SUMMARY

Extracts from six scientific studies that make reference to the forests of Prince Edward Island, all published between 1929 and 1961, have been gathered together in the form of a ’source-book’, which presents the material in the original words of the authors.

An introduction to the source—book contains a brief analysis in which the six studies are assessed collectively in terms of their contribution to a number of topics relevant to the forests of the island. These include: the relation of the island’s forests to the forests of the mainland; the internal variation within the forests of the island, including the mapping of this variation; and the nature and tree species composition of the forest existing prior to European settlement.

Assembling the six works in a single source-book enables an evaluation of the extent and quality of the information on the forests of Prince Edward Island available in scientific publications up to 1961. Although none of the studies aimed to provide a comprehensive picture of the forests of the island, collectively they give an indication of the tree species composition of the forests, along with some understanding of the forest-types occurring, and at the same time they serve to place the forests within a wider continental context. However, in terms of their contribution to historical studies of the island’s forests, because their comments are very generalized, most are of limited value.