West African forests and forestry

"West African forests and forestry" by Arthur Harold Unwin is a scientific publication written in the early 20th century. It surveys the forests of British West Africa and neighboring territories, describing their ecology, tree species, timber values, and the administrative and commercial framework of forestry. The work emphasizes practical identification, utilization, and management, supported by many illustrations and regional case studies. The opening of the work lays out its purpose as a practical, illustrated guide for timber workers and administrators, explains its limits (not a full botanical text), and acknowledges official sources. It then outlines a wide-ranging contents list that spans ecology, regional surveys, species notes, exports, and policy. The first chapter defines West Africa’s forest belt and classifies major vegetation types—from mangrove and evergreen rain forest to mixed-deciduous, gallery, savannah, and hill forests—linking them to rainfall, soils, and topography, and citing hallmark species. The next section on the Gambia notes the historic mahogany trade, the scarcity of true forests, a small suite of usable timbers, newly fixed felling fees, kernel-led exports, and proposes oil‑palm planting despite the absence of a forest service. The Sierra Leone section begins with severe deforestation and the reservation of the Freetown peninsula forest, describes its structure, rainfall, and common trees, and offers practical notes on key timbers (such as African oak, ironwood, Afzelia, Mimusops) and their local and export uses.

West African forests and forestry, by Arthur Harold Unwin. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #78844.