Vegetation of Southeast Asia Studies of Forest Types 1963-1965

Committee appointed by the British Ecological Society to report on
the classification of tropical vegetation. The authors consider that
a natural scheme of classification should be based on the structure,
life-for^ and. flora of the component communities, rather than on
mixed criteria including habitat. They emphasize, also, that
Associations should be named from species present, 'not from a presumed
formation to which the Association belongs.
They have not attempted any reclassification of the Formations
as outlined in Paper 13, pending the accumulation of r.ore data on
the subject. They consider that the three main classes of Formation -
Woodland, Grassland, and Desert - do not require any special term
by which to designate them, and that the term Formation-type is
most aptly applied to the aggregate of communities all over the
world dominated by a distinctive life-form, for example, Rainforest,
Thorn-forest, etc., while such geographically distinct unit
of such a Formation-type is recognized as a distinct Formation.
A useful feature of this contribution is the reduction in number
of features to be recorded, from 96 proposed in Paper 13 to k2 f on
the ground that the larger number is likely to deter field investigators
from attempting any systematic recording of vegetational
data by the immensity of the task. The object of suggesting so many
factors was aimed at securing the cooperation of those vho, although
unable to undertake a definite ecological survey, are interested
in cognate subjects, such as ornithology, anthropology,
etc., and which 'nave a bearing on the biotic influences affecting v
the forest.
The authors point out that this paper is intended to aid foresters,
ecologists and botanists interested in tropical vegetation, and to
stimulate field investigations along definite and uniform lines.
Ridley, II.N. On the flora of the eastern coast of the Malay Peninsula.
Trans. Linn. Soc. Bot. II, 3: 267-^08.. pi. 61-66. 1893.
Concerns Pahang in the Malay States, but includes a few plants
from adjacent provinces of Thailand.
. The Scitamineae of the Malay Peninsula. Journ. Str. Br. Roy.
Asiat. 3oc. 32: 85-l8'j. 1899.
Includes some Thai species.
. .New Malayan plants. Jourr.. Bot. Brit. & For. 38. 68-7't. 1900.
Includes Didymocarpus cyaneus, a new species from Kasum, Thailand.
. New Malay orchids. Journ. Str. 3r* Roy. Asiat. Soc. 39:
71-87. 1903.
Includes some orchids from Langkawi Islands, southern Thailand.
. New Malayan plants. Journ. Str. Br. Roy. Asiat. Soc. kl: 31-
51. 190^.
Includes species from Langkawi Island, southern Thailand.
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