1922] HARVEY—PINE FORMATION 43 
individuals whose circumferences (75-85 inches) indicate an age 
range of 240-275 years. The graph shows three fairly well marked 
modal points which are thought to represent periods of more 
abundant seeding or ecesis. With actual age data these periods 
could be accurately indicated as to years. 
The white pine shows essentially the same range in age, 
30-190 years, with two modal points less clearly established. 
Taking both stands into consideration, there are a few isolated 
ancient trees of white pine not included in the transect, whose 
circumferences measure 100, 115, 134, and 146 inches, and whose 
ages range from 350 to 450 years. 
The total absence of seedling and sapling pines in this transect 
is probably due to the influence of shade and fires, for in certain 
open stations protected from fires for a period of years germina- 
tion of both species appears to be common and reforestation is in 
process. 
Consideration has already been given to the white oak, red 
oak, and red maple in a previous section. 
On the basis of the preceding data one may venture to recon- 
struct somewhat the history of the formation. The original stand 
of the Big Pines would appear to extend back some 400 or 450 or 
more years, and doubtless the formation had then been self- 
perpetuating for centuries. The break in age between these 
persisting patriarchs and the present stand, whose mass falls under 
200 years of age, is very striking, although it is bridged somewhat 
by a broken series of isolated trees. What is the explanation of 
this break in history? The date of the original logging of this 
region would not appear to account for this hiatus. It would 
rather seem that there had been an almost entire destruction of 
this formation some 200 years ago, possibly through fire of lightning 
origin, which then became reestablished through a few isolated 
individuals of various ages escaping the devastation. The well 
distributed range of ages down to 30 years would apparently 
indicate that the formation has been and is under natural condi- 
tions permanently self-perpetuating. It represents an ecological 
climax (eschatophytic) formation. 
WEsTERN State Normat CoLLEecE 
Mica. 
00, 
