THE 
AMERICAN NATURALIST. 
VoL. XXII. MAY, 1888. No. 2567 
GUATEMALA FORESTS. 
BY MILES ROCK. 
: a general view over the surface of Guatemala we observe a 
great difference in the character of the vegetable covering. 
Little of this difference can be due to change in latitude, as the 
whole Republic lies within the parallels of 13° 44’ and 17° 49’, 
or extends only about 4 degreees north and south. In longitude, 
it lies between 78° 8’ and 92° 10’ west of Greenwich, or extends 
also 4° east and west. Roughly it is in the form of a square, of 
which these dimensions of 4° are the diagonals. This country is 
the northwestern one of the five Central American republics, and 
covers about one-fourth of their entire area, and is about as large 
as the State of Pennsylvania, 43,000 square miles, but has hardly 
one-third the number of inhabitants—say one and one-third 
millions. 
What, then, are the causes of the plant diversity? They are, 
undoubtedly, Ist, elevation above sea level; 2d, meteorological 
influence of topographical features on climate; and 3d, influence of 
the ancient inhabitants. The first I take to be the most important 
cause. We have first the hot climate of the coasts, extending from 
sea-level to altitudes of 3000 feet, and including 
(a) The Pacific Coast plain, some 40 miles wide and 135 
ong, covering 4500 square miles. 
2 (6) The Caribbean Sea Coast plain, some 60 by 20 miles, 
including the valleys of the rivers Sarstun, Dulce, Polichie, Matagua 
and Zacapa, and Lake Yzabal, or Golfo Dulce, covering 3200 
Square miles, 
