A glacier recedes and exposes bare rock. Which of the following will most likely occur next? A. The bare rock will quickly break down into soil. B. Small animals will move into the area. C. Lichen will colonize the bare rock. D. Trees will start to grow over the bare rock.

correct option is A.

Succession is the process by which the structure of a particular community evolves over a specific period of time. There are two types of succession, primary and secondary succession. Primary succession is a type of succession that occurs in a place which is incapable of sustaining the growth of plants, that is, it usually occur on barren lands. All the options given above are examples of places for primary succession with the exception of option A.