Abstract
The primeval forest of Indiana was without doubt representative of some of the most magnificent sections of the great eastern deciduous region. In a previous paper (9) we described briefly the fate of our hardwoods, and pointed out that only small tracts of comparatively undisturbed stands remain for observation. Since reports on the early forests are rather vague, and based on superficial observation rather than on quantitative data, it is somewhat difficult to gain from them a true picture of the phytosociology of these forests prior to time of settlement. Qualitative and quantitative studies of the remaining small stands referred to above, however, enable us to set up, or establish a fairly accurate norm with which to compare areas which have been disturbed, and see to what extent this disturbance has progressed. For detailed studies of a number of such stands, the reader is referred to the following literature references (1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19).
