OQQ Remarks on the most Important Plant-Societies of the Island. 



Naturally, however, the woods could not bear such a reckless devastation. The woods thinned 

 out within a short period. As also mentioned by Obeehummer'), we have a proof of this in the fact 

 that the kings of the island as early as 300 years B. C. took the cedar-trees under their protection and 

 thus at least partly recognised that the forests were a magnificence which it was necessary to protect 

 against destruction. 



Through all the middle-ages and the modern times, however, the devastation of the woods was 

 continued without any thought of the necessity of restricting the consumption of the wood in measure with 

 the increase. Over and over again Cyprus lias in the course of time been conquered by hostile armies, 

 and there is nothing Avhich indicates that any of the nations which have had the supremacy over the 

 island, have in this respect differed from the otiiers. The fleet of Venice once laid great claims on wood- 

 material, and this was also the case in the later centuries with that of the Turcs. Nor have the natives 

 of the island showed much foretiioughl in the management of their woods. The first pi-incipal forest 

 officer of the island after the British occupation, P. G. Madon, is certainly right when saying in 1880: 

 "Be he Christian or Mussulman the Cypriot peasant is convinced that wood, like air and water, has no 

 other master than the God who made it. It seems as natural to him to go when he will and cut the 

 wood as to drink of the brook hard by when he is thirsty. Yet. if he would but be content with taking 

 only what he really needs!"'-) 



We will not here go more closely into the sad chapter of the devastation of the forests of Cyprus. 

 Other authors have already written in detail of this and have compiled the informations which may be 

 had from litei'ature with regard to the condition of the forests of the island at ditl'erent times.^) 



It is the merit of the British administration that a change has now been made in the irresponsible 

 exhausting management of the woods of earlier times. One of its first acts, after having assumed the 

 administration of the island, was its care for the preservation of the forests, and since then a regular and 

 energetic work has been done partly to preserve what is left of the natural wood, and partly in order to 

 plant new forest-trees in places with prospects for the thriving of wood and where the field cannot otherwise 

 be advantageously utilized. Since 1886 this work has with great capacity been supervised by A. K. Bovili,, 

 Principal Forest Officer of the island. 



A proof of the interest the British administration takes in the forests of the island is also, that 

 a series of valuable reports on this subject have been published on public initiative, written by A. K. Wild, 

 P. G. Madon and D. E. Hdtchins.'*) Important investigations concerning the conditions of the forests 

 we also owe to the botanists Unger, Kotsohy and E. Hartmann, while E. Oberhummer in his often quoted 

 work has given a valuable detailed view on the history and the present condition of the woods.^) Smaller 

 contributions on the same subject have been furnished by M. Ohnefalsch-Rittek and F. v. Thumen.*) 



Cyprus is at present far from being a well forested country. The existing forests are for the 

 very greatest part confined to the loftier mountain-tracts of the island. Nevertheless, Kotscht is probably 

 right when stating, that none of the other islands in the eastern Mediterranean can show better forests 

 than Cyprus. And the forests, which are here preserved, are not only of the greatest economical importance 

 for the future of the island, but they are also conspicuous through their extraordinary beauty of scenery, 

 'fhere can scarcely be any doubt that when in future the communications and travelling conditions become 



1) Oberhummer, 1. c, p. 248. 



-) P. G. Madon, The Replantiug of the Island of Cyprus, p. 4, 1880. 



') E. g. Unger u. Kotschy, Die Insel Cypern.— F. v. Loher, Cypern.— P. G. Madon, 1. c— Oberhummer, Die Insel 

 Cypern, I. 



*) A. E. Wild, Report of the Forests in the South and West of the Island of Cyprus 1879.— P. G. Madon, 1. c, 

 1880. — D. E. HuTCHiNs, Report on Cyprus Forestry, 1909. 



*) Unger u. Kotschy, 1. c. — E. Hartmann, Die Wiilder der Insel Cypern (must be cousulted witli caution, several details 

 being inaccurate). — Oberhummer, 1. c. 



") M. Ohnefalsch-Ritter, Cypern.s Wiilder u. Waldvvirtschaft, 1883.— P. v. Thumen, Die Waldbiiume und die Waldwirt- 

 schaft auf der Insel Cypern, 1884. 



