Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Preface / John Birks -- 1. Introduction. The interpretation of plant distribution patterns. The experimental approach. The field approach. Climatic correlations. Floristic elements -- 2. Climate -- 3. Edaphic factors -- 4. The geological history of the present European flora. The late Tertiary. The Pleistocene. The maximum Pleistocene glaciation. The Weichselian glacial stage. The late-glacial period. The immigration of the flora after the Weichselian glacial stage -- 5. The atlantic and oceanic elements. The atlantic element. The oceanic element of bryophytes and lichens -- 6. The thermophilic element. Introduction. Timber-lines. Respiration and growth. Calculation of respiration sums. The Iversen thermal-limit diagrams.

Eilif Dahl, who died in 1993, had one of the most original and creative minds in plant geography. His approach went far beyond the description of distribution patterns and the establishment of correlations between distributions and particular climatic variables. His understanding of physiological mechanisms that influenced and controlled the observed distributional patterns was a key feature of his numerous ideas and hypotheses. He was also aware of the importance of history as an influence on present-day plant distribution, especially in arctic plants. In The Phytogeography of Northern Europe Dahl brings to bear his wide range of interests in physics, chemistry, geology, climatology, meteorology and mathematics, as well as plant ecology and plant systematics, to analyse and explain the distribution of individual plant taxa across north-western Europe. This book will stand as a testament to the ideas and inspiration of a fine scientist.