be grown in some of the lower mountain regions of the 

 south, and with them are found many of the plants of 

 Southern Europe and the Mediterranean region which are 

 never seen in places of the same altitude on the northern slopes. 

 It is exceedingly probable that most of the lower parts of the 

 Alps were originally covered to a large extent by forest 

 trees. The oak, ash, and beech still flourish in many parts, 

 although much of the original forest has been removed long 

 ago, and used for building purposes or as fuel, and large 

 areas have been thus cleared for meadow and pasture land. 

 In many districts the spruce and the pine appear to be 

 usurping the place of the other forest trees mainly because 

 the young plants are less eagerly devoured by browsing 

 animals, especially the goats. Below 4000 feet on the 

 northern slopes and 5000 feet or a little over on the south 

 side of the Alps may be described as the REGION OF 

 FOREST TREES, and above this level the ordinary deciduous 

 trees become dwarfed and scarce. That this altitude 

 corresponds fairly well with a transition to a colder climate 

 is seen by the change in the character of the herbaceous 

 plants also. For the next 2000 feet we have the SUBALPINE 

 REGION covered mainly by Coniferous trees. Here are vast 

 forests, particularly of Spruce (Picea exce/sa) and Silver Fir 

 (Abies pectinata). The former is the familiar " Christmas 

 tree," which grows to a great height on the mountain sides, 

 its lower branches festooned with grey lichens. Besides 

 these trees the Larch (Larix Europoea) on primary rock, and 

 b xi 



