May 11, 2021 01:52 AM EDT (Photo : Wikimedia Commons) The word "succession" refers to how an ecosystem returns after a disruption or natural disaster: does the environment return to its original species composition, or does it change? Ecosystem Recovery (Photo : Wikimedia Commons) "A forest that sees a wildfire is the classic case of succession," says Kayla Christianson, a former NC State graduate student and first author of a paper detailing the study. "As the city recovers from the burn, it follows a consistent growth pattern, beginning with grasses and progressing to trees and a mature for...