326 Proceedings Portland Society Natural History 



paratively infrequent and occur only where the combined 

 physiographic and biotic factors are favorable. 



Evidences of the nature of the original climax forest 

 which formerly existed in this region are very meagre, since 

 the entire country has been cut over repeatedly and no 

 traces of virgin timber remain. There can be no doubt, 

 however, but that deciduous forests of the climax type were 

 once widespread over a great part of the Penobscot Bay 

 area. All the information to be gained from local histories 

 and the statements of the older inhabitants indicate clearly 

 that the first settlers found huge forests of beech, maple, 

 hemlock, spruce, pine and oak, which were early sought 

 after by the lumbermen and destroyed, never to be replaced 

 in their original glory- At the present time, however, there 

 do occur several stands of second growth timber, which are 

 reproducing themselves and must be considered as perma- 

 nent. From these examples we are able to derive some idea 

 of what the original conditions must have been like ; and to 

 prophesy as to the make-up of the climax forests of the fu- 

 ture, if such are ever able to develop again. 



The best instance of what we may call the typical climax 

 forest of the region is located on the south side of Lake 

 Alamoosook in the town of Orland. This stand of timber 

 has never been cut over within the memory of the present 

 inhabitants, although much of the hardwood has been culled 

 out at various times. The majority of the trees, together 

 with the shrubby undergrowth and the herbaceous species, 

 still remain undisturbed and conditions in this tract more 

 nearly approximate those in a virgin stand than anywhere 

 else in the region. In this forest, which is pictured in Fig- 

 ure 3, hemlock is the most conspicuous species, both in num- 

 bers, for it comprises 50% of the trees, and in size as well, 

 since the trunks in general measure from three to four feet 

 in diameter. Next in abundance and size come the yellow 

 birch and the red spruce, and with these are associated 

 smaller numbers of the beech, sugar maple, red oak and pa- 



