Community structures and functions are constantly changing. Organisms die and are replaced over time. The gradual process by which ecosystems change and develop over time is called ecological succession. Succession is usually defined as “a continuous, unidirectional, sequential change in the species composition of a natural community” (Mackenzie, Ball & Virdee, 2001). Succession occurs because environmental conditions in a particular area change over time. Each species is adapted to compete with other species in a very specific set of environmental conditions. If these conditions were to change, existing species will be replaced by a new set of species better suited to the new conditions. Ecologists recognize two main types of succession, primary succession and secondary succession. Primary succession occurs on an area that was originally completely devoid of life. For example, primary succession can develop on newly formed volcanic islands, bare rocks exposed by an avalanche, sand dunes, ponds, and lakes. (Chenn, 1999) Secondary succession is much more common and occurs in areas where it was previously supported by one type of community but has since been destroyed. Some examples are: a forest that has been destroyed by fire; plants are being destroyed due to human cultivation and other plants may have been trampled to form paths. For a period of time, no living organism could have lived in that area. However, some types of plants are starting to reappear. If disturbance ceases, secondary succession will begin in the area, changes in vegetation leading back to a climax community. (Browning, 1998) The purpose of this experiment is to understand succession rates at Shingle Ridge, Slapto… halfway through the paper… that future species have a lower tolerance level for resources. Having few resources needed to support those that arrived first, future species will then be able to displace them. An example of this is when an oak tree grows tall enough to overshadow shorter plants, such as shrubs. According to the inhibition hypothesis, all species resist invasion by competitors and are displaced only by death or damage caused by factors other than competition. There was expected to be little to no life in the area near the sea due to the harsh living conditions near it. the water. Therefore, the further away the species is from the sea and towards the back of the sand dunes, the greater the amount of species and diversity. This is due to less disturbance and less harsh conditions, such as lower salt content and better nitrogen deposition for plant growth.