REPORT OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON BOTANY 



To the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Institution. 



Genti^emen : Your Advisory Committee on Botany have the 

 honor to propose the following 



PLAN FOR BOTANICAL REvSEARCH. 



CONTENTS. 



Page 



Outline of Plan 3 



Explanation of Plan 4 



I. Relation of Vegetation to Environment. 4 



A. Function and Effects of Forest.s . . 4 



B. Desert Laboratory 5 



II. Botanical Research in the West Indies, etc 6 



A. Exploration of the Region and Its Purpose 6 



B Systematic Collecting and Its Purpose. 7 



C. Maintenance of a Botanical Station 8 



Estimate of Cost 10 



Outline of Plan. 



I. Relation of Vegetation to Environment in the United States. 



A. The function and effect of the forest with regard to atmos- 

 pheric moisture, precipitation, and run-ofi, and the converse effect on 

 the forest. 



B. The establishment and maintenance of a desert botanical labo- 

 ratory for the purpose of ascertaining the methods bj' ivhich plants 

 perform their functions under the extraordinary conditions existing 

 in deserts. 



II. Botanical Explorations and Researches in Central America and 

 the West Indies. 



A. An exploration of these regions with reference to the composi- 

 tion of the different floras, their relationship to each other and to the 

 climate and geological formations with which each is associated, and 

 their interrelationship with the aboriginal or native peoples, bearing 

 on the past influence of the vegetation on the races of mankind and 

 the probable future development of the various areas. 



B. An extensive system of collecting and determining species and 

 recording data, as a means of obtatniug the facts necessary to a 

 proper understanding of the problems outlined above, and for other 

 purposes. 



(3) 



