38 Nature protected 
objects of great value and interest are 
already localised in topographical and 
geological maps issued by all civilised 
States. As regards the botanical world, 
the maps may be constructed in two 
ways — on the one hand as vegetation 
maps, and on the other as species 
charts. The leading idea of the first 
kind of map is that plant associations 
or vegetation units should be studied 
and charted. Such maps lead to a 
complete knowledge of plant life in its 
natural environment. They are not 
primarily concerned with the precise 
limits of individual species, but show 
the distribution of selected plants asso- 
ciated in nature. One of the first and 
most complete vegetation maps is that 
of a portion of France, by Professor 
Flahault\ and it is based essentially 
1 Flahault, Charles. Essai d'une Carte Botani- 
que et Forestiere de la France. Ann, de Geog.^ 
No. 28, 1897, pp. 289-312 (with map). 
