34 



to the prairie more rapidly than did the settlers in the South. There 

 thus developed two active centers of influence, each of which trans- 

 formed the primeval conditions in the same manner and in the same 

 direction toward an environment suitable for man. 



The forests and the upland prairie were first changed. Then the 

 fertile wet prairie was drained, so that today it has largely become 

 either the hilly and rocky areas that survive as forests or the low 

 periodically flooded tracts, and the undesirable sand areas which simi- 

 larly preserve patches of sand prairie. All the changes are more 

 rapid and complete upon fertile soil than upon the poorer soils in the 

 southern part of the state. 



Such considerations as these will aid one in estimating the probable 

 rate of future changes in different parts of the state, and will serve to 

 show in what parts there is urgent need of local studies if ecological 

 records are to be made before extinction of some forms is complete. 



A study has been made with the idea of reporting upon represen- 

 tative patches of prairie and forest in a manner which would aid others 

 in making similar local studies, and would at the same time preserve 

 some records of the present condition of the prairie and forest. When 

 this work was planned, we had no general or comprehensive discussion 

 of the conditions of life upon the prairie and in the forest. For this 

 reason a general summary of these conditions and a sketch of the gen- 

 eral principles involved are given, so that the reader may gain some 

 conception of the relation of the local problems to those of a broader 

 and more general character. 



A section for this report was prepared giving general directions 

 for making such local studies, but later it was decided to publish this 

 separately, in somewhat extended form, as- a "Guide to the Study of 

 Animal Ecology."* This volume should be regarded as intimately re- 

 lated to this paper, and this report should at the same time be consid- 

 ered as a concrete example of the procedure suggested in that "Guide" 

 for ecological surveys. It will be observed that the study of the 

 Charleston area here referred to has been conducted in much the same 

 way as was my cooperative study of Isle Royale, Lake Superior, en- 

 titled "An Ecological Survey of Isle Royale, Lake Superior" ('09), 

 although certain aspects have been elaborated here which, for lack of 

 time, were not treated there. The time devoted to the study of the 

 Charleston area was also limited, but in the preparation of the report 

 upon it use has been made of many years' experience and a general 

 knowledge of the prairie and forest. Without such a background 



*The Macmillan Co. 1913. 



