Let’s begin with a little history the term. Forest succession has a long history to the naturalists of the United States. The term was first used by Henry David Thoreau possibly as far back as 1860 (Thoreau 1993). Even before Thoreau, people recognized the transitions that forest stands go through over time.

Succession characterizes changes in species composition or the replacement of biota on a site by one of a different nature. Succession is essentially a change in species composition through time.