54 ALGERIA 



FOREST CONDITIONS 



The Forests. The wooded area in Algeria is estimated 11 

 to cover 2.8 million hectares (about 7,000,000 acres) of land, 

 ( which is a total of only n per cent of its entire surface as 

 compared with 29 per cent for Europe and 18 per cent for France 

 itself. As a rule the Algerian forest exists now only on land 

 which cannot be profitably cultivated by the natives. The 

 most valuable agricultural land under crops there are about 

 3,000,000 hectares (yj million acres) lies chiefly in the large 

 alluvial plains, while the forested areas comprise the gravels, 

 quartzites, volcanic rocks, limes ones, and, sometimes, schists and 

 hard marbles on the slopes of hills and mountains. 



The species 12 of Algerian forests are remarkably well adapted 

 to the soil and climatic conditions; small in size and with per- 

 sistent leaves which prevent, with their thick epidermis, any 

 excessive evaporation. The only species which form continu- 

 ous stands of any size are the cork oak (Q. suber), the zeen or 

 Algerian oak (Q. mirbeckii), the "afares" oak (Q. of ares), the 

 holm oak (Q. ilex), the aleppo pine (P. halepensis), maritime 

 pine (P. maritima), cedar (C. atlantica) , thuya (Callistris quad- 

 rivalvis), and juniper (/. phcenicea) , 13 Other species are dis- 

 tributed by single trees or small groups only, and are conse- 

 quently of but little economic importance. 



A characteristic feature of the forest flora which is worthy 

 of mention is the large number of evergreen species. Most of 

 the broad-leaved species which are not evergreen are scattered 

 singly or in groups. As a whole the flora is similar to that of 

 Spain, Italy, and extreme southern France. 



The Most Important Trees. 14 The cork oak 15 in Algeria 

 grows only on silicious soils formed from decomposed crystal- 

 line or volcanic rocks and in sands formed by disintegrated 



11 Les Forets de 1'Algerie, pp. 107 ff. 



12 Id., pp. 12 ff. 



13 The relative average area covered by each species is given on page 56. 



14 Les Forets de 1'Algerie, pp. 81-108. 



15 For the silvical characteristics of cork oak see forthcoming publication of 

 U. S. Forest Service. 



