﻿Ecological Study of Hemiptera of Cranberry Lake Region 11 



11. Climax Forest Type* (Fig. 10) : This station was located 

 on state land in a tract of virgin forest near the Oswegatchie River 

 opposite from the New York State Ranger School. The trees con- 

 sist of hardwoods dominated by conifers, especially white pine. 

 Several specimens of the latter, about 125 feet tall and a D. B. H. 

 of 42 to 49 inches, represent some of the most magnificent trees 

 in the Adirondacks. 



12. The Plains (Fig. 11) : These areas are a series of open- 

 ings near the Upper Oswegatchie River and are very typical of 

 the so-called treeless plains of the Adirondacks. Bray quite fully 



Fig. 0. — Big, Floating- Island, taken from a distance by Fivaz. 

 See description of Station Number 7. 



discusses these treeless areas in "The Development of Vegetation 

 of New York State " (1. c, pp. 144-147) and states, " Borings 

 show from two to three feet of compact, fine sand evidently offer- 

 ing poor areation. Below, the deposit is darker, coarser and full 

 of coarser grit. The water table is normally several feet below 

 the surface, but the area has much the aspect of a wet lowlands, 

 and during rainy seasons is in effect like an area of soaked soils. 

 But, as in other sand areas, it is subject to extreme drouth." 



As Bray has pointed out the plants of the "plains," as repre- 

 sented by complex associations of swamp, bog and typical members 

 of barren vegetation, reflect the peculiar bioclimatic conditions of 

 the region. These open heath barrens, margined by tamaracks 

 which are slowly encroaching the open terrene, are gradually being 

 broken up. They are also occasionally dotted with black spruce. 

 The shrubs consist largely of mountain fly honeysuckle (Lonicera 

 caerulea L.) blueberries {Vaccinium canadense Kalm., and V. 

 pennsylvanicum, var. angusti folium and Y. vacillans Kalm.), 



Typical Adirondack forest, see footnote, p. 9. 



