346 George E. Nichols, 



berry barrens of this sort are found in the Margaree district, 

 where they may occupy hundreds of acres. The predominant 

 plants in such tracts are the blueberries, Vaccinium pennsyl- 

 vanicum and V. canadense, with which, though far less abundant, 

 are associated other ericaceous shrubs, such as Kalmia angusti- 

 folia, Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea, Gaultheria procumhens, and 

 Ledum groenlandicum. Various herbaceous plants occupy a 

 prominent position, notably Pteris aquilina, Danthonia spicata 

 and Aster multiflorus, while Cladonia rangiferina and the 

 mosses, Polytrichum commune, P. juniperinum, and Hypnum 

 Schreheri, are common. The ecological aspect is that of a heath, 

 though there are scattered trees, mainly tamarack and white 

 spruce. The balsam fir is virtually absent. 



Left to itself, such an area becomes forested within a few 

 years. The process of reclamation is graphically illustrated by 

 one area examined, which adjoins a large heath, but is separated 

 from it by a highway that has acted as a "fire line." This area 

 is now occupied by an open forest of tamarack and white spruce. 

 The balsam fir is absent from among the larger trees, but is 

 abundantly represented in the young growth. The heaths are 

 present in greatly reduced abundance, as compared with the 

 barren area across the road, and the moss carpet has become 

 correspondingly more luxuriant. 



C. ASSOCIATION-COMPLEXES DUE TO LOGGING 



The indiscriminate removal of the merchantable timber in a 

 climax forest by logging usually has little effect on the future 

 composition of the forest, provided the area escapes being burned 

 over. Some trees, notably the paper birch and balsam fir, tend 

 to become somewhat more abundant here, and frequently pioneer 

 species such as the aspens are able to establish themselves 

 temporarily in cut-over tracts. But, on the whole, the forest 

 may be said to regenerate itself through the younger generation 

 of trees which was present in the original forest. Where a forest 

 is lumbered discriminately, as is frequently done for fir and 

 spruce alone, it is of course obvious that the detailed physiognomy 

 of the forest may be quite appreciably altered. Where the 

 removal of the timber is followed by burning, most of the 

 younger trees are destroyed and complete regeneration is 



