Pioneer species
Definition
Species which colonize previously bare or disturbed land, usually leading to ecological succession. Since uncolonized land may have thin, poor quality soils with few nutrients, pioneer species are often plants with adaptations such as long roots and root nodes containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and tend to grow well in open high-light environments.
Source
Glossary. M.S. Ashton et al. (eds.), Managing Forest Carbon in a Changing Climate, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-2232-3, © Springer Science +Business Media B.V. 2012