The idea of ecological succession goes back to the 14th century. The French naturalist, Adolphe Dureau de la Malle was the first to make use of the word succession about the vegetation development after forest clearfelling. In 1859, Henry David Thoreau wrote an address called "The Succession of Forest Trees" in which he described succession in an Oak-Pine forest. Later Cawles (1899) described the change in vegetation on sand dunes.

Clement's theory of succession/Mechanisms of succession

F.E. Clement (1916) developed a descriptive theory of succession and advanced it as a general ecological concept. His theory of succession had a powerful influence on ecological thought. Clement's concept is usually termed classical ecological theory. According to Clement, succession is a process involving several phases:

1. Nudation: Succession begins with the development of a bare site, called Nudation (disturbance).
2. Migration: It refers to arrival of propagules.
3. Ecesis: It involves establishment and initial growth of vegetation.
4. Competition: As vegetation became well established, grew, and spread, various species began to compete for space, light and nutrients. This phase is called competition.
5. Reaction: During this phase autogenic changes affect the habitat resulting in replacement of one plant community by another.
6. Stabilization: Reaction phase leads to development of a climax community.

Importance

• It is one of the bases for classification of forests into forest types
• The species to be planted have to be selected keeping in view the stage of succession, otherwise it would result in failure.
• Knowledge of succession shows that how the composition of the crop is changing and will change in future. It also indicates the factors by which the succession can be altered to the best advantage of the people.

Basic features of the concept of plant succession are:

• Continual change in the vegetation as a result of interaction of plant community and the habitat factors;
• Progressive and the end product is the climax; and
• Progressive development of vegetation of the same site in course of time