History of Forest Ecology 383 



a certain extent, the future development in a country not so far 

 advanced, like our own. At least we can benefit by the ex- 

 perience of others, avoid mistakes and take short cuts. 



II. THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PLANT ECOLOGY 



In 1866, E. H. Haeckel, the distinguished German naturalist, 

 defined "oecology" as the science treating of the reciprocal rela- 

 tions of organisms and the external world. Until quite recently 

 writers both here and abroad used the term "biology," meaning 

 to cover by it what is now included under ecology ; but it is quite 

 clear now that biology is a general term including both botany 

 and zoology and that ecology is a subdivision under each of 

 these. Plant ecology is that branch of botany which comprises 

 the study of the relations of the individual plant, or the species, 

 or the plant community to the habitat. While the term "plant 

 ecology" has come into use only comparatively recently, I am 

 applying this term throughout the history of the science because 

 what was years ago known by another name is nevertheless today 

 included in the modern conception of plant ecology. The same 

 explanation will also hold for my use of the term "forest ecology." 



Plant ecology, at the present time at least, is a science with 

 only general delimitations. It overlaps many sciences and its 

 study presupposes a foundation in the basic principles of physics, 

 chemistry, physiography, geology, meteorology, and the mor- 

 phology, jihysiology, and taxonomy of plants. It is largely due to 

 this complexity that the science of plant ecology is today so im- 

 perfectly organized and systematized. However, a start in this 

 direction has been made. Generally, two aspects of the science 

 are recognized, the one has to do with the individual plant and 

 the other with groups of plants or plant formations. Recently 

 the terms autecology and synecology have been suggested by 

 Schroeter* for these fields respectively. Autecology may be 

 further subdivided into morphological and physiological ecology; 

 synecology is sometimes spoken of as physiographic ecology. 



The science of plant geography has always been closely allied 

 with plant ecology. For this reason it is desirable to speak briefly 

 of this relationship. Plant geography had its beginnings among 



<Flahault and Schroeter — Phytogeographical Nomenclature: Reports and 

 propositions. (Zurich, 19 10.) 



