GG RURAL MICHIGAN 



■these groups." A group of plant species associated 

 together in a region under given conditions of cli- 

 mate, topograph}^ and soil, Livingston designates a 

 "plant society,"' and he proceeds to describe such 

 plant societies in Kent County. The soil is mainly 

 sandy. The topography is morainic, with outwash 

 aprons and glacial drainage valleys in the intervals 

 between the moraines. On tlie uplands, Livingston 

 discriminates five plant societies: (1) the beech- 

 maple society, comprising beech, sugar maple, en- 

 chanter's nightshade, wild licorice, woodnettle, cat- 

 nip, pokeweed, richweed, nightshade, and red-berried 

 elder; (2) the maple-elm agrimony society^ compris- 

 ing sugar maple, American and rock elms, agrimony, 

 spikenard, honewort, spice-bush, moonseed, black 

 snake-root, and wild black cherry; (3) the oak- 

 hickory society comprising white and red oak, shag- 

 bark and pignut hickory, false Solomon's seal, north- 

 ern bedstraw. Aster Icvvis, and paneled cornel; (4) 

 the oak-hazel society comprising the white and red 

 oak, Asier la'vis, A. macrophiilJus, New Jersey tea, 

 hazel, spurge, HeJiantlius occidentalis, Soiidago 

 ccesia, and hoary pea; (5) the oak-pine-sassafras 

 society, comprising the white and red oak, white 

 pine, sassafras, plantain-leaved everlasting, worm- 

 wood, sand burr spurge (narrow-leaved form), 

 huckleberry, lupine, sweet fern, bracken, and Solidago 

 nemoralis. Societies 3, 4 and 5 were found on steep 

 slopes where erosion is at present rapid, as along the 

 margins of the stream valleys and along old glacial 



