The Porcupine Mountains consist roughly of three 
ranges of hills, paralleling the coast (fig. 1), that nearest 
the shore b&ing the most rugged. Back of these lies a table¬ 
land stretching south to the Gogebic Range. 
It was not found possible to examine all of this 
territory; nor does it seem essential to an understanding of 
the vegetational development of the region. Practically all 
the detail studies were made in connection with the first 
range, and the valley of Carp River behind it. It must be 
admitted that this near-shore region received most attention 
because of its greater accessibility, yet aside from this it 
seemed of major importance for the following reasons: (1) on 
account of the pioneer conditions found on the first range, 
where the summit still remains unclaimed by vegetational 
development, (2) on account of the proximity of Lake Superior, 
permitting the observation of various stages of succession 
along the shore, (3) the proximity of a comparatively high 
altitude (for the region) to the wind-swept surface of Lake 
Superior, giving a definiteness to the larger problems of 
vegetation, (4) a forest covering which gives it unusual 
value for a study of the relation between two climax formations, 
(5) opportunity for observing praotically primeval forest 
conditions. 
Field work was carried out in the sunnier of 1922. 
Headquarters were first established at a point on Union 
