climax community
Ecological succession, starting with pioneer species and ending with an old-growth forest that is dominated by climax species, which is denoted by VIII.
A climax community is a stable community that exists at the end of a succession. During a succession, a series of plants and their associated animal life gradually colonize an area, with newcomers usually displacing many of the species already present. Eventually, at the climax, colonization ceases and a relatively stable community persists in equilibrium with the local conditions.
