A climax community represents the final and stable stage of an ecological succession, whereby the community has all of its characteristics

• The type of climax community that develops will depend on the specific environmental conditions of the biome

Humans can interfere with the succession process (i.e. arrested succession)  by altering the environmental conditions

• Grazing by livestock prevents tree seedlings from establishing, preventing a forest community from eventuating
  

• Drainage of marshy bogs (for extraction of peat or other land use) will prevent a wetland community from developing
  

Arrested succession can either prevent climax communities from developing or promote the formation of alternative habitats

• Grazing functions to maintain meadow and grassland ecosystems be preventing the formation of a forest climax community

Arrested Succession