GOLD COAST REPORT ON FORESTS. 9 



place to the open park-like grass country so common in West 

 Africa behind the forest belts found near the coast. 



These Savannah forests represent the intermediate stage of 

 vegetation between the true forests and the dry scrub of the arid 

 regions. The soil is covered with a coarse long grass and trees 

 of several species as well as shrubs are found dotted about, often 

 in small groups and sometimes in regular belts (fringing vege- 

 tation) along the moister hollows. 



The rainfall in such vSavannah forests is not sufficient to 

 enable ordinary tree vegetation to compete successfully with 

 the grasses, which with the help of the annual bush fires can 

 keep such vegetation in check. In the moister alluvial hollows 

 tree growth still continues to hold its own against the grasses, 

 but the destruction of the former by man results in a gradual 

 deterioration of the fertility of the soil, its desiccation, and the 

 eventual conversion of the Savannah forests into pure Savannahs 

 and the arid scrub of the Accra plains. Every stage in this 

 process can be recognised along the road leading to Aburi. 



The vegetation usually met with in the Savannah forests 

 consists, amongst shrubs, of the wild custard apple, Anona 

 senegalcnsis, Sarcoceplialiis csculentus, Bauliinia reticulata, 

 Zizyphus mucronata and a species of Capparis, whilst trees are 

 represented by Acacia catechu, Acacia Sieberiana, Entada 

 soudanica, Ormosia laxiflora, Pterocarpus erinaceus, Vitex 

 cuneata, Vitex megapliylla, two or three species of Parinarium, 

 Parkia filicoidea, a small Pscudocedrela, the balsam copaiba 

 tree, Daniella thurifera, Lophira alata and the shea butter 

 tree, Butyrospcrmum Parkii. The three last trees, however, 

 appear to be absent from, the Savannahs through which the 

 Accra-Aburi road passes. Probably the locality is too close to 

 the sea to suit the requirements of these plants. In addition 

 to the plants mentioned above, others, such as the fan palm 

 (Borassus flabelliformis var. cethiopica) and species of Adan- 

 sonia (Baobabs), are also to be met with in the Savannah 

 forests. 



The evergreen forests. As one approaches the foot of the 

 main hill ranges close to Aburi, the Savannahs gradually merge 

 into the ordinary evergreen forests which are the richest in 

 variety of species of any of the types met with in Africa. As 

 a rule, where such forests have not been much interfered with 

 by man, the leaf canopy is fairly complete, the soil is well pro- 

 tected from the sun and atmospheric agencies by a dense under- 

 growth of shrubs and young trees, and the forest has all the 

 characteristics of what is technically know r n as " high forest." 



The variety of species is great and includes most of the West 

 African plants of economic importance. It will be sufficient 

 for the present to give only a brief list of the more important 

 species forming this type. They are: The Dahomah (Pipta- 

 denia africana), one of the most common trees on the Gold 

 Coast, the Assohma (ParJda species) almost equally common, 

 the Ah f ram, the Opapao (Afzelia africana}, the Eku (BoTnbax 

 buonopozense), the Honum (Anthocleista magnifica), the Ofu 



