Stilgenbauer, F. A. (1929) The Geography of Prince Edward Island. Unpublished PhD dissertation,

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). 173 pp. (plus appendices, references and figures). [UPEl: GB 478.15 P75 57m]

Floyd Stilgenbauer’s 7929 PhD dissertation on the geography of Prince Edward Island contains the first attempt ever to map the variation in the forest—types of the island in any detail. The forest map (Figure 7), which is based on field studies carried out in 792 7, demonstrates a good knowledge of the island '8 forests: it has a precision exceeding even Louck’s map of 7967 — for example the hardwood areas of west Prince County are demarcated and there is considerable fineness in the detail of the forest boundaries throughout the province. The forest descriptions associated with the maps are, however, disappointing in both their briefness and in their lack of clarity. it is also regrettable that Stilgenbauer does not describe the field methods that he used to demarcate his forest and soil-type boundaries. Since the boundaries of his forest belts in his map often correspond to the boundaries of his soil-types (which he shows in a separate map), it appears that his methodology was as follows: after digging his soil pits (the profiles of which are described in detail in the dissertation) and defining a number of soil-types for the island, he must then have mapped his soil-types and forest-types simultaneously, using forest cover as an indicator of soil-type. Given the pioneer nature of his work on the island’s forests, and also the fact that it was not the central element in the dissertation — his main interest was in the human and economic geography of the island — it was a commendable first attempt.

REFERENCE: Clark, A. H. (1959) Three Centuries and the Island. A Historical Geography of Settlement and Agriculture in Prince Edward Island, Canada. University of Toronto Press. pp. 23, 252.

Prince Edward Island forests are divided into belts on the basis of tree types, rankness of growth, and nature of the soil, drainage, and land surface conditions [see Fig. 7].

The White Cedar Belt occupying the Charlottetown and Wiltshire soils1 contains a good growth of mixed conifers and deciduous hardwoods, with considerable white cedar, larch, swamp birch, and poplar on the Miscouche Swamp soils of the depressions. To the east of the Hilly Belt the swamps contain larch instead of cedar. Wiltshire soils contain a little more spruce, fir, hemlock, pine, and poplar; whereas the heavier Charlottetown soils have more maple, beech, elm and ash.

The six forest belts.

Superior timber is found in the Central Forest Belt largely because this area comprises the Summerside, Charlottetown, and other good soils which are well drained and aerated. Splendid birch, fir, spruce, pine, hemlock, beech, maple, elm, ash, poplar, and larch make up the forest cover.

The Belt of Deciduous Hardwoods and Scant Mixed Conifers is similar to the Central Forest Belt with slightly more of the hardwoods.

A Belt of Larch, Mixed Conifers, and Stunted Deciduous Hardwoods occupies the lower lands north of Hillsborough River. Undrained lowlands are forested with larch, spruce, fir, swamp birch, and poplar. Coniferous trees and stunted deciduous hardwoods cover the Martinvale and Bayfield soils of the uplands.

The Belt of Mixed Conifers and Scrubby Deciduous Hardwoods contains much of the Martinvale and Bayfield soils. Conifer trees predominate and the deciduous hardwoods are scrubby making this area one of the poorest hardwood belts of the island. Excellent pine, hemlock, spruce, and fir stood on these lands.

In the Eastern Forest Belt very poor mixed conifers and deciduous hardwoods are characteristic. Hemlock is completely absent and the other trees appear to be

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