PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. '-^9 



each district or county Aviil be determined in their relation to climate, 

 soil, and to one another. 



Of the two lines of work jnst noted as included in an ecological sur- 

 vey, that of the study of special problems is just now being most pursued. 

 It has already yielded important results in our own State by the pub- 

 lication of the gratuitous work of Davis entitled "Contribution to the 

 Natural History of Marl" (Journal of Geology YIII, 1900; IX, 1901). 

 In Illinois, the same method has given us the "Plankton Studies" of the 

 State Laboratory of Natural History (Bulletin Vol. YI, Article II), 

 which are certain to have an effect in promoting the fish industry of 

 that and other states. In Wisconsin and Minnesota several volumes 

 on s])ecial problems have recently been issued. 



The foregoing method of survey by the study of special problems can, 

 however, never give us a unified and comprehensive result. A well co- 

 ordinated survey will carry the geological and natural history work along 

 together, and the basic principle will be the exploration of the whole 

 area of the State, county by county, or district by district, so as to 

 learn the natural resources, both geological and biological, throughout 

 the whole extent of the Commonwealth. Every county, besides the re- 

 sources commonly first 1 bought of, possesses other resources worthy of the 

 highest consideration. The reports of the future geological and natural 

 history surveys Avill treat not only of the i-esources of ever}' county in 

 minerals, fuel, agricultural lands, forests, fish and game, but also of the 

 resources in scientific features to furnish a means of instruction to the 

 youth in the schools. The part of the survey which is to be on the 

 side of natural history, in order to work out the economic and edu- 

 cation resources of each district nuist be conducted as an ecological sur- 

 vey. It is to the consideration of such an ecological survey, that I wish 

 to draw your attention. 



In making an ecological survey, the surveyor selects a certain district 

 to explore, it may be a county, or a larger or smaller area. This district 

 he examines minutely to determine the plants and animals and their 

 relations to their environment. He must determine the physical char- 

 acters of the soils, and study the relation of cultivated and uncultivated 

 plants to soil, drainage, light, temperature, etc.. and group his plants 

 and animals into societies. If he can have as a basis for his survey a 

 typographic map. and maps showing distribution of soils upon which to 

 construct his maj) showing distribution of societies, he can start with 

 an excellent backgrouhd. 



This method whicli is almost new in the world is illustrated by a few 

 pioneer eft'orts in the surveys of the vegetation and animal life of certain 

 areas. For several years Professor Flahault of the University of !Mont- 

 pellier in France has been using the forest trees as centres about which 

 to group the other plants into societies. He has found that when his 

 plants are grouped the soils are classified also. Professor MacMillen in 

 his "Plant Life of ^linnesota" has made a survey of the kind advocated 

 here. The introductory chapters of this book treat of the rock formations, 

 of the. glacial geology, of the soil, the drainage, and the climate. The 

 introduction is followed by a description and general location of the vari- 

 ous plant societies, and an enumeration of the members of each society. 

 This book has been placed in every school of the State, in city and 

 countrv. and no doubt furnishes the basis of much nature studv. The 



