Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Twenty-Four Views of the Vegetation of the Coasts of the Pacific
In order to obtain a correct conception of these riches, it is necessary to call to mind the spherical shape of our globe. The difi'erent climates and their transi tions will then be most evident. It is well known that their differences exercise a direct bearing on those of the vegetation; heat and moisture, the various degrees of which determine climatic di?'erences, also constituting the principal conditions of vegetable life. The greater the harmony in which these two agents act, the grander the result of their co-operation. This is the reason why the lowest lati tudes, the tropical zones, with exception of their arid deserts, exhibit the greatest force of vegetation, the finest and most diversified forms, and the largest number of species. At every marked approach towards the icy poles, and in proportion as the temperature decreases, the vegetation becomes altered, assuming more and more what has been termed a northern look, until it dwindles down to an Alpine ?ora, and ultimately to a mere crust of lichens covering the rocks. What a variety of features must there be ranged between this extreme and the gigantic forests of the equinoctial regions!
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.