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FRANCIS RAMALEY 
count the various association types in which Carices are important, together 
with the associations which belong to them, are briefly indicated. The cate- 
gories, association, association type, society, climatic climax association, etc., 
are employed as defined by Nichols (3). 
List of Plant Communities in which the Role of Carex is 
Considered 
1. Half-submersed Carex Association Type (Inceptive Sedge Moor). 
(a) Half-submersed Carex Association of moderate altitudes. 
{h) Subalpine Half-submersed Carex Association. 
2, Sedge Moor Association Type. 
(a) Plains-Foothill Sedge Moor Association. 
{h) Montane-Subalpine Sedge Moor Association. 
{c) Alpine Sedge Moor Association. 
{d) Snow Patch Sedge Association. 
3-. Meadow Association Type. 
(a) Plains-Foothill Streambank Meadow Association. 
{h) Prairie Grass Association (of mesas and foothills). 
{c) Montane Meadow Association. 
{d) Subalpine Meadow Association. 
{e) Alpine Meadow Association, 
4. Xerophytic Carex Grassland Association Type. 
{a) Carex stenophylla Grassland Association. 
{h) Carex rossii Grassland Association. 
{c) Carex siccata Grassland Association. 
{d) Carex elynoides Grassland Association. 
Half -submersed Carex Association Type (Inceptive Sedge Moor). 
A number of species of Carex occur commonly in water at the margins 
of ponds or lakes or meandering streams. In such situations they are 
pioneer soil formers, as they lessen wind and wave action and favor the ac- 
cumulation of humus. These same species often occur in sedge moor and 
will therefore be listed also in the account of that association type. 
(a) The Half -submersed Carex Association of moderate altitudes. — Here the 
species are chiefly Carex rostrata, C. lanuginosa, C. vesicaria, C. canescens. 
In addition to these, almost any of the sedge-moor Carices may be found 
locally in standing water. In montane lakes C. rostrata is the commonest 
species. 
{h) The Subalpine Half-submersed Carex Association consists chiefly of 
C aquatilis. Except in lakes that are already considerably insilted, it does 
not form a complete circum-area but occurs near the inlet or outlet. 
There is no half-submersed zone in alpine lakes. This is due partly to 
the fact that they are geologically young, the lake bottom being made of 
