The Annual MeetingSource: Journal of Animal Ecology, Vol. 6, No. 1 (May, 1937), pp. 226+228-229Published by: British Ecological SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1082 .

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226 British Ecological Society

150-200 yards in two nights. Prof. Salisbury had set out specimens and drawings to show the root systems of some twenty-two species of dune annuals. He also showed samples of dune sand of increasing ages from the Portuguese coast and from Southport. Analyses showed progressive leaching of carbonates and accumulation of organic matter: there was also shown a series of dwarf ecads of Desmazeria loliacea. Mr K. Wilson demonstrated an ingenious potometer for use with aquatic plants. It depends upon separate measurement of gas evolved from the cut stem and of the total volume change in the water reservoir. The apparatus is very compact, and is designed to avoid pressure and distance errors during manipulation. Dr V. J. Chapman showed sections of salt-marsh deposits from the east coast of North America, including a "marine peat" rich in silt, which had formed above a fresh-water marsh at Scituate, after a storm breach made in 1898. The "marine peat" is already several inches thick. Results were also given for sand strip marking in measuring the rates of accretion of salt marsh deposits. Dr F. W. Jane showed a large number of drawings, micro- scopic drawings and descriptions of rare or unrecorded green algae and flagellates, including what may prove to be new species of Chlamydomonas and Cyclonexis. It may well be that some of these forms are not uncommon, but have not been looked for. Mr D. Coult had working an apparatus for investigating the effects of shaking on plants. With Sinapis alba it has proved possible to show that both slow and fast shaking increases germination rate by a statistically significant amount.

THE ANNUAL MEETING

TiEE twenty-third Annual Meeting of the Society was held in the Department of Botany, University College, London, on the following morning, Saturday, 9 January, at 10.30 a.m., the President, Dr W. H. PEARSALL, occupying the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The report of the Honorary Secretary was then read and adopted.

Hon. Secretary's Report for the year 1936

The twenty-second annual meeting of the Society was held in the Department of Botany of the University of Reading, on 3, 4 and 5 January. On the first day papers were read in the afternoon, and members inspected a series of exhibits in the botanical laboratories. In the evening a soiree was held in Wantage Hall at which about fifty members and guests were present. The meeting was resumed with a large attendance on the following morning, and closed in the afternoon. On the morning of the 5th there was a short excursion to the heath and woodlands near Peppard Common. The Society owes very hearty thanks to Prof. and Mrs Harris and to the University authorities who so kindly and ably entertained us.

The summer excursion of the Society was held in south-west Ireland from 12 to 21 August. It was under the leadership of Dr Lloyd Praeger and Prof. Renouf, and the Society is most grateful to them and to Mrs Praeger for the trouble they took in arranging the meeting and conducting the party of eighteen over exceptionally interesting ecological ground.

The autumn excursion with the British Mycological Society was held at Ranmore Common near Dorking (Surrey) under the leadership of Mr J. Ramsbottom. The day was fine and the attendance large.

In the past year two numbers of vol. v of The Journal of Animal Ecology have been published, appearing in May and November. They contained respectively 230 and 186 pages, representing a further advance in size over previous volumes. In all twenty-four original papers were published, with 10 plates, in addition to notes, notices and reviews. Notices of publications on Animal Ecology in this volume totalled 276.

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228 British Ecological Society

Since the last annual meeting there have been issued two numbers of vol. xxiv of The Journal of Ecology, appearing in February and August and containing respectively 316 and 198 pages, with twenty-three plates. In this volume have been published twenty original papers, besides book reviews and notices. The Council has decided that if the size and quality of the Journal is to be maintained it will be necessary to increase the price to non-members from 30s. to 35s. as from 1 January 1937 and notice of this has already been published.

The Society's transplant experiments at Potterne are continuing satisfactorily in the hands of Mr Marsden Jones and Dr Turrill.

Since the last annual meeting the membership of the Society has risen from 341 to 343: twenty members have resigned or have died, and twenty-two new members have been elected. Of the present membership list, 191 members receive The Journal of Ecology alone, 100 The Journal of Animal Ecology alone, 49 receive both Journals, and two neither.

We much regret to note the death of Dr Frank Cavers, first Secretary and Honorary Editor to the Society: his extraordinary industry and ability greatly helped the establish- ment and early growth of the Society.

In the early part of the year the Hon. Treasurer suggested to Council that a second cheque signatory should be appointed, and it was agreed that Prof. Salisbury take this position.

The Secretary announced the provisional decision of the Council to accept the President's kind invitation to hold the Summer meeting at Wray Castle, Windermere, in September.

It was proposed from the Chair and cordially agreed to by the meeting that the Honorary Secretary be thanked for his services during the past year.

The Honorary Treasurer made a provisional statement of the financial position of the Society, reporting that during the past year income and expenditure had practically balanced (see statement on opposite page). The sum of ?60 specially voted by Council towards the cost of printing Prof. Boycott's important and exceptionally long paper in The Journal of Animal Ecology was able to be paid out of income. The improvement over the previous year's working was partly due to increased sales of the Journals to non-members. A very hearty vote of thanks to the Honorary Treasurer was proposed by Mr Charles Oldham and carried unanimously. It was proposed by Prof. Matthews and carried nem. con. that Messrs Wm Norman and Son be reappointed auditors to the Society for 1937. It was proposed from the Chair and carried nem. con. that a grant of ?5 be authorized towards the expenses of the Transplant Experiments of the Society.

The meeting then proceeded to the election of Officers as follows:

Vice-President: DR W. B. TuRRILL.

Council Members: DR A. S. WATT and DR E. ASHBY (retiring DR W. B. TURRILL, DR T. W. WOODHEAD and DR R. GURNEY).

Hon. Editor of The Journal of Ecology: PROF. A. G. TANSLEY.

Hon. Editor of The Journal of Animal Ecology: MR C. S. ELTON.

Hon. Secretary: DR H. GODWIN.

Dr Pearsall then gave his extremely interesting presidential address on "The Soil Com- plex in relation to Plant Communities".

After the adjoumment for lunch Mr J. Ford read a paper on the composition of animal communities. In a critical survey of the bases of investigations into the nature of the animal community, he regarded the food-chain as too complex and proposed alternatively an enlargement and modification of Elton's "Pyramid of Numbers". He showed the results of estimating the relative frequencies of different components of the animal populations of Bromus erectu-s grassland near Oxford. He put forward the concept of subordinate groupings within which one species might be substituted for another without affecting the unity of the community. Questions were asked by Prof. Boycott and Mr Elton.

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British Ecological Society 229

Mr R. D. Misra gave an account of his investigations of the lake muds of the English Lake District. With progressive shallowing which accompanies the hydroseral sequence there is increasing organic content of the lake mud, and falling pH. The muds become strongly reducing, nitrogen exists as ammonia, sulphur as hydrogen sulphide and carbon as methane. Iron is in the ferrous state. Analyses of plant nitrogen and of the mud on which the plants grew strongly suggested that these rooted aquatics were very dependent on the nutritive content of the substratum. The President, Dr A. S. Watt and Dr Godwin took part in the discussion which followed.

Mr R. N. Robertson then gave an account of the vegetation region of eastern Australia, investigated by Prof. Osborn and himself. The Myall Lakes have been cut off by coastal sand-bars but are still drained by the River Myall. A full succession is recognizable from open water through reed swamp and Melaleuca swamp forest to Eucalyptu-s robusta forest. The tuff soil of the major part of the region is heavily podsolized and bears eucalypt forest with many different dominants. In patches and gulleys in the eucalypt forest are areas of broad- leaved sub-tropical rain-forest, cool and shady and with palms. The following discussion turned on the factors possibly involved in the distribution of the two woodland types, and Dr Burtt Davy, Dr Paul Richards and Dr Chapman took part.

Dr John Turner followed with an account of the results obtained by a Cambridge group of ecologists during an investigation of the Quercu.s sessiliflora woods of Killarney, south- west Ireland. The woodlands were divided into types which measurement showed to differ greatly in composition. Type 1 had tall oaks (70 ft.) widely spaced, with dense Ilex under- growth, very dense shade, and ground flora poor both in individuals and species excepting Bryophyta. Type 2 had less tall (50 ft.) but more numerous oaks, often of pioneer form, sparser holly, a few other tree species and richer undergrowth. Type 3 was oak scrub up to 25 ft. tall, with holly, Sorbu.s aucuparia, birch, and ground vegetation rich in species and including tall flowering Calluna and Vaccinium. These types were considered to be determined by soil differences due to alternating bands of shale and sandstone. Arbutu-s unedo was absent from the woods, but richly present in waterside scrub.

Dr A. S. Watt, who was with the expedition, suggested that these Irish woods had close affinities with evergreen forest of similar climate in North America and was inclined to suggest the purely historical factor of the Ice Age as responsible for the absence of species which would be expected on this assumption.

Prof. Salisbury, Prof. Boycott and Dr Burtt Davy spoke in the discussion, and Dr Paul Richards continued with a description of the bryophytic communities of the same oakwoods. He recognized in each woodland type a series of moss communities from the tree tops down- wards: (1) branches, (2) trunks, (3) forest floor, (4) boulders, (5) steep banks with no fallen leaves, (6) logs. In each habitat it was possible to distinguish a serule leading to a miniature climax. With increasing openness and exposure of the woodland types the moss com- inunities came relatively closer to the ground.

Dr V. J. Chapman then read a paper on the salt marshes he had examined on the eastern coast of North America. He separated those of Nova Scotia, with a silt-like substratum, those of Maine and New Jersey with a "marine peat", and those south to Florida, with silt. He described the vegetation, stressing the severity of winter conditions as contrasted with those of British coasts, and gave evidence supporting Dawson's theory of origin of the New England marshes by subsidence. Interesting evidence was also produced of the rate of marsh growth. In the discussion which followed Dr Turrill and Mr Marchand took part.

Prof. Matthews expressed the warm appreciation felt by the Society of the kindness shown them by Profs. Salisbury and Hill in giving facilities for the meeting, and of the trouble taken by Prof. Salisbury and Dr Barbara Russell-Wells in organizing both meeting and soiree. The vote of thanks was carried with acclamation and the meeting adjourned at 4.30 p.m.

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