Nothing succeeds, it seems, like succession. A concept that emerged from the sand dunes of Lake Michigan in 1889 has grown beyond recognition and has expanded into almost every area of ecological thinking. Succession's existence is now generally accepted, despite continuing disputes about its underlying mechanisms. Rather like the physics of light, we need to accept that there are many ways of looking at this universal but enigmatic process. Ignorance does not prevent us from applying the concept of succession to the manipulation and management of ecosystems, either for the production of consumables or for wildlife conservation.

1. Peter D. Moore is in the Division of Life Sciences, King's College, Franklin–Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NN, UK.