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virgin tropical forests on Porto Rico, there now remain only 

 isolated remnants scattered over the island in its more mountain- 

 ous parts and these constitute only 2% of the total land area. 



The present area of original forest lands in Hawaii amounts 

 to only about one million acres. Of this, 818,739 acres have 

 been officially included in forest reserves, 68% being owned 

 by the Territory. In additicn to the above an aggregate area 

 of about 50,000 acres is held as private forest reserve land, bring- 

 ing the total area of proteclioi forests up to approximately 

 870,000 acres. 



Forest Types. 



What we find left today of the native forest has been classified 

 for the sake of convenience and for descriptive purposes by 

 botanists and divided into groups occupying different zones of 

 elevation and also into sub-groups according as to wdiether the 

 region is wet or dry or on the windward or leeward side of 

 the island where different conditions obtain. Six of such main 

 zones have been named, as follows : the strand, lowland, lower 

 forest, middle forest, upper forest and bog zones. 



For the purpose of forest management, foresters arc wont 

 to classify woodland areas into forest types by grouping to- 

 gether stands of trees of similar character as regards composition 

 and development. On this basis, all that we find today in the way 

 of forest growth on these islands of any importance may be 

 classified into four main forest types, naming the types after 

 the distinguishing tree in each. 



1. Algaroba type. 



2. Kukui type. 



3. Ohia lehua type. 



4. Mamani type. 



1. The algaroba type is a comparatively new type made up 

 of a pure stand of this introduced tree and interests us not as a 

 protection forest, although it may exert a protective influence 

 in some localities, but mainly as a supply forest from which 

 wood for fuel, charcoal and fence posts is obtained and which 

 furnishes annually extensive bee pasturage for honey and a 

 valuable crop of beans for stock fodder.. 



This type occupies the strand and lowland zones of the botan- 

 ist and has been established in the last 91 years from the original 

 tree which was planted in the Catholic Mission grounds on Fort 

 street, Honolulu, in 1828 and which, by the \vay, was cut down 

 only last week, on October 23, 1919, to make way for a new build- 

 mg. During this period it has been spread by stock in a phen- 

 omenal manner until today it covers throughout the Territory ap- 

 proximately 90,000 acres of formerly waste land and yields an 

 annual crop of 30,000 cords of wood, $150,000 worth of honey 

 and an unestimated but considerable crop of fodder beans. 



The algaroba type is of immense value as a supply forest to 

 many of the sugar plantations, which are fortunately situated 



