CHAPTER XXVIII 



TROPICAL FORESTS 



THE very highest type of vegetation, the most complex 

 mixture of plants of all sorts of families and of various 

 habits, are to be found in the tropical jungle. This 

 reaches its best and finest development only where 

 there is no dry season, or at least none long enough or 

 sufficiently severe to leave any distinct mark upon the 

 vegetation. Forests in the tropics are by no means 

 always of the same character. Unfortunately it would 

 be impossible to explain the intricate classification which 

 is adopted by many German botanists. Nor is there 

 any recognised system adopted by English writers on 

 botanical geography, which is most unfortunate. 



If, however, one were to take an aeroplane trip more 

 or less along the equator from the West Coast of Africa 

 to Ruwenzori, the different types of vegetation which 

 could be roughly sketched would be as follows. 



Wherever, along the seashore, there are river estuaries 

 or mud-banks, mangrove forest would be found. This 

 extends up the rivers and creeks at least as far as the 

 sea-water is able to penetrate. 



The coast mountains will be covered everywhere 

 with the true wet jungle forest, at least so far up their 

 flanks as they are supplied with rain and moisture from 

 the ocean. Of course this distance varies greatly accord- 

 ing to the mountain heights and general contour of the 

 continent. At Bibundi in German West Africa (where 

 there is the magnificent rainfall of 11,900.65 mm. (476 

 inches) per annum) the true wet jungle or tropical forest 

 proper occurs right up the mountain sides to a height 

 of 2700 metres (8800 feet) in the more sheltered gorges. 1 



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