Question

Would you expect a shrub or dandelion to be a more likely pioneer plant species? Why?

Answer 1

Generally speaking, a dandelion is more likely to be a pioneer plant species than many shrub species.

Explanation:

Generally speaking, a dandelion is more likely to be a pioneer plant species. Pioneer species are able to withstand harsh conditions and they reproduce quickly. Dandelions appear quickly when the opportunity arises, such as a recently cleared or burned area.

A shrub is smaller than a tree but has many stems. Shrubs can be considered pioneer plant species too . Traditionally though, weedy species like mosses appear first, die and decompose to produce soil, and then small shrubs and small trees appear. Thus, we would expect shrubs to appear only after enough time has passed, and likely dandelions would appear during this period.

You can review the basics of ecological succession here.