable for higher successional species, and substantially 'boot' the community forward.

You can also usually assume that things are not well with community dynamics if there is evidence of damaged water or mineral cycles, or if you are constantly struggling to meet the feed demands of livestock.

Other things to consider...
Community dynamics will improve as the other cycles improve, as it is one of the four linked cycles. Be watchful for evidence that any cycle is moving out of line, as deviation by one will eventually pull all of them down, dramatically increasing costs and reducing profitability.