The British Sylva, and Planters' and Foresters' Manual

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1851. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER II. THE NATURAL DISTRIBUTION OF TREES. The distribution of trees and other plants, where man has not interfered with the operations of nature, is determined by two principal causes, viz. climate and soil, of which the former is by far the most influential, as the same or similar soils are common to many countries which differ very widely in their vegetable productions. The influence of soil, therefore, in the natural distribution of plants, is limited to places possessing the same climate. By the climate of any particular place is generally understood the temperature of the land and of the atmosphere, including the condition of the supply of moisture. Temperature, though chiefly dependent upon latitude or the distance from the equator, is almost equally influenced by elevation. The difference of climate occasioned by elevation has so remarkable an effect upon vegetation, that the same kind of trees which occupy the plains in high latitudes, are found covering with forests the elevated table land and the higher slopes of mountains within the tropics, where the low lands bordering on the sea produce trees and plants which require the hottest climate to bring them to perfection. In such a country a journey of a few hours conducts the traveller from the natural site of palms, bananas and pine-apples, and plantations of sugar-cane and coffee, to situations producing hardy trees and shrubs, and all the different kinds of grain which flourish only in temperate climates; while beyond these, forests of pines and other trees and shrubs extend upwards to the boundary of perpetual snow, where all vegetation ceases. In some favourable situations, as where in a low latitude the base of a mountain approaches the sea, the successive bands of these various product...