THE VEGETATION OF WOODLANDS. I I 



but are rather to be considered as mere congeries of indigenous 

 and introduced species?" It is recognised that there is little 

 true virgin forest remaining, and that many existing woods are 

 simply plantations made within the last 200 years on what was 

 treeless moorland, heath, grassland or arable land. But 

 "according to the conclusions of all the members of the 

 British Vegetation Committee who have given any special 

 attention to this subject, the great majority of the British woods 

 come between these two extremes. They are neither virgin 

 forest, nor plantations, but are the lineal descendants, so to 

 speak, of primitive woods." These woods are described as 

 semi-natural. It is also pointed out that the system followed on 

 estates has been first to improve, not to replace, the existing 

 woods. With this conclusion we are in agreement. The 

 argument applies equally well in Scotland, especially to the 

 oak-woods of Strathtay and other northern valleys ; in the 

 Lothians the woods are nearly always plantations, but in the 

 Esk, Tyne, and other valleys there are semi-natural woods. 

 This mixed character of woods is an obstacle of some magnitude 

 to the beginner in botanical survey, but it is a difficulty which 

 disappears with fuller education. It does not always follow that 

 interference by man need influence the ground-vegetation. A 

 somewhat lengthy abstract from the " Woodlands of England" 

 will make this fairly clear. Types of woods can be recognised 

 and arranged in a series leading from virgin forest to artificial 

 plantation, as follows : — 



(i) Primitive woodland which rejuvenates itself naturally, and 

 in which felling has been quite occasional and confined to 

 isolated trees. 



(2) Native woods in which there has been little or no planting, 

 but in which fairly regular felling takes place, the woods 

 rejuvenating themselves naturally from self-sown seed, or in the 

 case of the oak partly from the stools. The ground-vegetation 

 of such woods is primitive, though after extensive felling, light- 

 demanding plants often invade the clearings, but these species 

 tend to disappear as the wood grows up again. 



(3) Woods which are regularly planted up, after felling, with 

 the species of tree originally dominant ; this kind of wood 

 differs little from the second type. 



(4) Woods planted up, after felling, with a mixture of species 

 besides the natural ones. Unless the planted species markedly 



