102 SYLVICULTURE IN THE TROPICS 



PT. 1 



the temperature of the air and soil are lower than outside 

 these areas, but that the variations are not so great, 

 and that therefore the climate is more equable. This 

 is no doubt also the case in tropical forests which are 

 composed of trees growing close together, but how far 

 savannah-forests or thorn-forests modify the climate in 

 this respect is a matter of conjecture. 



In countries which, like India, are subject to 

 famines, forests play an important role. The reports 

 of several Famine Commissions have referred several 

 times to the probable effect of deforestation on the 

 recurrence of famines, and on the reduction of springs 

 due to denudation of catchment areas. In the meantime, 

 the throwing open of reserved forests to the people and 

 their cattle has been the means of providing the people 

 with edible forest fruits and thousands of cattle with 

 fodder. 



Finally, as forests can be grown in many places 

 which can bear no other crops, they provide occupation 

 to a considerable population which would otherwise 

 have to migrate elsewhere. Even at the present time 

 (1911) a scheme of afforestation of parts of Scotland 

 has been proposed in order to check the flow of emigra- 

 tion from that country to Canada. 



