Rcolof-v. 

 Introductory Lecture, J-i).ly 5, 1900. 



Plant ecology is really tlie science of plant house-keeping or 

 the study of the relations of plants or plant organs to their 

 environments. Parts of plants, individual plants, and groups of 

 plants have distinct relations to their environment. 



Morphology of plants tries to answer the quest ion"v.'hat''" 



Physiology , the question "how?" 



"B CO logy , the question "why?" 



Ecology presu'pposes elasticity in the plant organism. Plants 

 and their organs are adapted to, or working towards, adaptation to 

 their environment. All things in nature have a meaning. v,'e have 

 a right to the question why. Plants may become less adapted to 

 environment if the latter is changing. Rudimentary organs are 

 less common in plants than in aniflials. : ,«Siiir 



Variations may be looked for along tliree lines, 

 l.In different species. Finding intermediate lirJks. 



2. In separate individ^^als of the same species. 



3. In the same individxial. 



The theory of multiple hypothesis calls for every possible 

 explanation that will account for the phenomenon and then finding as 

 nie.IT' phenomena as possible which will not accord with the theory. 

 The remaining theories will form a irorking hypothesis. 



