Erskine, D. S. (1960) The Plants of Prince Edward Island. Canada Department of Agriculture, Publication 1088. [Reprinted (1985) as: The Plants of Prince Edward Island — with new records, nomenclatura/ changes, and corrections and deletions. (D. S. Erskine, with P.M. Catling and RB. MacLaren). Publication 1798, Agriculture Canada]

D. S. Erskine, in the introductory section of his indispensable study of the flora of Prince Edward Island, made the first modern detailed attempt (apart from Stilgenbauer's 7929 study) to outline and account for the variation in forest-types within the island. Combining information from his own extensive observations of the island ’5 forests made over two summers in the 19503 with information from some of the early historical accounts, he cogent/y speculated about the tree species composition and spatial variation of the pre—sett/ement forest (see Table 2 of the introduction for a summary of his pre—sett/ement forest—types). He also attempted to explain the variation and distribution in forest—types in terms of soil and relief factors, and to outline the success/anal communities resulting from fire, selective cutting and farm abandonment. Although, inevitably, much of his account is speculative, it is based on sound science and careful observation.

Vegetational Features

The forests of Prince Edward Island, part of the 'Acadian Forest’ of the

Post—glacial present, seem to have arrived in two waves of invasion. The Boreal element is orig/'73 general and well represented: predominantly of conifers, white and black spruce. jack pine, larch, and balsam fir, with white birch and mountain ash, it is the only

forest of the North Shore and the bogs. It may-have had 7000 years to cross the

waters of the postglacial sea and its shrunken remnants, or have entered by land

from Nova Scotia. At least its representation in the Island is rather complete. The

northern deciduous forest element, represented by the "northern hardwoods"

(beech, sugar maple, yellow birch) and by white pine, hemlock and red spruce

which forms the climax forest of the uplands, shows a full quota of tree species

but very little of the herbaceous “spring flora" so characteristic of the mainland

hardwoods. This reached its greatest extent during the ’thermal maximum’ about

3000 years ago, almost certainly after the Island had become isolated by

Northumberland Strait. [p. 15]

Associations

From the vestiges of forest in the woodlots, swamps and ravines, the virgin forest sketchily described in the records gathered by Harvey [1926] and Gaudet [1956] and in Stewart’s [1806] land classification may be reconstructed. (A more uniform picture is thus arrived at than today's patchwork remnants permit.) Except for dunes, salt marshes and bogs, the land was entirely forested.

1. Forest. 0n the uplands the dominant forest, usually of mixed forest aspect, was of the "northern hardwoods" (beech, sugar maple and yellow birch) and their coniferous associates (Braun, 1950), white pine and hemlock, their proportions varying with the nature of the site. Red spruce, considered by Halliday (1937) the unique species of the Acadian Forest Region which covered the Maritimes, made a poor third to the other upland conifers. Halliday's generalization (after Macoun [1894]) by the words "in spite of the flat topography and low elevation, maple occurs generally throughout, although in other parts of the [Central Acadian] section [including southern New Brunswick and the Gulf and Fundy slopes of Nova Scotia] it is confined to higher and better—drained positions" fails to appreciate Island topography.

The upland hardwood forest.

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