Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904 edition. Excerpt: ... In 1887, Hult investigated the invasion and substitution of one formation by another in the alpine regions of Lappmark. He found that in the dryer places Cladineta and Alectorieta finally replaced all other associations, while in moist places grass and herbaceous formations passed into formations of dwarf shrubs, the universal rule being a transition from hygrophilous to more or less xerophilous conditions. Treub (1888), after the destructive eruption of Krakatau in 1883. found that Cyanophyceae were the first plants to appear on the new soil: these were followed by an exclusive vegetation of ferns, in which a few phanerogams, especially composites, began to appear by the third year. Senft (1888) traced the development of vegetation on naked xerophytic slopes of the H6rselbergen. The pioneers were lichens, especially Parmelia, followed soon by mosses, Hypnum, Barhula, and after a few years by Festuca ovina, which appeared first in the rock clefts and then spread into a thick sod. The next invaders were all grasses, Koeleria cristata, Briza, Melica, and Br achy podium, which almost entirely replaced Festuca in three years: the grasses were then invaded, though not completely replaced, by herbs, Helianthemum, Yerbascum, Lactuca scariola, Agrimonia eupatoria, Anemone, Gentiana, etc., and by a few sbrubs, Juniperus communis, Viburnum lantana, and Crataegus. Later appeared Ligustrum, Comus and Bhamnus, and still later, Cotoneaster, Crataegus, Prunus and Bosa, forming a thicket twelve years after the inception of the succession. The last stage was a forest of Sorbus, Corylus. Fagus, Alnus, Tilia and Acer. Krassnoff (1883, 1886) found that forest clearings in the Altai were recovered partly by persistent forest plants, and partly by invading...