Aji Ecological Study of Buckeye Lake. 65 



the invasion and successful ecesis of its most mature area, where 

 the surface is driest and trees largest in the extreme eastern 

 portion, by oaks, Ouercus palustris and Q. imbricaria. In 

 another portion of the forest zone two beech seedlings were found 

 in the summer of 1910 but they have not survived. 



There are also well marked invasions of one zone by another. 

 The most advanced is that of the shrub-forest association into 

 that of the bog-meadow. A survey shows that the meadow is 

 dotted with numerous single maples, alders and Rhus ; with small 

 groups of a single species or two or three associated. Shrub 

 copses and extensive tongues of the tree-shrub-border have 

 invaded the meadow. 



In the spring of 1910 there was an unusually heavy crop of 

 maple seeds on the bog as elsewhere. These were disseminated 

 everywhere. A very large number which fell in the meadow, 

 sprouted and grew; so that during the summer of 1910 there 

 were thousands of maple seedlings. The seedlings were counted 

 in an area of 176.7 square feet in two distinct places ; which 

 showed a fair average. The one was to the north of a lobe of 

 the thicket which encircled the area on the west, south, and east, 

 leaving a northern exposure. The seedlings were thus shaded 

 from the direct rays of the sun. In this area were 55 thrifty 

 seedlings. The second area was out in the open, exposed all 

 day to the sun and had been trampled over by cranberry pickers. 

 There were no shrubs except two nearly dead Rhus. In this 

 space were 1 10 seedlings. These seedlings have a poorer chance 

 of survival than those in the more sheltered situation. Each 

 year there are also many Rhus seedlings in the open bog. That 

 these pioneers are not wholly successful is evidenced by the half- 

 dead condition of the majority of the maples and shrubs; how- 

 ever, if but 1-2 per cent, of the seedlings reach maturity the bog- 

 meadow will soon b'e a forest. 



Besides the maples and shrubs there are numerous areas 

 varying in size occupied by Typha (Pig 24), Peltandra, Sagit- 

 taria and Decodon stragglers from the marsh zone. These are 

 laggards of the inhabitants of former larger marsh or pond areas. 



