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NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



and also some on the less extensive 

 eastern Forests. In addition to these 

 silvicultural sample plots, hundreds of 

 permanent sample plots have been estab- 

 lished in the National Forests in con- 

 nection with the study of range manage- 

 ment. On these are being recorded the 

 changes occurring in the herbaceous 

 and shrubby vegetation and timber 

 reproduction as a result of total pro- 

 tection from grazing or the type of 

 grazing management in practice. 



Relatively few of the permanent 

 sample plots on the National Forests 

 are in virgin forest and the silviculturist 

 cannot imagine keeping all of them in 

 such a condition, even if they are now. 

 A few plots, however, will be retained 

 in natural stands as a check on the 

 cultural operations of the forester. 

 Such plots in the virgin forest would be 

 valuable chiefly from the standpoint of 

 studying the natural succession of forest 

 vegetation and competition in its broad- 

 est sense, as between individuals, spe- 

 cies, and associations. Thus, while 

 permanent sample plots in the National 

 Forests will be primarily for silvicultural 

 purposes, there remains a huge problem 

 which will require intensive study by 

 the ecologist on areas left in a natural 

 condition. 



Since the silviculturist is working in 

 part on such utilitarian problems as 

 the effects of different methods of 

 cutting or thinning and slash disposal 

 on the subsequent growth of the uncut 

 trees and on natural regeneration, the 

 reason why his permanent sample plots 

 must be located largely outside of 

 virgin forests is apparent. As a matter 

 of fact, most of these plots are on culled 

 or cutover lands where the conditions 

 are at most only semi-natural. In many 

 cases the original forest type is in time 

 re-established and in others a sub-climax 

 replaces it. These plots, however, will 

 ultimately prove extremely interesting 

 to the biologist because the forester 

 maintains a detailed record, through the 

 periodic measurement and examination 

 of the trees and the vegetation on the 

 areas, of all the changes taking place 



between the time of the cutting of the 

 original stand and the maturity of the 

 subsequent crop. Protection from other 

 disturbing factors is usually provided. 

 These plots will give the ecologist the 

 complete history of the successional 

 phenomena recorded, which will enable 

 a more exact analysis and correlation 

 of the results by eliminating the neces- 

 sity for much interpolation and specula- 

 tion concerning some of the intermediate 

 phases. 



It is therefore evident that the per- 

 manent sample plots in the National 

 Forests, although they may not all be 

 important from the standpoint of the 

 preservation of natural conditions, will 

 supply the forester, the ecologist, and the 

 biologist with much valuable scientific 

 information which cannot be secured in 

 any other way. 



4. NATIONAL PARKS AND NA- 

 TIONAL MONUMENTS 



By E. Lucy Braun 



The United States government has, 

 by the establishment of national parks 

 and monuments, taken a foremost posi- 

 tion in the preservation of one of our 

 great economic and social assets — 

 unusual and superlative natural scenery. 

 The establishment of Yellowstone Na- 

 tional Park in 1872 marked the begin- 

 ning of a project which has grown to 

 great importance, and which has become 

 a world-wide influence in the establish- 

 ment of national reservations in other 

 parts of the world. 



The first effort at conservation was 

 made in 1832, when Congress set aside 

 the Hot Springs Reservation, which has 

 since (in 1921) been made a national 

 park. From the establishment of Yel- 

 lowstone to the present time, the na- 

 tional park system has constantly 

 grown. It was not, however, until 1916, 

 that the National Park Service was 

 established as a separate bureau of the 

 Department of the Interior. There are 

 now under its control, 19 parks having a 

 total area of 11,372 sq. mi., and 29 

 monuments with total area of about 



