And this, perhaps, might have been
anticipated; for, as varieties, in order to become in any degree permanent,
necessarily have to struggle with the other inhabitants of the country, the
species which are already dominant will be the most likely to yield
offspring, which, though in some slight degree modified, still inherit
those advantages that enabled their parents to become dominant over their
compatriots. In these remarks on predominence, it should be understood
that reference is made only to the forms which come into competition with
each other, and more especially to the members of the same genus or class
having nearly similar habits of life. With respect to the number of
individuals or commonness of species, the comparison of course relates only
to the members of the same group. One of the higher plants may be said to
be dominant if it be more numerous in individuals and more widely diffused
than the other plants of the same country, which live under nearly the same
conditions. A plant of this kind is not the less dominant because some
conferva inhabiting the water or some parasitic fungus is infinitely more
numerous in individuals, and more widely diffused. But if the conferva or
parasitic fungus exceeds its allies in the above respects, it will then be
dominant within its own class.
SPECIES OF THE LARGER GENERA IN EACH COUNTRY VARY MORE FREQUENTLY THAN THE
SPECIES OF THE SMALLER GENERA.
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