probably increase. The forests contain a large 
number of trees and shrubs that produce a great 
variety of valuable nonwood products such as latex, 
gums. resins, tannins, fats, oils, waxes, edible fruits, 
aromatic leaves, and medicinal ingredients. 
Major Forest Types 
The eight major vegetative types (fig. 9) originally 
covered the land, according to one estimate. in 
about the following proportions: 
Percent 
iiropicalimam@foresbcqe-iien = sree ceteris 53 
Ear alias pine tores tere lo sacar ee ecco aes 4 
Balmilores teers e-. ao e poacoe e eee 6 
ETLORAIOLEST rt sac cot aces are oe ons 5 
Wioodedtsavanna #5 -e. arse ech ee eee 15 
SonUb Lane rusher a hartees sss cee ke A 8 
ANTON Ae es eas Pets Se Wa te 9.5 
SWANN) pee Sten obs 8-4, sees seas siepar ace Sento yabee 3 
Tropical rain forest 
[37] Parana pine forest 
Palm forest 
ea Littoral forest 
Kx] Wooded savanna 
3 Scrub and brush 
[3 Swamp 
[__] Prairie 
As of 1958. the proportion of productive forest is 
little more than 44 percent; scrub and brush, savanna, 
prairie, and swamp nearly 28 percent; and cropland, 
land deforested by shifting agriculture or destructive 
cutting, and urban areas the remaining 28 percent. 
Only the North Region has abundant productive 
forests, that is, forests producing or capable of pro- 
ducing usable crops of wood other than fuelwood; 
one-third or more of the area in the Northeast, East. 
and Central-West is in wooded savanna, scrub and 
brush, and prairie (fig. 10). 
Tropical Rain Forest 
The tropical rain forest consists of two distinct 
parts: the rain forest of the Amazon lowlands and 
the rain forest of the coastal mountains. Each ex- 
tends well into the highlands. They differ greatly 
in topography, accessibility, and nearness to centers 
of population. 
Figure 9.—Generalized distribution of principal natural vegetative types. 
FORESTS AND FOREST INDUSTRIES OF BRAZIL 
