Plagio climax community

Plagio climax community is an area or habitat in which the influences of the human race, have prevented the system from expanding further, an example may be in a beach dune system where the impact of the human race has caused footpath erosion to occur, affecting the vegetation so that feet trampling on the dune plants eventually destroys them.

In other cases, such as Studland Heath in Dorset, England, the management agency prevents the climax community (in this case trees) becoming established. At Studland the aim is to keep the area as heathland, so that the small reptiles that inhabit the dune system continue to survive. If the area is allowed to develop naturally into woodland, the reptiles would be replaced by other species of animals.

A plant community that is permanently prevented from reaching its climax state by human activity

More definitions

Where human activity has arrested and altered the natural succession and the ensuing vegetation is maintained through management, the resultant community is said to be a plagioclimax.