36 



Again, the high forest may be considered in a state of unstable 

 equilibrium in the Deciduous Forest areas, where a slight disturbance 

 of the natural conditions, such as the clear felling of forests for farms 

 along the Coomassie-Jumasie road, or the introduction of grass fires, 

 as at Mampon, will immediately destroy the forest without hope of 

 re-afforestation except at a great price. Consequently, areas whose 

 records coincide with those obtained for Coomassie, Aburi, Sunyani, 

 and Assuantsi require to be watched with care and protective belts 

 established. 



With regard to the inland and coastal Sudanese Zone, it is very 

 doubtful if areas showing these records are worth while considering 

 from a production forest point of view. Work in such areas should 

 be confined to providing for the needs of the local populations. 



A general summary of this study shows that the rainfall along the 

 Coast decreases steadily from west to east. Inland the higher curves 

 run out in a north-easterly direction to include the main divide of the 

 country, but in central and western Ashanti retreat rapidly westward 

 showing the Afram basin and the area covered by the Deciduous 

 Forest to be of a lesser rainfall. In northern Ashanti the higher 

 curves run out eastward again and include the western part of the 

 Northern Territories before finally passing into the areas of definite 

 diminution of rainfall to the north. This is graphically illustrated on 

 the map, page 36. A comparison of this map with that showing the 

 physiography of the country on page 8 brings out the important 

 fact that the majority of the rivers of the country rise in an area of 

 small rainfall. 



Relative Humidity. 



The amount of humidity in the air away from the seashore is 

 entirely dependent on the existence of vegetation. This is illustrated 

 very markedly by a study of the records of the relative humidity 

 taken at the thirteen stations in the country. In the Guinea Zone, 

 the relative humidity in the Evergreen Forest varies between 84 and 

 87, in the Deciduous Forest between 80 and 89. In the Sudanese 

 Zone inland the variation is between 34 and 80, whilst the maritime 

 strip of Sudanese vegetation is affected by the sea and shows a variation 

 between 75 and 81. In the Evergreen Forest the variation throughout 

 the year is only 3 points, in the Deciduous Forest 9 points, but in the 

 inland Sudanese Zone 46 points. 



As has been previously mentioned the three main crops on which 

 the agricultural wealth of the country depends, namely, cocoa, oil- 

 palm, and cola, are, apart from the fringing forests, confined to the 

 forest area, and there is no doubt that it is the necessity for a certain 

 constant humidity that prevents their cultivation outside. This 

 humidity, expressed in relative terms, ma^' be said to be between 80 



