Abstract
LIKE all other biological phenomena, the British flora is determined by two classes of factors, those of history and constitution on one hand, and those of environment on the other. It is obvious that only those species which can at least tolerate the climate of these islands can continue to live here: the discussion held at the Royal Society on March 28 was concerned mainly with the problem of how and when they came. Light was thrown on this subject by contributions not only from taxonomists and students of the geographical distribution of species, but also from ecologists, meteorologists, geologists and archæologists, though it cannot be said that the problem taken as a whole is very close to solution despite the intensified field-work of recent years. We are in fact no farther than the beginning of the laborious collection and analysis of detailed facts which alone can eventually lead to general agreement.
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TANSLEY, A. Origin of the British Flora. Nature 135, 569–571 (1935). https://doi.org/10.1038/135569a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/135569a0