Figure 19.8 Stream succession. After a major flood event, Sycamore Creek in Arizona experienced a nearly complete elimination of algae, leaving behind only rocks and bare sand. (a) Within just a few days, several species of diatoms came to dominate the bare sand and rocks in the stream. Later in the summer, other groups of algae colonized the stream and became more abundant, including cyanobacteria and a species of green filamentous alga (Cladophora) and its epiphytes. (b) As the different types of algae returned, adult flying insects from the terrestrial environment began to lay their eggs in the stream. As a result, the stream experienced a rapid increase in the number of invertebrates.

Data from S. G. Fisher et al., Temporal succession in a desert stream ecosystem following flash flooding, Ecological Monographs 52 (1979): 93–110.