Step 1: Understanding the Question:
Plant succession is the process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time. The question asks for the scientist who proposed that every region has only one potential "ultimate" vegetation type (climax).
Detailed Explanation:
• Frederic Clements (1916): He was a dominant figure in early ecology who proposed the Mono-climax theory. He argued that given enough time, the vegetation in a climate-homogeneous region will inevitably converge into a single stable climax community, determined primarily by the regional climate.
• Mechanisms: He viewed the community as a "super-organism" that goes through developmental stages (Sere) until it reaches maturity (Climax).
• Contrasting View: This was later challenged by the Poly-climax theory (Tansley), which argued that soil, topography, or fire could prevent a region from reaching the climatic climax, resulting in multiple stable climax types.
• Other Options: Whittaker proposed the climax-pattern hypothesis. Odum is known for ecosystem energetics and general ecology.
Step 2: Final Answer:
The mono-climax theory was proposed by Frederic Clements.