Major Plant Communities 
19 
Living on the edge of the Coastal Plain, the writer has had much 
oppoi trinity to study the reactions and successional relations of the 
pines, and it now seems very clear to him that either a iton-ebological 
definition tor formation must be given, or if a truly ecological statement 
is made, the southeastern pine communities must be included in the 
mesophytic forest. This latter be it noted, is a water relation while the 
Coastal pine climax stands out for a soil sterility reason. There is thus 
no logical argument against placing the pine communities developmental 
and. climactic under the great upland formation of woody mesophytes. 
Successional Delations. Only the interformational relations will 
be briefly touched upon here. 
\ a lions associations of this formation commonly succeed the divisions 
of the Syntherisma-Erigeron-Andropogon Formation. The Quercus 
Maiylandica-Q. stellata association is the first to enter the Quercus cates- 
biae-Ai istida stricta Formation. A Quercus or Pinus association may 
follow the Xyssa-Taxodium formation upon filling in or draining, 
dhe Ilex-Myrica formation, it is believed, may slowly go over to the 
I inus community, but sufficient data has not yet been gathered to indi¬ 
cate satisfactorily the major successional phenomena in relation to the 
bayland vegetation. 
j- lie slu ub successions following the shallow water herbs is of course 
well known. 
The maritime Quercus virginiana-J uniperus virginiana association is 
commonly observed to succeed the Uniola-Cakile formation on old dunes. 
On feitile soils throughout the State except in the high mountain 
areas the developmental forest associations tend to go over into the 
Acer-Fagns climax association. 
On the sterile soils of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain the Pinus 
association becomes isolated constituting subclimaxes in the Piedmont, 
while in the highly sterile soils of the Coastal Plain the Pinus asso¬ 
ciation becomes a permanent edaphic climax. 
Abies-Picea Formation (Abies Fraseri-Picea australis). Boreal 
Forest. 
Distribution. Above 5,500 ft. in the western part of the State. 
Habitat. Cold, moist mountain summits. 
Physiognomy. Chiefly evergreen trees with relatively heavy leaves. 
Certain minor deciduous elements which are adapted to the cold 
climate are also to be included. 
