1920.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 113 



CORRELATION BETWEEN VEGETATION AND SOIL ACIDITY IN SOUTHERN 



NEW JERSEY. 



BY EDGAR T. WHERRY 



By southern New Jersey is meant that portion of the state lying 

 south of the Fall-Hne, which extends from the Atlantic coast near 

 Perth Amboy, southwestward to the Delaware river at Trenton. 

 The geology of this region has been described in many reports issued 

 by the State Geological Survey, and in U. S. Geological Survey 

 folios. The soils have been discussed from an agricultural stand- 

 point in a recent publication of the U. S. Bureau of Soils.' Several 

 botanists have studied the vegetation in detail, but have reached 

 widely different conclusions as to its proper geographical classifica- 

 tion. The various divisions which have been recognized by these 

 workers, together with data on the geological and chemical relation- 

 ships, are contrasted in table 1. These divisions have been termed 

 zones, regions, strips, etc., but it seems desirable to have a single 

 term to apply uniformly, and area most accurately expresses the 

 desired conception. Six vegetation-areas appear to be sufficiently 

 distinct to justify separate treatment, although there are admittedly 

 in most places no sharp boundaries between them. In the course 

 of vacation outings during the past several years the writer has visited 

 typical localities in all of these areas, and has obtained data as to 

 the relations between the vegetation and a factor not specially con- 

 sidered by previous workers, namely the soil acidity. This has been 

 determined in the field by the indicator method. ^ The results 

 obtained in the Coastal area have already been described, ^ and in 

 the present paper observations on the other areas are recorded. 



^Bonsteel, J. A. Soils of southern New Jersey and their uses. U. S. Deft. 

 Agr. Bull. 677, (1918). 



^Journ. Wash. Acad. Set. 10: 217-223. 1920. 

 ^Ecology, 1 : 1920. 



