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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 BULLETIN No. 354 



Contribution from the Forest Service 

 HENRY S. GRAVES, Forester 



Washington, D. C. 



October 20, 1916 



FORESTS OF PORTO RICO 



PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE 



AND THEIR PHYSICAL AND ECONOMIG ENVIRONMENT 



By 

 LOUIS S. MURPHY, Forest Examiner 



In Cooperation witti the Government of Porto Rico Board of Commissioners 



of Agriculture. John A. Wilson, Temporary President, 



Succeeded by Tulio Larrinaga, President 



CONTENTS 



Introduction 1 



Physical and Economic Features : 



Geographic Situation 2 



Physiography and Soils 3 



Drainage 7 



Climate 7 



Land Distribution, Utilization, and 



Taxation 9 



Population 16 



Transportation 18 



The Forest: 



Forested Condition and Distribution 21 



Page 



The Forest— Continued 



Forest Formations 23 



Forest Influences 36 



Commercial Aspects 39 



Forest Industries 44 



Forest Products 46 



Forest Problems 46 



Insular Forest Policy 51 



The Luquillo National Forest ... 55 



Appendices: 



I. Trees of Porto Rico 66 



n. BibUograpby 98 



WASHINGTON 

 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



1916 



