TERMINALIA 523 



covered during the early showers, (5) absence of dense sodden grass and weed- 

 growth. The influence of frost, fire, and grazing will be alluded to below. 



Confirmation of the results of these preliminary experiments may fre- 

 quently be met with by observations in the forest. The effect of light in 

 particular is constantly noticeable. Vigorous young seedlings appear in 

 quantity along roads, paths and fire-lines, and on open spaces. Dense masses 

 of saplings establish themselves in gaps with complete overhead light, and 

 the stronger ones eventually suppress the weaker. 



An instance of the result of admitting light and clearing the gromid is 

 recorded in the Burma Forest Report for 1914-15, where it is stated that 

 good natural reproduction resulted from the burning of an area in Toungoo 

 in which' the bamboo had flowered ; this area had previously been fire- 

 protected for many years. 



A good instance of the value of loose soil was observed a few years ago 

 in the Gonda district of the United Provinces, where vigorous seedlings 

 appeared in large numbers in the loose earth washed down along the base 

 of the ridge of earth thrown up alongside a new bomidary trench. The 

 abundance of the seedhngs was due to the fruits ha^ang been washed against 

 the base of the ridge and partially covered with soil, and indicates that surface 

 water in the rains is an important distributing agency ; the vigour of the 

 seedlings was apparently due to the loose earth in which they grew. Similarly 

 in loose bare earth along the sides of cart tracks in the" forest seedlings are 

 often found in great abundance. 



The establishment of the pure type of Terminalia tomentosa forest on 

 alluvial land in parts of the sub-Himalayan tract, which has already been 

 alluded to, furnishes a good instance of a combination of factors which favour 

 the reproduction of this species to such an extent that it becomes dominant, 

 forming pure or almost pure forest. The chief factors in question are full 

 overhead light, loose soil, sufficient soil moisture, and absence of dense weed- 

 growth, though the gromid may be covered with an open growth of moderately 

 tall grass. The gradual evolution of this type of forest, which is illustrated 

 in Figs. 197-200, is as follows : 



The fruits are partly wind-borne and partly water-borne, and the seed 

 germinates on alluvial deposits in the beds and along the banks of streams 

 in a soil consisting of sand, or of fine sand with an admixtm-e of clay forming 

 a rich alluvial loam. Frequently Acacia Catechu and Dalbergia Sissoo are 

 found coming up along with the Terminalia, the latter being mixed with the 

 others either by single trees or, as is more common, by groups. In such 

 a mixture the Acacia and Dalbergia eventually become outgrow^n and sup- 

 pressed by the Terminalia, and the latter forms a pure crop or, if there are 

 gaps in the crop, other species may come in ; of these the commonest is 

 Anogeissus latifolia, while sal also tends to appear where the locality is suitable 

 and the cover is not too dense. 



The development of this forest is interesting as showing that Terminalia 

 tomentosa, like Acacia Catechu and Dalbergia Sissoo, is capable of establishing 

 itself on new alluvial ground on which sal is unable to establish itself owing 

 to the fact that the soil moisture in the dry season of the year is insufiicient 

 to support it ; in other words, Terminalia tomentosa is capable of estabhshing 



