In recent years, there have been many science fiction movies, television shows, and documentaries that depict what life on Earth would be like after a major worldwide natural or human-caused disaster.

The images below show what a city might look like, after many years, if it was abandoned.

Sources: Post-Apocalyptic City Illustration, Tuts plus, Stock Photo, NYC Street, Free Images

Source: Mount Saint Helens Before and After, Renee, days with my Daughter

Ecosystems change over time. These changes can be caused by natural events or human-caused events. The changes can be on a small or large scale. For example, the accidental pollution of a small pond would be a small-scale, human-caused disturbance. On the other hand, a volcano erupting would be a large-scale, natural disturbance. Ecological succession is a series of changes that occur over time in a community, particularly after a disturbance.

On May 18, 1980, Mount Saint Helens, located in Washington, erupted. The images of Mount Saint Helens, pictured on the right, show how the mountain looked like before and after the eruption.

Watch the following video to see how Mount Saint Helens looks like after many years of regrowth and succession.