Human impact on succession – UGC NET Question

Ecological succession describes the gradual change in species composition and community structure over time after disturbances. Human actions such as clearing forests, burning grasslands or building infrastructure can interrupt or restart this process by removing existing vegetation and altering soil conditions. Frequent or intense disturbances may prevent ecosystems from reaching later successional stages, or they may send succession along a different trajectory altogether.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it suggests humans alter succession by never disturbing ecosystems, which is unrealistic and does not describe the main way people influence successional dynamics.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because humans cannot and do not completely stop all natural disturbances such as fires, storms and grazing everywhere.

Option C:
Option C is correct because repeated disturbances like deforestation, overgrazing and construction repeatedly push ecosystems back to earlier successional stages or redirect them into novel states.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because ecological theory recognises multiple potential stable states and ongoing dynamics; it is unrealistic to expect all ecosystems to quickly reach and remain in a single climax state, especially under strong human influence.