RECENT PUBLICATIONS ON SWISS FORESTS. 205 



tinental climate favours a higher tree-hne on the mountains. 

 This is borne out in Scotland in that the tree-line on the Cairngorms 

 and Deeside Highlands is higher than in the more oceanic 

 Inverness and Argyll Highlands. An oceanic climate is, 

 however, more favourable to a greater number of species of 

 trees, and the visitor from the Continent is always struck by 

 the flourishing condition of many foreign conifers [Araucaria, 

 Sequoia, etc.) and such shrubs as rhododendron in Scotland 

 {e.g. Dunkeld) and especially in the west of Ireland and 

 Cornwall. On the other hand, the continental climate brings 

 about a more rigid selection so that only a few species survive, 

 but they are more robust and grow better than the same species 

 in an oceanic climate. 



Dr Ruebel's ^ paper contains a short sketch of the zones of 

 vegetation in the Bernina district on which he has recently 

 published a large memoir. The subalpine zone includes the 

 forest belt, and it only is referred to here. Three types of forest 

 are distinguished in this district. Larch in pure forest is some- 

 what rare, but it flourishes on ground along streams or on rock 

 screes, always on newly made land where the larch finds the 

 necessary light away from competition of other trees ; the 

 usual undergrowth is rough grass. The Cembran pine forest 

 (Arvenwald) occurs on older soils and forms a denser forest with 

 more humus ; in deep shade there is no ground vegetation, but 

 in opener parts juniper and bearberry {Arctostaphylos) occur. 

 The Cembran pine invades the larch forest when the older 

 larches become too dense and prevent regeneration by seedling 

 larch ; this shade does not, however, exclude the more shade- 

 bearing Cembran pine. The pine forest (Fohrenwald) consists 

 of the Engadine pine, a variety with a more pyramidal habit 

 than the common Scots pine, and so better adapted to endure 

 snow. The author regards the Engadine pine {Fitius silvestris 

 var. engaditiensis) as nearly allied to the native grey Scots pine 

 of the Scottish Highlands. In the Swiss woods the cowberry 

 ( Vaccmium vilisidceus) is one of the most abundant ground 

 plants, just as it is in Rothiemurchus and the Speyside pine 

 forests. 



1 E. Ruebel in Engler's Botan. /ahrbi'uher, 49, pp. 10-18, 1913. 



