Abstract

SummaryA major manuscript by nineteenth-century American writer-naturalist Henry David Thoreau was published for the first time in 1993. The Dispersion of Seeds is a study of ecological dynamics in forests in and around Concord, Massachusetts. Drafted by Thoreau just before his premature death in 1862, it emphasizes plant-animal mutualism in the dispersion of oak seed, as a fundamental factor in forest succession patterns. If Thoreau had lived to publish this study, it is likely that his pioneering role in the history of ecology would be considerably enhanced. This paper explores dimensions of Thoreau's science that are revealed for the first time in this new publication.