alt Hacker NewsI find this surprising, because my impression was that complex biology requires pioneer species to spend some time making "fresh" geology from the earth inhabitable first if there isn't already an established ecosystem.
Why is volcanic ash so productive? Is it the result of coincidence? Adaptation? Some resource cycle?
Bio available trace elements and loose structure. Stuff you find in fertiliser is typically rich in volcanic ash. And lack of competition because its virgin soil. The coloniser species are what happens without human intervention.