24 INDIAN FOREST MEMOIRS. 



plants. In the case of woodland we must obviously consider the wood produced by all the 

 species which enter into the constitution of each type and by all the plants existing in 

 both overwood and underwood at the age of maturity. From this point of view it will be 

 seen that, other things being equal in each case, the most hygrophilous type of vegetation will 

 be composed of individuals attaining the greatest dimensions, while vice versa the most 

 xerophilous type will contain the individuals which show the smallest dimensions; that the 

 most hygrophilous type will include the most densely stocked and the xerophilous type the 

 most open and poorly stocked communities; that the most hygrophilous type will include 

 the plants with the longest period of vegetative activity and the most xerophilous type the 

 plants with the shortest period of vegetative activity; and that the most hygrophilous type 

 will include the individuals with the most marked hygrophilous adaptations and the most 

 xerophilous type the individuals with the most marked xerophilous characteristics. 1 



At present, owing to the absence of statistics regarding the weight of organic material 

 produced per unit of area by the different types of vegetation, it is obviously impossible to 

 do more than' indicate an approximate classification of communities as hygrophilous, 

 mesophilous and xerophilous, paying particular attention to such characters as the 

 dimensions attained by the constituent plants, duration of the period of vegetative 

 activity, and the density of stocking. Such a classification therefore can only be accepted 

 as tentative and provisional and will be liable to correction as statistics are gradually 

 accumulated, 

 classification 24. Bamboos constitute a peculiar tvpe of 



of Woodland, r J r 



Bamboos, vegetation more or less intermediate between grassland and woodland but which is most 



Palms. 



conveniently dealt with as woodland and of which it is believed that xerophilous, mesophi- 

 lous and hygrophilous types exist. 



Woodland composed of Palms will also perhaps have to be dealt with as a separate^ 

 type of woodland. 



conifers. Warming places all coniferous woodland into a separate class which he considers 



xerophilous stating that " the soil upon which coniferous forest occurs varies widely, yet, 

 so far as reliable information is available, it is always 'physically or -physiologically dry." 2 

 Schimper however rightly points out that " it is by no means admissible to include them 

 (i.e. coniferous trees) among xerophytes, as Warming has done. The term xerophyte may 

 to a certain extent apply to several species of Pinus and of Juniperus of dry, sandy, and 

 stony soils; * * but it does not apply to most species of Abies and Picea, our silver-fir 

 and spruce Tor instance, which require as much moisture as broad-leaved trees." 3 



Coniferous woodland should be dealt with as a separate type, of which xerophilous, 

 mesophilous and hygrophilous forms probably exist. 



1 In connection with, what has been said above it is interesting to note that, so far as dimensions of plants are concerned, the highest 

 development is attained by evergreen and not by deciduous trees, e.g. the giant trees of the world belonging to the genera Sequoia and 



Tr^irriliirii.ils 



I 24 ] 



Eucalyptus 



2 I.e., p. 310. 

 8 ?.c.,p. 564 



