From the ridgetops of the north to the Pine Barrens of South Jersey there still remain in New Jersey natural areas with an astonishing variety of plant life. This book offers its readers a basic knowledge of what they are looking at when they see this rich landscape. It provides a background for understanding why the vegetation of New Jersey is what it is today, a description of the present plant communities of the state, and a look into the future of both vegetation and man in New Jersey. Scientifically accurate yet written in a lively style, the book begins with a description of New Jersey as an ecosystem--its geology, topography and soil, climate, plant-plant and plant-animal relationships, and the influence of man on the environment. Maps show geologic, soil, and climatic zones of the state, and the impact of man's settlement on forest cover.