IOI 
Suggestions for Beginning Survey Work. 
structure, as well as their special physiology, also of course, have 
an intimate relation to their place in vegetation. 
Some of the results to be expected from such records as those 
suggested have already been indicated. One more line of research 
may be pointed out :—the succession of associations on a given area. 
The farm-land of to-day is a formation substituted by man in place 
of primeval forest, or other natural formations ; the grazing of 
man’s herds confined within a limited area also brings about 
changes. This displacement of one vegetation by another can be 
seen on a stretch of moorland where man’s influence is extremely 
slight ( vide F. J. Lewis in Westmoreland). Changes in climate or 
more local changes in drainage are followed by such a succession 
as Moor tarn, Sphagnum- bog, Heather-moor. The succession on 
sandy coasts is frequently :—loose dune ridge and dune hollow, semi¬ 
fixed dune, fixed dune, grass heath or even heather-moor (vide 
W. G. Smith in Forfar and Fife). The Fen country shows equally 
good successions, and this might be said of many parts of Britain. 
Nothing has been said of Cryptogams, and so far as knowledge 
of them goes there is very little to say. Yet Lichens, Algae and 
Mosses play an important part in preparing the substratum for 
higher plants, hence their ecological study should be productive. 
Fungi as saprophytes and parasites are already recognised as being 
confined to many definite substrata of living or dead organic matter. 
Marine Algae have well-marked zones of coast distribution. 
The following is an outline of work that may be done on Pond- 
Algae. Any area chosen for survey-work is likely to contain one 
or more pieces of water, and the study of the vegetation of these 
latter is necessary to give a complete record of the area studied. 
The plant-growth in such water generally consists of a limited 
number of Phanerogams and of a great mass of fresh-water Algae ; 
little or nothing is known about the ecology of these latter. The 
main points to be noted in the survey of aquatic vegetation may 
be classified under approximately the same headings as were 
employed above for the land-vegetation. 1 
A. General Description of the Vegetation:—Note at least 
each month the dominant and sub-dominant Phanerogamic 
aquatics and the general character of the Algae (ponds with and 
without Cladophora or Rhizoclonium ; presence or absence of 
Vaucheria; Diatom-Associatons; Conjugate-Associations, etc.) 
Note the relative abundance of Phanerogams and Algae each 
month and whether the latter are attached or free-floating, or both. 
B. Determination of Prevailing Conditions:—The following 
are the main points to notice, although other features will probably 
occur in the course of actual survey: minimum, mean, and maxi¬ 
mum temperature of water (frequent readings!); average con¬ 
ditions of illumination (shading due to surrounding vegetation; 
shading of Algae by Phanerogamic aquatics ; muddiness of water ; 
average number of hours of daily sunlight); conditions of aeration 
(whether stagnant or with in- and outflow ; whether exposed to 
prevailing winds; rainfall); changes of water-level (note frequency 
and extent) ; chemical composition of water (percentage of organic 
substance present; dissolved lime and other salts); nature of 
A preliminary paper dealing with the general character of the 
algal vegetation of ponds and with the general problems of 
this kind of work will be published shortly. 
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