MEETING HELD ON SATURDAY, 10th SEPTEMBER, 1960 
   
In the Chair: Mr D. A. Boon 
Introduction by the President 
This morning's session is devoted to Com- 
mission VII's working group on vegetation 
which has been very capably headed for the 
last four years by Mr D. A. Boon, head of the 
Forestry Division of the International Training 
Centre for Aerial Survey in Delft. Mr Boon 
has had a great deal of experience in the use of 
photography in forestry and vegetation work. 
In addition to his experience at Delft, he pre- 
viously served in the Forest Service in Indonesia 
for some twenty years, in the Forest Reconnais- 
sance Branch. Mr Boon will, therefore, take 
over now as Chairman of the session this 
morning. 
Introduction by the Chairman, Mr Boon 
It can be considered as a great favour for me 
to be able to preside at this particular session 
on vegetation and further also to introduce here 
Mr Miller, Assistant Director of the Forest and 
Land Use section of Overseas Surveys in 
London, who will give a paper on The Inter- 
pretation of Tropical Vegetation and Crops on 
Aerial Photographs. Perhaps I could mention 
that Mr Miller, before his activities at Overseas 
Surveys, already had large experience as he 
spent a large part of his life in the tropical 
regions of the Commonwealth, and therefore can 
be considered also as an expert on the inter- 
pretation of tropical vegetation forms. There- 
fore, I am very glad that Mr Miller has consent- 
ed to give his paper on tropical vegetation. 
Another point which it is perhaps important 
to mention at this session is that it is the first 
time that the problem of the interpretation of 
tropical vegetation forms has been considered at 
this Congress. As far as I know in the progress 
made in the past, attention was only directed to 
the vegetation in temperate regions. As a matter 
of fact, that is very important, but so far not 
much attention or consideration has been given 
to tropical vegetation forms. Therefore, I think 
it is a good idea in this particular Congress to 
Archives 6 
direct attention more particularly to tropical 
vegetation. 
Compared with the temperate regions, the 
interpretation of tropical regions gives rise to 
particular problems. It is quite different from 
the interpretation of temperate regions. I will 
not go into detail as perhaps I shall thereby cut 
into the field of our speaker, Mr Miller. But 
there is one important point to realise: the 
heterogeneity of tropical vegetation which makes 
procedures quite different from more pure, let 
us say, simply composed vegetation forms in 
the temperate regions. 
As time is short, when this session is OVer, 
there will be a possibility for discussion for those 
who are interested in this problem. Also, there 
is another announcement which Mr Miller has 
asked me to make. Will all those forests who 
wish to visit the British Forestation Commis- 
sion Research Station on Wednesday, 14th Sep- 
tember, please notify Mr Miller before mid-day 
today so that he can get an idea of the number 
of gentlemen who wish to attend. 
Already I have taken up too much time so 
I will now invite Mr Miller to give his paper. 
Mr Miller then gives a review of the contents 
of his paper illustrated with some stereo pro- 
jections.