A. GENERAL PLAN 

 By V. E. Shelford 



The primary object of this vohime is 

 to locate natural areas so as to make 

 them available to naturalists. Every- 

 one who learns the location of a natural 

 area through this volume should realize 

 the moral obligation to keep the area 

 as it is. Using an area described in 

 this book to satisfy one's selfish desires 

 for possession is a violation of a trust 

 placed in the nature-loving public. 



Convenience of treatment divided 

 the territory covered into three sec- 

 tions: (1) Northern tundra and ice- 

 covered regions; (2) Temperate America 

 including the southern tier of Canadian 

 provinces and the whole of the United 

 States; (3) Tropical America, including 

 the areas between the southern bound- 

 aries of the United States and the 

 Amazon River and adjacent islands. 

 In the first and last divisions the great- 

 est latitude was permitted the authors 

 and no attempt to map or classify areas 

 was made. The meagre character of 

 the available knowledge forbade at- 

 tempting anything of the kind. The 

 name of the person preparing the ac- 

 count for each territory stands at its 

 head as the one responsible for the 

 completeness and accuracy. 



The materials on the States and 

 southern tier of Canadian provinces 

 are divided into (1) a general account 

 of biotic conditions of the territory, 

 and (2) specific descriptions of natural 

 areas. 



The general account describes the 

 territory as it was before modified bj'' 

 civilization. General physiographic 

 features are described and geographic 

 and local plant and animal communities 

 briefly outlined. The names of Mer- 

 riam's life zones are used only in paren- 

 theses following the names of the 



plants commonly used to designate 

 them. The original conditions of the 

 biota are then contrasted with the 

 present modified condition; the com- 

 munities and conspicuous plants and 

 animals which have been destroyed 

 are enumerated. Some authors have 

 enumerated polluted and unpolluted 

 waters. 



In specific descriptions, the existing 

 natural areas are in part arranged ac- 

 cording to the natural subdivision 

 recognized in the general account. All 

 preserved areas and areas available for 

 stud}^, in natural condition, preserved 

 areas in a semi-natural condition, such 

 as forest preserves, bird and game 

 sanctuaries, and second growth areas 

 undergoing succession, are as a rule 

 included and properly designated in so 

 far as they were known to the authors. 



The National Forest were treated 

 separately by members of the United 

 States Forest Service. The National 

 Parks and Monuments are included in 

 the state accounts. 



ABBREVIATION AND SYMBOLS 



a. In locations of areas which appear 

 abbreviated, words in brackets have 

 been omitted: 



[From] Chicago, [111. gol 12 mi. 

 west [via] C. B. & Q. K. R. or La Grange 

 Electric, to Riverside [and walk] (W) 

 i mi. N. W. [From] Riverside, 111. 



b. Modification of areas. .fVs com- 

 pared with their condition at the time 

 of the discovery by America by I^uro- 

 peans in the fifteenth century all areas 

 have doubtless suffered considerable 

 modification. The degree of modifica- 

 tion varies greatly in the various natural 

 reservations, and in those areas avail- 



85 



