Once up a time...
The Virgin Islands were formed through violent volcanic eruptions. The volcanoes were formed on the ocean floor and as they erupted the lava solidified and eventually rose to form the island of St. John. St. John currently hosts a plethora of lush green plants and colorful animals. But it was not always like that. After the island was formed with the lava, everything was barren. The conditions were not ideal for any living life to be there. More eruptions continued upon the new island, covering it with layers of limestone. The volcanic eruptions allow the soil to be very rich in minerals. Water organisms were the first to appear, such as algae. Eventually through mainly wind power, seeds of plants were carried to the island. This allowed vegetation to grow and forests began to grow. This is an example of primary succession. Primary Succession occurs on bare lifeless substrate. Eventually, organisms migrate and find their way to the barren land and change the nature of things. The creation of the Virgin Islands is just one example. Primary succession also occurs on lakes or on the newly exposed lands after a glacier passes through.
And they all lived happily ever after?
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The island of St. John has been hit by many hurricanes. Some are known to have left a large amount of damage to the ecosystem. Hurricane Hugo left significant damage to St. John and other islands in the Caribbean. The strong winds and huge waves damage beaches and wash away smaller plants and organisms. Plants are torn by the roots, trees are nothing but a stump in the ground, and habitats are destroyed. Not only is the environment affected, but the people and cities are too. Buildings are also damaged and destroyed in the event of a hurricane. After a natural disaster like a hurricane, secondary succession takes place. Secondary succession occurs in places where a community of organisms has been disturbed, but organisms still remain. The hurricane does cause damage, but some organisms still thrive in their ecosystem. As the vegetation and trees begin to grow back the types of organisms change. For example, the first organisms may be adapted to living on the ground. But as trees grow back, more organisms that live in higher elevations show up and the number of organism on the ground will decrease. Another example of secondary succession in the Virgin Islands are after earthquakes.