Table 2.—Productive forest ' and other land use, by regions, Brazil, 1950 
{Million acres] 
Productive forest 
Region Cropland Other Total 
and pasture 
In use Not in use Total 
INGETN Gee ae Et ote te 43.7 601.0 644. 7 6. 4. 232.0 883. 1 
INGrbheasts meet acer stcnsne cares mele sate 25.0 6.9 31.9 39.0 168. 8 239. 7 
Blasts Nore dere ie Seine oie eitae widustetarnimite 20. 2 35.8 61.0 | 88.0 162.6 311.6 
out letra: ee ein cthorseaiss eae eee Richens 21.0 36.8 57.8 89. 2 56.9 203. 9 
Gentrals Westra. rice tras so oh titers 23:9) | WW s2 IB 7 90. 4 239. 4 465.5 
Motil. te to eee ois eee aoe 138.4 792.7 93). 1 | 313.0 859. 7 2,103.8 
| 
i 
1 Forest land which is now producing or is capable of producing usable crops of wood other than fuelwood. 
cutting and land clearing. Under the generally 
practiced system of shifting agriculture, land that is 
cleared of forest is utilized for crops until its fertility 
This land then 
reverts to forest. brush. or rough pasture depending 
is exhausted and is then abandoned. 
upon the extent of cultivation, the nature of the 
former forest. and the absence or frequency of 
subsequent fires. 
The Parana pine forests. though only a small part 
of Brazil’s forests. are the principal source of raw 
Thus 
far, the vast timber resources of the Amazon Basin 
material for the country’s forest industries. 
are barely being tapped. while the Parana pine 
forests are threatened by serious overcutting. 
Brazil is estimated to have more than 40,000 
plant species, and about 7,000 of these are tree 
species. ‘Those considered suitable for commercial 
use now number little more than 200, but only 
about 60 are actually exploited.*. As more informa- 
tion concerning the properties and supply of indi- 
vidual woods becomes available. both numbers will! 
2 Characteristics and uses of a number of selected trees are 
given in table 25, p. 43. 
(Photo by K. Hueck, courtesy Instituto Forestal Latino-Americano.) 
Figure 8.—Wooded savanna in western Mato Grosso. 
FOREST RESOURCE REPORT 16, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
