Oct. i, 1917 Reproduction from Seed Stored in the Forest Floor 
9 
show a fairly uniform but scant distribution of reproduction of this 
species over the entire bum, repeating with remarkable fidelity the 
distribution of the species in the forest before the fire. 
A striking fact is brought out by a study of the proportions of the age 
classes. There was a total absence in the burn of seedlings under 5 
years old (Tables II and III). The older classes, however, although 
sparse in numbers, were uniformly distributed over the township without 
any relation to the location of possible seed trees. These facts show 
clearly enough that germination and establishment of white pine in the 
open bum ceased alto¬ 
gether after the year 1908. 
This cessation of the 
appearance of white-pine 
reproduction was not ab¬ 
rupt but gradual, and is 
shown graphically in figure 
3 by a simple curve based 
upon the averages of the 
age-class percentages for 
white pine in both section 
and township. 
The stop in the appear¬ 
ance of white-pine seed¬ 
lings occurred in spite of 
the fact that the possible 
white-pine seed trees in 
the township continued to 
produce seed during the 
four years from 1909 to 
/Ige 0/ 'Seedlings 
In years 
Fig. 3.—Curve showing the germination of white-pine seed in the 
Columbia bum n years after the fire. Note that is per cent of 
the seeds germinated the first year after the fire as shown by the 
11-year-old class; the maximum germination of 25 per cent of the 
seed occurred the third year after the fire, shown by the 9-year- 
old class, and germination ceased entirely six years after the fire. 
1912, and were carrying 
a crop of cones at the time 
they were examined in 
August, 1913. Moreover, 
the conditions for germi¬ 
nation and establishment on white-pine sites over the entire area were still 
favorable in 1913, and had no doubt been equally favorable during the 
previous four years. If, then, the existing white-pine reproduction in the 
bum is attributed to seed transported from surrounding seed trees, why, 
in the light of the foregoing facts, was there no continued migration 
and establishment during 1909 to 1913? 
In this connection it should be remembered that there were very few 
living white-pine trees within the township, and that these potential 
seed trees were always situated within stands of mature timber so that 
the chance for seed distribution by wind was extremely small. More- 
