Plant succession; an analysis of the development of vegetation

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Plant succession; an analysis of the development of vegetation (1916)
by Frederic Edward Clements
4143005Plant succession; an analysis of the development of vegetation1916Frederic Edward Clements

Index Page

Plant Succession An Analysis of the Development of Vegetation

By Frederic E. Clements

Professor of Botany in the University of Minnesota

Published by the Carnegie Institution of Washington

Washington, 1916

Preface iii List of illustrations X

Concept and Causes of Succession

[edit]
The formation an organism 3
Universal occurrence of succession 3
Viewpoints of succession 3
Succession and sere 4
Sere and cosere 4
Processes in succession 4

Causes of Succession

[edit]
Relation of causes 5
Kinds of causes 5
Proximate and remote causes 5

Essential Nature of Succession

[edit]
Developmental aspect 6
Functional aspect 7

General Historical Summary

[edit]

Early Investigations

[edit]
King, 1685 8
Degner, 1729 9
Buffon, 1742 9
Biberg, 1749 10
Anderson, 1794 10
De Luc, 1806 10
Rennie, 1810 12
Dureau, 1825 13
Steenstrup, 1842 14
Reissek, 1856 16
Vaupell, 1857 17
von Post, 1861 17
Gremblich, 1876 18
Müller, 1878-1887 19
Other investigations 19

Recent Investigations

[edit]
Blytt, 1876 21
Hult, 1885-1887 22
Warming, 1891 23
MacMillan, 1894-1896 24
Warming, 1895 25
Graebner, 1895 25
Pound and Clements, 1898-1900 26
Schimper, 1898 26
Cowles, 1899 27
Cowles, 1901 28
Clements, 1902-1904 29
Clements, 1904 29
Friih and Schroter, 1904 30
Clements, 1905-1907 30
Moss, 1907-1910 30
Clements, 1910 31
Cowles, 1911 31
Shantz, 1911 31
Tansley, 1911 31
MacDougal, 1914 32

Initial Causes

[edit]
Significance of bare areas 33
Modifications of development 33
Processes as causes 34
Change of conditions 34
Fundamental nature of water-content 34
Kinds of initial causes 35
Physiography 36

Topographic Causes

[edit]
Topographic processes 36
Kinds of processes 37
Base-leveling 38

Erosion

[edit]
Nature 39
Agents of erosion 39
Rate and degree of erosion 40
Fragmentary and superficial erosion 40
Bare areas due to water erosion 41
Bare areas due to wind erosion 41
Bare areas due to gravity 41
Bare areas due to ice action 41

Deposit

[edit]
Significance 42
Agents of deposit 42
Manner of deposit 43
Rate and depth of deposit 43
Place of deposit 44
Distance of transport 44
Fragmentary and local deposit 45
Sterility of deposits 45
Bare areas due to deposit by moving water 45
Bare areas due to waves and tides 46
Composition and water-content of alluvial deposits 46
Bare areas due to deposit by ground waters 46
Bare areas due to deposit by wind 47
Deposit by ice and snow 47
Bare areas due to deposit by glaciers 47
Bare areas due to deposit by ice and snow 48
Bare areas due to deposit by gravity 48
Bare areas due to volcanic deposits 49
Ponding and draining 49
Kinds of lakes and ponds 50
Life-history of a lake 50
Drainage 51

Elevation and Subsidence

[edit]
Elevation and subsidence 52
New areas due to elevation 52
Subsidence 52
Earthquakes 54
Similarity of topographic processes 54

Edaphic Causes

[edit]
Nature 55

Climatic Causes

[edit]
Róle 55
Bare areas due to climatic factors directly 55
Bare areas due to drouth 56
Bare areas due to wind 56
Bare areas due to snow, hail, and frost 56
Bare areas due to lightning 57
Bare areas due indirectly to climatic factors 57
Sudden changes of climate 57

Biotic Causes

[edit]
General relations 58
Action and effect 58
Bare areas due to destruction of vegetation alone 59
Bare areas with dry or drier soils 59
Bare areas with wet soils or water 60

Primary and Secondary Areas

[edit]
Distinction 60
Sterility of primary and secondary areas 60
Denudation 61
Methods of denudation 61
Depth of removal or deposit 61
Rate and extent of removal 62

Ecesic Causes

[edit]
Nature 63

Aggregation

[edit]
Concept and róle 63
Effects of simple aggregation 63
Relation to denuded areas 64
Interaction of aggregation and migration 64

Migration

[edit]
Concept 64
Mobility 64
Seed-production 65
Influence of the organ used 65
Influence of the migration contrivance 66
Role of migration agents 67
Destructive action of agents 67
Direction of migration 67

Ecesis

[edit]
Nature and róle 68
Germination 69
Fate of seedling 70
Growth 71
Reproduction 71
Ecesis in bare areas 71

Competition

[edit]
Nature 72
Competition and dominance 72
Competition in air and in soil 73
Róle of competition in succession 73

Invasion

[edit]
Nature and róle 75
Kinds of invasion 75
Manner of invasion 76
Barriers 77
Biological barriers 77
Changes in barriers 78

Reactions

[edit]
Concept and nature 79
Róle in succession 80
Previous analyses of reaction 80
Kinds of reactions 81

Soil Formation

[edit]
Manner 81
Reaction by accumulating plant bodies or parts 81
Reaction by accumulating plant concretions 83
Reaction by producing weathering 83
Reaction upon wind-borne material 84
Reaction upon water-borne detritus 85
Reaction upon slipping sand and gravel 86

Soil Structure

[edit]
Reaction by adding humus 86
Reaction by compacting the soil 87
Reaction by preventing weathering or erosion 88

Water-Content

[edit]
Reaction by increasing water-content 88
Reaction by decreasing water-content 89

Nutrients and Solutes

[edit]
Reaction by adding nutrients or foodstuffs 89
Reaction by decreasing nutrients 89
Reaction by producing acids 90
Reaction by producing toxins 90

Soil Organisms

[edit]
Reaction by means of parasites 91
Reaction by means of saprophytes 92

Air Reactions

[edit]
Reaction upon light 92
Reaction upon humidity, temperature, and wind 94
Reaction upon local climate 94
Reaction upon aërial organisms 95
Correlation of reactions 96
Quantitative study of reactions 96

Stabilization and Climax

[edit]
Stabilization 98
Causes of stabilization 98
Relation to the climax 98
Degree of stabilization 99

Life-History Stages

[edit]
Nature
Kinds of stages 100
Role of life forms 100
Reasons why plants disappear 100
Reasons why plants appear at certain stages 100
Reasons why plants appear before their proper time 103
Initial stages 103
Medial stages 105

The Climax

[edit]
Concept 105
Nature 106
Relation to succession 106
Kinds of climaxes 107
Subclimaxes 107
Potential climaxes 108
Changes of climate 109
Preclimax and postclimax 109
Changes of climax 110

Structures and Units of Vegetation

[edit]

Development and Structure

[edit]
Relation 111
Kinds of structure 111
Zonation 111
Relations of climax zones 113
Significance of alternation 115
Developmental relation of layers 115
Relation of seasonal aspects 116

The Units of Vegetation

[edit]

Historical Summary:

[edit]
The formation concept 116
Grisebach's concept of the formation 116
Drude's concept 117
Clements's concept 118
Moss's concept 118
Schröter's concept 119
Gradmann's concept 119
Warming's concept 120
Negri's concept 122
Correlation of divergent views 122
Significance of development 123
Earlier suggestions of developmental view 123

The Formation:

[edit]
Developmental concept of the formation 124
Analysis of the formation 125
Formation units 125
Formation 126
Names of formations 127

Climax Units:

[edit]
Association 128
Consociation 129
Society 130
Bases 131
Kinds of societies 132
Aspect societies 132
Layer societies 133
Cryptogamic societies 133
Terminology 133
Changes of rank or dominance 134
Clan 134

Seral Units:

[edit]
Nature and significance 135
Associes 136
Consocies 137
Socies 138
Colony 138
Family 139
Summary of units 139
Mixed communities 139
Nomenclature of units 140
Formation groups 142
Bases 143
Developmental groups 143

Direction of Development

[edit]
Development always progressive 145
Nature of regression 145
Course of development 146
Regression and retrogression 146
Nilsson's view 146
Cowles's view 147
Cajander's view 149
Sernander's view 149
Moss's view 150
Hole's view 154
Conversion of forest 155
Status of forest in Britain 156
Artificial conversion 157
Graebner's studies: Conversion of forest to heath 157
Conversion of forest into moor 159
Causes of conversion 161
Possibility of backward development 162
Degeneration 163
Regeneration 163
Correlation of progressive developments 164
Convergence 165
Normal movement 166
Divergence 167

Classification of Seres

[edit]
Historical 168
Clements's system 168
Normal and anomalous succession 169
Primary and secondary succession 169
Cowles's system 171
Possible bases of classification 175
Developmental basis of classification 175
Initial areas and causes 176
Relative importance of bases 177
The climax as a basis 177
Recognition of climax areas 177
Climaxes of North American vegetation 179
Subclimaxes 180
Relationship of climaxes 180
Names of climaxes 181
Priseres and subseres 182
Hydroseres and xeroseres 182
Phylogenetic system 183

Climax Formations of North America

[edit]
Classification 184

The Deciduous Forest Climax

[edit]
Prisere 184
Hydrosere 184
Xerosere 203
Subsere 212

The Prairie-Plains Climax

[edit]
Prisere 214
Xerosere 214
Hydrosere 220
Subsere 221

The Cordilleran Climaxes

[edit]
Priseres 225
Subseres 226
Desert Climaxes
Southeastern Climaxes

Succession in Eurasia

[edit]
Scandinavia
Britain
Middle Europe
Russia
Mediterranean region
Tropics and subtropics

Past Climates and Climaxes

[edit]

Interpretation

[edit]
Interpretation of past vegetations 279
Methods of interpretation 280

Vegetation Eras

[edit]
Criteria 283
Evidence from the method of sequence 286
Division into eras 288
Saporta's table of eras and periods 288
Relation of vegetation era and eosere 289
Comparison of geologic and vegetation eras 289

The Plant Record

[edit]
Nature 290
Strates and stases 291
The strate 292
Kinds of strates 293
The stase 293
Water stases 294
Kinds of stases 295
Relations of strate and stase 295
Relation to stratigraphic units 296
Relation to succession 297

Deformation and Gradation

[edit]
Processes 297
Nature of deformation 298
Great periodic movements of deformation 298
Sequences of deformation 299
Permian deformation 300
The circulation sequence 300
The gradation sequence 300
The climatic sequence 301
The deformation cycle 302
The series of deformation cycles 304
Deformation and unconformity 305
Correlation of climates 306
Effects upon vegetation 307
The cycle of erosion 307
Relation to vegetation 309

Past Climates

[edit]
Interpretation 312
Evidence of past climates and changes 313
Geologic evidence 313
Salt and gypsum 314
Red beds 314
Terraces 315
Fluctuations of lake levels 316

Botanic Evidence

[edit]
Plant fossils 317
Successional evidences 317
Evidence from stases 318
Evidence from annual rings 318

Zooic Evidence

[edit]
Animal fossils 319
Culture relicts 319

Causes of Climatic Changes

[edit]
Kinds of causes 320
The deformational hypothesis 321
The volcanic hypothesis 322
The solar hypothesis 325
Kullmer's law of the shift of the storm-track 326
The cyclonic solar hypothesis 327
Relative value of causes 327
Coincidence of causes 328

Climatic Cycles

[edit]
Relation of changes and cycles 329
Kinds of cycles 330
Arotowski's cycle of 2½ years 330
The 11-year sun-spot cycle 332
Sun-spot maxima and minima from 1750 to 1913 333
Table of maximum and minimum years, 1610 to 1913 334
Nature of sun-spots 334
Effects of sun-spots upon climate 334
Douglass's 21-year cycle 336
Brückner's 35-year cycle 336
Major sun-spot cycles 337
Volcanic cycles 338
Deformational cycles 339

The Series of Climax Cycles

[edit]
Correlation of cycles 339
Table of climatic cycles 340
Spatial differentiation of climates 341

Correlation of Climatic Cycles and Succession

[edit]
General relations 342
Responses of vegetation 342
Relation to the different climatic cycles 343

Past Succession: The Ceneosere

[edit]

General Principles

[edit]
Phylogeny and ontogeny 344
Recapitulation 345
Geosere and eosere 346
Clisere 347
Cosere 348
Correlations of seres 349
Processes and principles of past succession 349

The Cenophyiic Era

[edit]
The Flora:
Nature and origin 351
Relation to Mesophytic and Paleophytic floras 351
Inferences from distribution 352
Inferences from phylogeny 353
The Life-forms:
The record 354
Methods of inference 354
Dominants 355
Structure of the vegetation 356
Climates and Habitats:
Relation of habitat to climate 357
Deformational and climatic cycles 359
Periods and epochs 359
The Ceneosere:
The Cretaceous period 360
Life-forms and dominants 361
Cretaceous seres and coseres 363
The Cretaceous-Eocene clisere:
The deformation cycle 364
Vegetation zones 365
Dominants of the Eocene 366
The Oligocene-Miocene clisere
The deformation cycle 365
Coseres and cliseres 366
The Pleistocene cliseres and coseres
The deformation cycle 368
The causes of glaciation 368
Glaclal-interglacial cycles 371
The Pleistocene flora 371
Pliocene climax zones 372
The Jerseyan-Aftonian clisere 372
Seres and coseres 376
Postglacial succession 377
The Peat Clistase 378

Mebeosere and Paleosere

[edit]

The Mesophytic Era

[edit]
The flora 404
Composition of the flora 404
Life-forms and dominants 405
Structure of the vegetation 406
Deformation and climatic cycles 406
Climate of the periods 408

The Meseosere

[edit]
Permian succession 409
Triassic succession 411
Jurassic succession 412
The Cycadean climax 413
Comanchean succession 414

The Paleophytic Era

[edit]
The flora 417
Life-forms and dominants 419
Structure of the vegetation 419
Deformational cycles and climates 419

The Paleosere

[edit]
The sere 420
The cosere 421
The clisere 422

The Investigation of Succession

[edit]
Primary methods 423
Special methods 424

The Quadrat Method

[edit]
Concept and significance 424
Kinds of quadrats 425
List quadrat 425
Chart quadrat 426
Permanent quadrat 427
Denuded quadrat 429
Quadrat series and sequences 429
Various quadrats 430
The transect 430
The bisect 432
The migration circle 433

Methods of Mapping

[edit]
Methods 435
Community charts and ecotone maps 435
Survey maps 436
Climax maps 436

Instrumental Methods

[edit]
General considerations 437
Measurement of reactions 438
Measurement of water reactions 438
Measurement of light reactions 439

Growth Methods

[edit]
Ring counts 440
Burn-scars 441

Tables of Genera 443

[edit]

Tables of Life Forms and Dominants 406

[edit]

Bibliography

[edit]

==Index==