The Relations of a University to Forest Influences Research

Forest influences may be defined briefly as the effects of vegetation on climate, water, and soil. In such a system the climate, water, and soil must be understood as thoroughly as the vegetation, because the measurements and interpretations are usually in terms of the physical elements. For research, a thorough understanding is hardly enough, for the word implies an exhaustive knowledge of both subject matter and technique. Our subject therefore has exacting requirements; an exhaustive knowledge of a field so broad that it is usually subdivided into four or more separate fields any one of which has more breadth than is usually considered desirable for successful research.