Discuss Connell and Slatyer three mechanisms of succession. Start your answer with a definition and an example of what is succession, and describe how succession begins.

Facilitation, tolerance and inhibition models

Explanation:

J. H. Connell and R. O. Slatyer stated three different ecological succession models that explain how species composition may change by the effects of disturbances in the ecosystem. These models are as follow:  

1- Tolerance model: in this model, the new species don't affect the growth and success of existing species, thereby the process of succession is purely associated with life-history strategies.

2- Facilitation model: only 'ideal traits' found in colonizing species lead to the initial succession. These ideal traits include for example effective mechanism of dispersal, water storage tissues to survive in dry regions, long-term seed dormancy, etc.

3-Inhibition model: Species that appeared during early succession are capable of inhibiting growth of species appeared in later stages, as well as reduce colonizing species abundance.