Abstract: The vegetation succession after volcano eruptions is a dynamic process, which is affected by several factors. It is significant to understand this process and its affecting factors for studying succession rules after volcanic disturbances and predicting the future succession dynamics. In this paper, we reviewed the research advances in this field and the factors affecting the vegetation succession after volcano eruptions. These factors include biotic and abiotic factors. Biotic factors, such as residual species and seed dispersal, provide propagules and seed sources for succession after volcano eruptions. Abiotic factors are the significant exogenous factors, including volcano eruption events, substrates, soil and climate. The volcano eruption events control the later succession from three aspects (disturbance scale, severity and frequency). Substrates dominate the succession dynamics, whose properties and the degree of heterogeneity control succession trajectories. The succession at the early stage is very slow due to the infertile soil and climate environment; it is accelerated as the soil and climate environment are ameliorated. Moreover, stu-dying the succession after volcano eruptions at large scales by combining landscape models and “3S” technologies is a new point of view.

Key words: microcosm., environmental selection, dispersal limitation, temperate forest, bacterial community structure