A volcanic eruption typically results in which type of ecological succession?

A volcanic eruption typically results in primary succession because it creates new land from lava flows, ash deposits, or other volcanic materials, which lack soil and organic life at the onset. This stark environment provides a unique opportunity for life to begin anew, starting with pioneer species such as lichens and mosses that can colonize bare rock and begin the soil formation process. Over time, these organisms die and decompose, enriching the substrate with organic matter and leading to a gradual increase in biodiversity as more complex plant and animal communities establish themselves.

In contrast, secondary succession occurs in areas where a disturbance has cleared an ecosystem but left the soil intact, allowing pre-existing life to regrow more rapidly. Since a volcanic eruption often results in the complete removal of existing soil and biological communities, primary succession is the accurate process described. The other options do not accurately capture the ecological process following a volcanic eruption, as climactic succession refers to changes leading toward a stable community over time, and restorative succession does not specifically apply to the phenomena involved following such eruptions.