15 An Inventory of the
Southern Coastal
Plain Pine Forests,
Belize
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Ministry of Overseas Development
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An Inventory of the
Southern Coastal Plain Pine Forests,
Belize
by
M S Johnson and D R Chaffey
Land Resource Study No. 15
Land Resources Division, Tolworth Tower,
Surbiton, Surrey, England, KT6 7DY
1974
*B2>»
THE LAND RESOURCES D I V I S I O N The Land Resources Division of the Ministry of^Overseas Development a s s i s t s developing
c o u n t r i e s in mapping, i n v e s t i g a t i n g and assessing land resources, and makes recommendations
on the use of these resources for the development of a g r i c u l t u r e , livestock husbandry and
f o r e s t r y , i t also gives advice on r e l a t e d s u b j e c t s to overseas governments and o r g a n i s a t i o n s ,
makes s c i e n t i f i c personnel a v a i l a b l e for appointment abroad and provides l e c t u r e s and
t r a i n i n g courses in the b a s i c techniques of resource a p p r a i s a l .
The Division works in close co-operation with government departments, research i n s t i t u t e s ,
u n i v e r s i t i e s and i n t e r n a t i o n a l o r g a n i s a t i o n s concerned with land resources assessment and
development planning.
ii
CONTENTS
Page
PART 1.
INTRODUCTION
Preface
Acknowledgement s
Abstract
Resume
Descriptors for Co-ordinate Indexing
Summary of Results
Summary of Conclusions
PART 2.
THE PROJECT
5
5
6
Origin of t h e Project
Procedure
Team Composition
PART 3 .
THE ENVIRONMENT
Physical Aspects
Location
Climate
Geology
Topography
Water
Soils (by C J Birchall)
Vegetation
Fauna
7
7
10
11
13
13
14
17
18
Human Aspects
18
19
19
20
20
21
22
History
Forest Exploitation
Population
Land Tenure
Current Land Use
Communications
Markets
PART 4 .
OBJECTIVES AND METHODS
23
Objectives
Sampling Blocks and S t r a t a
Sampling of Timber Stocking
Regeneration Count
Volume Measurements
Other Observations
23
24
24
25
25
25
in
Page
PART 5.
PART 6.
RESULTS OF THE INVENTORY
27
Forest/Vegetation types
Stand Tables
Standing Volume
Volume Table
Regeneration
27
27
27
35
37
CONCLUSIONS
40
Exploitable Growing Stock
Seedling Regeneration
S i l v i c u l t u r e and Management
PART 7.
40
41
41
REFERENCES AND RELATED WORKS
43
APPENDIXES
45
1.
2.
L i s t of common and l a t i n names of p l a n t s mentioned in the t e x t
Volume figures for p r i v a t e lands
45
47
LIST OF TABLES
1.
Summarised area statement for the whole project area
2
2.
Mean numbers of stems of pine per u n i t area
3
3.
Standing volume of pine in p r o j e c t area
3
4.
Mean annual r a i n f a l l at four s t a t i o n s
9
5.
Mean annual maxima and mean annual minima and highest and lowest
temperatures at three s t a t i o n s
9
6.
Mean annual r e l a t i v e humidity at two s t a t i o n s
9
7.
Provisional figures from 1970 population census for settlements between
S i t t e e River and Deep River
20
8.
F o r e s t / v e g e t a t i o n types i d e n t i f i e d and mapped
24
9.
10.
Area statement showing areas of sampled pine-bearing f o r e s t / v e g e t a t i o n types
Stand t a b l e s showing numbers of stems of pine per u n i t area and the d i s t r i b u t i o n
according to s i z e c l a s s in groups of f o r e s t / v e g e t a t i o n types
Standing volume of pine per u n i t area, including defective timber, in groups
of f o r e s t / v e g e t a t i o n types
27
29
Standing net sound volume of pine per u n i t area, assuming maximum defect,
groups of f o r e s t / v e g e t a t i o n types
30
11.
12.
28
in
13.
Local volume t a b l e for Pinus caribaea
31
14.
Standing gross volume of pine, including defective timber, in groups of
f o r e s t / v e g e t a t i o n types
32
Standing net sound volume of pine, assuming maximum defect, i n groups of
f o r e s t / v e g e t a t i o n types
33
15.
Page
16.
Summary statement of standing gross volume of pine ( d e f e c t i v e timber included)
34
17.
Summary statement of net sound volume of pine, assuming maximum defect
34
18.
Pine volume t a b l e data:
37
19.
Regeneration of pine in five f o r e s t / v e g e t a t i o n type groups in Block 2
38
20.
Regeneration of pine in five f o r e s t / v e g e t a t i o n type groups in Block 3
39
21.
Hughes Estate: Standing gross volume of pine, including defective timber,
in groups of f o r e s t / v e g e t a t i o n types
47
Hughes E s t a t e : Standing net sound volume of pine, assuming maximum defect,
in groups of f o r e s t / v e g e t a t i o n types
48
The Stopper: Standing gross volume of pine, including defective timber,
in groups of f o r e s t / v e g e t a t i o n types
49
The Stopper: Standing net sound volume of pine, assuming maximum defect,
in groups of f o r e s t / v e g e t a t i o n types
50
22.
23.
24.
sample s i z e and incidence of defect
LIST OF FIGURES
1.
Monthly r a i n f a l l 1961-70 at Stann Creek, Savannah and Punta Gorda
11
2.
Temperature at Stann Creek and Punta Gorda, based on years for which data
are a v a i l a b l e in the period 1933-70
12
Mean monthly r e l a t i v e humidity at Stann Creek and Punta Gorda, based on
years for which data are a v a i l a b l e in the period 1933-70
12
Defective t r e e s :
with t r e e s i z e
36
3.
4.
rot as a percentage of t o t a l volume and i t s v a r i a t i o n
LIST
OF MAPS
Text Map
Location
8
Forest/Vegetation Maps
2 sheets 1:50 000 scale
v
Separate
sheets
PART 1. INTRODUCTION
PREFACE
The Southern Coastal Plain of Belize has in the past been a major source of Caribbean pine
(Pinus caribaea)•
With the recent renewal of emphasis on the development of the country's pine
resources and the possibility of the re-introduction of pine-based industries, the contribution
which could be made by the Southern Coastal Plain became a question of importance. This final
report follows an inventory made in 1970 of the pine savannas between Sittee River and Deep River
and is issued with the permission of the Belize Government to whom field maps and preliminary
figures were presented in January 1971 and the full preliminary report in 1972.
Completion of the final report was delayed by a decision to await base material from a new
edition of maps for the southern part of Belize. Production of these new edition maps was
delayed for technical reasons and in 1973 the decision to await them was reversed and map
production was put in hand using the existing base material. Most of the text of the report was
drafted by D R Chaffey.
The project covered by this report was one of three forest inventories undertaken in Belize by
the Land Resources Division between 1968 and 1971, the other two being of Chiquibul Forest
Reserve and the Mountain Pine Ridge.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors record their appreciation for the assistance received from the Chief Forest Officers,
the late R M Waters and his successor L S Lindo. The Forest Department' s Counterpart Officer,
0 Rosado, is particularly thanked for his contribution in helping with preparatory work and the
organisation and execution of the fieldwork. The assistance of the former Divisional Forest
Officer at Melinda Forest Station, E 0 Bradley, is also acknowledged. The junior staff and
labourers engaged on the project gave cheerful and willing service under conditions which were
at times trying. Dr H C Dawkins, MBE, of the Commonwealth Forestry Institute advised on
statistical matters and assisted in the computation of data, for which he is accorded special
thanks. Valuable help with the extraction and processing of data was given by staff of the
Land Resources Division. Thanks are due to the Director of Overseas Surveys and to the Cartographic Unit of LRD for the preparation of maps and diagrams.
ABSTRACT
The results of an inventory of pine in 1 400 km 2 (540 mi 2 ) of the southern Coastal Plain are
presented. The inventory included the assessment of the standing volume of wood and, in part of
the project area, of the replacement stocking.
By the interpretation of aerial photography of scale 1:15 000, fourteen forest/vegetation types
were identified and mapped. The map accompanies this report. Seven of the fourteen forest/
vegetation types were sampled. Six of the seven are pine or mixed pine/broadleaved forest types,
distinguished from each other by pine canopy density. The seventh type is grassland with pine
seedlings and/or very scattered overmature pine. Sampling of both standing timber stocking and
regeneration was carried out in all seven of the forest/vegetation types sampled.
The project area was divided into three sampling blocks. The sampling results were computed
separately for each forest/vegetation type sampled in each block.
As a background to the forest inventory, relevant aspects of the environment are described, with
emphasis on soils and vegetation. The principal type of vegetation in the project area is
savanna, the distribution of which depends on the incidence of fire as well as on climate and
soil.
1
RÉSUMÉ
Les résultats d' un inventaire des pins contenus dans 1 400 km 2 de la plaine cotiere meridionale
sont présentés. L'inventaire comprenait 1' estimation du volume de bois sur pied et, pour une
partie de la superficie couverte par Ie projet, 1' estimation du peuplement de regeneration.
Par 1'interpretation de photographies aeriennes a 1'échelle de 1/15 000, quatorze types de foret/
vegetation furent représentés'sur carte. La carte est annexée a ce rapport. Sept partni les
quatorze types de foret/végétation furent échantillonnés au hasard. Six parmi les sept types
sont des forets de pins ou des forêts a peuplement mélange de pins et d' arbres feuillus, se
distinguant 1'une de 1'autre par la densité de cime des pins. Le septième type est^la prairie
avec des sauvageons de pin et/ou des pins a maturité excessive tres disséminés. L' echantillonnage
aléatoire des arbres sur pied ainsi que du peuplement de regeneration fut effectué dans tous les
sept types de foret/végétation échantillonnés.
La superficie couverte par le projet fut divisée en trois bloes d' echantillonnage. Les résultats
de 1' echantillonnage aléatoire furent calculés séparément pour chacun des types de foret/
vegetation dans chaque bloc.
Pour servir de fond a 1'inventaire forestier, des aspects du milieu biophysique sont décrits, en
soulignant les sols et la vegetation. Le type principal de vegetation de la superficie couverte
par le projet est la savane, dont la distribution dépend aussi bien de 1' incidence du feu que du
climat et du sol.
DESCRIPTORS FOR CO-ORDINATE INDEXING
Climate/geology/geomorphology/pedology/soil description (morphology, survey and mapping)/photogrammetric application/water quality/land use (current)/crown density/ forest classification/
forest inventory/forest mapping/forest mensuration/forest sampling/natural regeneration system/
natural stand/Pinus
caribaea/stand
density/tree individual measurement/tree volume measurement/
savanna/vegetation stratification/history/environment/Belize.
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
Area
Table 1 shows the total areas of the sampled forest/vegetation types in the project area.
TABLE 1 Summarised area statement for the whole project area
Sampled forest/vegetation
types
Area
ha
ac
14 815
36 608
5 219
12 896
Grassland with pine seedlings and/or scattered
overmature pine
25 466
62 927
Total
45 500
112 431
Pine forest
Mixed pine/broadleaved
forest
Timber Stocking
Because the lower size limit for trees enumerated was not uniform for all of the three forest
blocks into which the project area was divided, results are summarised only for growing stock
of d.b.h. 15.2 cm (6.0 in) and above.
2
TABLE 2 Mean numbers of stems of pine per unit area in
Blocks l, 2 and 3
d.b.h.
cm
Stem Numbers
three blocks.
Number of stems
in
ha
ac
>15. 2
>6.0
26
11
>25. 4
>10.0
10
4
Table 2 shows the number of stems per unit area, in two size classes, in the
The values shown are mean values and are not qualified by estimates of. precision.
Standing Volume
Minimum estimates for the standing volume of pine in two size classes are
shown in Table 3. Figures quoted are obtained by totalling reliable minimum estimates (at 95%
probability) calculated separately for each of the three sampling blocks. The estimates given
in Table 3 are therefore almost certainly very conservative.
TABLE 3 Standing volume of pine in the whole project area
Minimum estimate
d.b.h.
cm
in
Defective timber included
n,3
ft3
Defective timber excluded
m*
ft»
>15. 2
>6.0
307 040
10 871 500
275 150
9 739 400
>25. 4
>10.0
185 240
6 537 900
156 410
5 517 800
Regeneration
Regeneration is taken to include pine of d.b.h. less than 5 cm (2 in). Reliable minimum
estimates (at 95% probability) of regeneration stocking in the two blocks in which regeneration
was sampled are low. The highest reliable minimum estimate obtained for any forest/vegetation
type group in either block is only 353 stems/ha (143 stems/ac). A total of approximately
2 900 ha (7 100 ac), or roughly one-quarter of the total area sample for regeneration, carries
a stocking of approximately 350 stems/ha (140 stems/ac). Reliable minimum estimates for the
rest of the area sampled are well below 100 stems/ha (40 stems/ac).
SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS
1.
The present low stocking of material exploitable for saw-timber will increase only slowly
in the near future: in more than half of the total area sampled (i.e. in more than half of
the pine-bearing land within the project area), it will take about 30 years to achieve the
modest stocking of 50 exploitable trees per ha (20 stems/ac).
2.
Foreseeable terminal rates of stocking from the naturally regenerated pine compare
unfavourably with those to be expected from plantations.
3.
The generally low stocking of regeneration in the areas sampled is attributable largely to
inadequate fire control.
4.
The area subject to fire control should be adjusted to match the actual fire-fighting
capability with, possibly, some relocation of fire-fighting resources in order to
concentrate activities on the areas of higher potential. Alternatively the fire-fighting
capability should be adjusted to cover adequately the areas of higher potential.
3
5.
The effectiveness of fire control should be monitored; this could be done by means of
permanent sample plots.
6.
The possibility of afforestation of the more fertile soils in the foothills edging the
southern Coastal Plain, using fast-growing species such as Gmelina arborea,
should be
investigated.
7.
Concerning the possible use of pine in the southern Coastal Plain for an industrial woodbased product such as pulp, the supply of wood available is such that any operation dependent for its raw material largely or entirely upon the project area would have to be of a
type capable of economic production on a small scale.
4
PART 2. THE PROJECT
ORIGIN
OF THE PROJECT
A request was made by the Belize Forest Department in 1969 to the Ministry of Overseas
Development that a study be made of the feasibility of establishing a pine-based pulp industry.
This request, which was subsequently withdrawn as being premature and replaced by one for a
more widely based pre-feasibility forest utilisation study, was in accordance with
recommendations made by Logan (1966) and followed preliminary observations by Waters (1969) on
the desirability of introducing a pulp industry. The most suitable location for a pulp mill
was thought to be in the vicinity of Deep River.
Necessary prerequisites to any further study were considered to be the investigation of the
following'.
1.
The suitability for industrial use of the locally grown Pinus
2.
The local supply of pulpwood
caribeea
The study of the pulping and other characteristics of Caribbean pine became the responsibility
of the Tropical Products Institute, while the Land Resources Division undertook to carry out an
inventory of the pine resource in the southern Coastal Plain. Other projects already being
undertaken by the Land Resources Division were a survey of the agriculture and soils of the
Belize Valley and forest inventories of the Chiquibul and Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserves.
The forest inventory had four broad objectives.
be stated briefly as follows:
These are described in detail in Part 4 but can
1.
The estimation of the standing volume of pine
2.
The assessment of pine regeneration (in part of the project area)
3.
The construction of a volume table for pine to enable the volume of a standing tree
to be estimated from simple field measurements
4.
The mapping of the pine resource
PROCEDURE
June - December 1970
Airphoto interpretation, forest/vegetation type mapping, field
sampling and preliminary calculations made as the fieldwork
proceeded.
January 1971
Preliminary results presented to Belize Forest Department.
January 1971 - September 1972
Final computation and preparation of report.
The project area was divided into three enumeration blocks. Each block was subdivided, by
stereoscopic examination of the relevant 1:15 000 air photography, into 14 forest/vegetation
types, of which eight contained pine. Seven of these eight types in two of the three
sampling blocks were randomly sampled for timber stocking and regeneration. In the third
block, timber stocking only was sampled, as regeneration data were not required. No field
sampling was carried out south of Deep River.
5
TEAM
COMPOSITION
The project was carried out by three forest officers, assisted by four forest guards. Thirtysix labourers were engaged on the project, divided into six gangs. Two of the officers,
M S Johnson, the Senior Forest Officer, and D R Chaffey, were from the Land Resources Division,
and the third, 0 Rosado, was provided by the Forest Department as Counterpart Officer. The
Forest Department were also responsible for the provision of junior staff and labour. The
inventory was in the charge of R N Jenkin, LRD Project Manager. C J Birchall, who contributed
the chapter on soils, was attached to the LRD Belize Valley Project under an Overseas
Development Administration contract.
PART 3. ENVIRONMENT
PHYSICAL ASPECTS
LOCATION
The area included in the inventory is shown on the location map. The project area stretches
from Sittee River in the north to first south of Deep River, a distance of rather less than
80 km (50 mi). Its eastern boundary is the coast. There is no well-defined western limit as
this is the boundary between broadleaved forest and either savanna or mixed pine/broadleaved
forest (Broken Ridge). This vegetational boundary coincides roughly with the edge of the
plain, which varies in width from about 12 km (7.5 mi) in the north to about 32 km (20 mi) in
the south. In the hills, west of the plain, considerable areas of Broken Ridge occur in a
matrix of broadleaved forest and these were included or not, depending on their accessibility
for exploitation.
The project area includes two forest reserves - Swasey-Bladen and Deep River - which have a
combined area of 650 km 2 (250 mi 2 ). The total project area is about 1 430 km 2 (552 m i 2 ) .
A third former forest reserve, Mango Creek, with an area of 273 km (100 mi 2 ) was de-reserved
in 1969 but remains as Crown Land. No field sampling was done south of Deep River
The largest town in the area is Mango Creek, which is approximately 160 km (100 mi) from
Belmopan, 240 km (150 mi) from Belize City and 80 km (50 mi) from Stann Creek Town
It is
adjoined'by the settlement of Independence. There is a small forest station at Savannah,
5 km (3 mi) from Mango Creek, a subsidiary to the Divisional Forest Office at Melinda,
16 km (10 mi) north of the project area boundary. The only other settlements of any size
are the wastal settlements of Monkey River, Placentia and Seine Bight. The project area is
traversed by several rivers in addition to the two already mentioned at its northern and
southern extremities, of which the most important are South Stann Creek and the Swasey and
Bladen Branches of Monkey River
CLIMATE
The southern Coastal Plain experiences a climate characterised by high temperatures and
high rainfall. A distinct dry season occurs in the early months of the year, from February to
May, and during this period the fire hazard is at its highest because of the prevailing
combination of high temperatures, low rainfall and low relative humidity. The weather for
much of the rest of the year tends to depend on whether the moist south-east Trade Winds or
the cool drier northerly winds are dominant. The convergence of the two accounts for the
rainfall peak in October. From June to November hurricanes may occur, and both Stann Creek
and Punta Gorda (a town just south of the project area) have been destroyed by hurricanes,
and subsequently rebuilt.
Climatic data are available from a number of stations in or close to the project area
(Walker 1972). Data for four stations (Stann Creek Agricultural Station, Cabbage Haul Fire
Look-out, Savannah Forest Station and Punta Gorda Agricultural Station) are quoted here.
The first and last-named lie just outside the project area, north and south respectively,
and a comparison of their data gives an indication of the variation in climate between
opposite ends of the project area. Cabbage Haul is situated in the foothills at about
400 m (1 300 ft) a.m.s.l. while Savannah is on the plain near the centre of the project area.
The periods during which data have been recorded and the parameters measured are unfortunately
not uniform for the four stations. Data for some parameters are fragmentary or missing.
7
TEXT MAP - LOCATION OF THE PROJECT
6 8 * 0 0 ' W e i t of Greenwich
Scale 1:2.000.000 Appro*.
BAHiA
Of
OMOA
89*00' W e i t of Greenwich
D.O.S. 3I52C
©
C R O W N C O P Y R I G H T 1974
Complied and drawn by Directorate of Overseas Survey*
Rainfall
Table 4 gives an impression of the rainfall in the project area. Figure 1 compares
histograms for Stann Creek, Savannah and Punta Gorda in the period 1961-70, showing the
distribution of rainfall throughout the year. Cabbage Haul is excluded as data for only a
few years are available. Data for Stann Creek and Punta Gorda are from the Belize Department
of Agriculture, and for Cabbage Haul and Savannah from the Forest Department.
TABLE 4
Mean annual rainfall at four stations
Rainfall
Period
Station
Period
mm
1931-70
1965-70
1950-70
1934-70
Stann Creek
Cabbage Haul
Savannah
Punta Gorda
2
2
2
3
Rainy days
in
256
276
398
861
88.8
89.6
94.4
152.0
1951-70
1966-70
1951-70
1951-70
173
197
176
193
Temperature
Table 5 shows the range of temperature in the project area. Data are available for only
three of the four stations mentioned above. Figure 2 compares graphically the parameters
for two stations included in the table and shows their monthly variation throughout the year.
TABLE 5
Mean annual maxima and mean annual minima and highest and lowest
temperatures at three stations
Highest
maximum
Mean annual
Station
Minimum
Maximum
Period
Lowest
minimum
°C °F
Period
°C °F
Period
°C °F
Period
°C °F
Stann Creek
1933-39
1945-70 30 86
1933-39
1945-70 21 70
1933-38
1946-52 41 105
1959-70
Savannah
1965-70 31 88
1965-70 23 73
1966-70 39 102
1933-38
1946-52 10 50
1959-70
1966-70 10 50
Punta Gorda
1935-39
1945-51 30 86
1955-67
1935-39
1945-48 20 68
1955-66
1934-38
1946-51 41 105
1934-38
1946-48
6 42
Relative Humidity
An impression of mean annual relative humidity in the project area is given by Table 6. Data
are available for only two stations. Figure 3 shows graphically the variation in relative
humidity throughout the year.
TABLE 6
Period
Station
Stann Creek
Punta Gorda
Source:
Mean annual relative humidity at two stations
1933-9; 1945-70
1935-9; 1945-51; 1955-66
Belize Department of Agriculture
9
r.h.(%)
79.2
80.6
Wind
Prevailing winds are onshore from the east, from which direction persistent light winds blow
throughout the dry season. During the middle months of the year the less stable conditions may
produce winds of high velocity; tropical cyclones may occur with associated hurricane-force winds.
From October until the end of the dry season, winds remain predominantly easterly to northeasterly, except for occasional spells lasting three-four days during which cool winds blow from
the north. Wind is an important factor in fire hazard, and hurricanes can cause severe
mechanical damage to forest trees.
GEOLOGY
The southern Coastal Plain is a wave-cut platform which is overlain by marine deposits of silt
and medium to coarse sand derived from siliceous rocks of the Maya Mountains. According to
Dixon (1956) the deposits north of the Swasey Branch are more recent than those to the south of
it. As far south as the Swasey Branch, Dixon has not mapped the underlying rock. South of that,
the coastal deposits are underlain by shales and sandstones.
True alluvium has been deposited in the shallow valleys cut by the water courses traversing the
plain. Along the western edge of the plain where it adjoins the foothills are other alluvial
deposits, the eroded remnants of old river fans.
A few limestone hills protruding above the surface of the plain are all that remain of the
former limestone capping.
TOPOGRAPHY
The project area is a flat plain backed on the west by the foothills of the Maya Mountains and
traversed by a number of streams and rivers flowing eastward from the mountains to the sea.
The low land adjoining the coast consists of swamps and lagoons. Inland, the land surface rises
gently along the alignment of a former shoreline to the main terrace which is about 15 m
(50 ft) above sea-level. Inland again, both on the surface of the plain and at the base of the
hills, there are more small changes in elevation associated with yet other old beach terraces.
Close to the hills the topography of the plain tends to be more undulating, especially near to
where watercourses emerge from the hills and former alluvial fans have been subjected to
peneplanation. The boundary between plain and foothills, about 30 m (100 ft) above sea-level,
is abrupt, and the hills themselves are steep and dissected by deep valleys. The gradient in
ground elevation from the coast to the base of the hills has been rendered virtually
imperceptible over most of the plain by erosion and the levelling of the old beach terraces.
Apart from the shallow valleys cut by the watercourses, most of the plain proper is devoid of
macrorelief. There are a few small limestone hills protruding steeply from the plain between
the Swasey Branch and Deep River. A small group of these, called the Sierritas, includes one
hill which rises to 210 m (700 ft). There are one or two instances of the peripheral erosion
of a limestone hill having proceeded to a point below the level of the surface of the plain with
the resulting formation of a moat-like depression around the base of the hill. Some more
rolling hills which appear to be composed of or heavily overlain by gravel occur at Las Lomitas,
just south of the Sierritas.
Drainage north of the Swasey Branch is mainly by means of small watercourses which rise in the
foothills and form a subparallel pattern of drainage where they cross the plain. The valleys
occupied by the smaller streams tend to be steep-sided while those of the one larger river the South Stann Creek, which drains the eastern end of the Cockscomb Basin - is more gently
sloping.
South of the Swasey Branch most of the smaller creeks have been captured by the major rivers
traversing the plain. The density of drainage is lower than in the northern part and the
pattern of drainage is typically subdendritic to centripetal. The Swasey Branch drains most of
the Cockscomb Basin and the Bladen Branch drains the majority of the southern face of the Maya
Mountains south of Richardson Peak. The third major river, Deep River, is fed partly from the
foothills but largely from the plain itself.
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Highest Max.
Mean Max.
Mean Min.
Lowest Mln.
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M I J I J I A
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Punta Gorda
Temperature at Stann Creek and Punta Gorda, based on years for which data are available in the period 1933-70
r.h. %
r.h. %
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Punta Gorda
Mean monthly relative humidity at Stann Creek and Punta Gorda, based on years for which data are available
in the period 1933-70
Prepared by Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1974
Because of the prevailing flatness of the plain, microrelief has greater significance than it
does in hillier terrain. There are numerous seasonal lagoons and swamps formed in depressions
of about 1 m depth. In places a terraced microrelief has been produced by the movement and
deposition of sand by surface runoff.
WATER
The rivers and streams in the southern Coastal Plain provide water of good quality throughout
the year. There is no true watertable on the plain except at depth, only a perched watertable
which may be absent during the dry season and at or above ground level during wetter periods
of the year. The boundaries of the seasonal lagoons expand and contract according to the
prevailing level of the perched watertable. The water in the lagoons and surface floodwaters,
as is that in the rivers, is clean and potable.
Although the gradient of the land surface is slight, it is sufficient to ensure the gradual
surface runoff of floodwater into creeks and swamps. The slow lateral movement of a large body
of water causes sheet erosion. It may be a matter of days or weeks before floodwater drains
off.
Because of the size and nature of their watersheds, the main rivers crossing the plain are liable
to sudden and severe flooding. The swasey Branch, South Stann Creek and Sittee River appear to
be most liable to flash-flooding.
SOILS
(C J Birchall)
The soils of the southern Coastal Plain are formed on a variety of parent materials and have been
classified and mapped by Wright et al. (1959). The area between Sittee River and Deep River
is occupied mainly by soils of the Puletan suite developed on coastal deposits of sand and clay.
Alluvial soils of the Monkey River, Melinda and Ossory suites have been developed in the
valleys of streams flowing across this area. The area south of Deep River is occupied by soils
of the Toledo suite developed on shale and sandstone. Towards the west of the project area
small areas of soils formed on foothills of granite, quartzite, shale and limestone are found.
The coastal fringe has soils associated with mangrove swamps behind discontinuous sand beaches.
The soils of the Puletan suite cover an extensive area of the southern Coastal Plain. They range
from sands to clays, with the heavier textured types occurring in poorly drained low-lying areas
of clay and silt alluvium, and comprising the Haciapina and Sennis sets. The sandier soils
support a pine savanna vegetation, whereas soils with a clay texture are characterised by low
broadleaved forest. Between these two extremes sandy clay loams and sandy clays support a
variety of transitional vegetation types.
The sandy Puletan soils vary in texture from sand to sandy loam. They exhibit a two-decked
profile typical of planosols, with a well-drained sand or sandy loam topsoil grading into a
gritty clay impermeable subsoil at between 0.6 and 1.2 m (2-4 ft). The topsoils are leached
and white or light grey in colour with a very thin accumulation of organic matter on the
surface. The subsoil is strongly mottled light grey, red and yellow-brown. This marked
differentiation within the profile is less pronounced in soils with a sandy-clay-loam texture
and absent altogether in the clay soils. The latter are vertisols and tend to be dark in
colour, with self-mulching properties giving rise to a hummocky microtopography and cracking
surface horizons. The subsoil is poorly drained and strongly mottled, and slickensided
surfaces are common. Better drained, i.e. silty soils, occur along minor creeks.
The fertility of the sandy Puletan soils has been much reduced by the leaching of nutrients.
Clay, too, has been translocated, resulting in a very low cation exchange capacity. The
reaction of the topsoil is acid and the soils are low in nutrients, particularly phosphate.
Poor drainage in the subsoil gives rise to waterlogging and the soils are often flooded in the
wet season, whilst in the dry season the topsoil rapidly dries out and becomes desiccated.
Small-scale movement of soil material may occur during the wet season on gentle undulations
due to sheet erosion. The clay soils of the Puletan suite have a neutral reaction and are low
in nutrients, although they have not been leached. As they occur in lowlying sites and are
slow to drain, these soils are usually flooded to a depth of several feet in the wet season.
13
The alluvial soils, occurring in narrow bands moving north-west to south-east across the area,
have been formed from a variety of parent materials. Soils of the Monkey River suite occur
along the major drainage system of Monkey River and along minor creeks farther north. They
are formed from recent and contemporary deposition of material derived from limestone, granite,
shale and quartzite, and horizon differentiation is poorly developed. The soils are silty loam
to sandy silt loam in texture, greyish brown to brown in colour with fair to good natural
drainage and slightly acid reaction. Soils of the Hondo subsuite are developed on material
still being laid down in ponded areas near the mouths of South Stann Creek and Monkey River.
Although they have high fertility these silty clay loam soils are flooded during the wet
season.
Soils of the Melinda suite occur in patches to the west of the project area and are formed on
fan material derived from granite and shale. They are brown sandy loams with mottled gritty
clay subsoils and acid reaction. Adjacent to South Stann Creek, soils of the Canquin set
derived from quartzites, shale, sandstone and granite occur. They have a sandy silt loam to
sandy clay loam texture and exhibit a fair degree of profile development. The soils are deep
and drainage is mainly good, although nutrient reserves are only moderate.
Alluvial soils of the Ossory suite occur adjacent to the lower reaches of the Sittee River and
are derived from quartzites. These fine sandy silt loams are freely drained and low in
fertility. Soils of the Governor subsuite are found between the Trio and Bladen branches of
Monkey Rivers. These soils are formed on a high terrace and fan from material derived from
shales, quartzite and porphory. The soils are loam textured and show little profile
development. Drainage is good, fertility moderate and reaction neutral. Granodoro sandy
silty clays are formed on old alluvium between the Swasey and Bladen branches of Monkey River.
These soils are leached and infertile with a poorly drained subsoil.
Soils of the Toledo suite occur in the southern part of the project area as the Machaca
complex. These soils are generally of low natural fertility and are slow to drain. They vary
from grey and brown sandy clay loams on sandstones to clays on shale. On higher areas better
drained dull brown stony clay soils occur. Jacinto sandy clay loams of very low fertility
and poor drainage occur in association with Machaca soils developed over non-calcareous
sandstone.
On the foothills in the west of the project area, soils of the Stopper, Ossory and Cabro
suites occur, formed on granite, quartzite and limestone respectively. The Stopper soils are
coarse sandy clay loams, gritty clay loams, gritty loams and loams, and fertility is generally
fairly high with adequate reserves of potash, although phosphate contents are low and
reaction is acid. Drainage tends to be fairly slow because of the heavy texture, except in
the Stopper loam where drainage is good. Soils of the Ossory suite are shallow stony and clay
loams, are low in fertility and occur on acid rocks on steep and precipitous country. Shallow
brown and grey stony clays of the Cabro set occur on steep rugged limestone country.
The coastal fringe is occupied by a narrow strip of discontinous Turneffe coarse sand similar
to that present on offshore cays and other exposed areas. Behind this lie extensive areas of
mangrove swamp with Ycacos sandy peat and peaty sand soils. The coarse sand soils are of low
fertility and excessively drained whilst the mangrove soils are saline and permanently
waterlogged.
VEGETATION
Three broad types of vegetation may be recognised in the southern Coastal Plain: savanna,
broadleaved forest and mixed pine/broadleaved forest (locally called Broken Ridge). The
coastal fringe vegetation is not discussed here as it has no relevance to the inventory of the
pine resource.
Savanna
This consists typically of a coarse sward of bunch grasses and sedges with scattered overmature
pine (Pinus caribaea);
palmetto (Acoelorraphe
wrightii)
occurs singly or in clumps. Other
small trees, shrubs and suffrutices may be present as a discontinuous understorey. Prominent
among these are various species of the Melastomaceae,
species of oak (Quercus spp.) and craboo
14
(Byrsonima crassifolia).
Other characteristic species, as recorded by Hunt (1970), include
Savannah white poisonwood (Cameraria bclizensis),
Coco plum (Chrysobalanus icaco). Calabash
(Crescent ia cujete),
Yaha (Curatella amer.icana), and (Ximcnia
amcricana).
The floristic and physiognomic features of the pine savanna vary with a number of environmental
factors, among which drainage and the incidence of fire appear to be the most important.
The most complete study of the Central American savannas is that by Beard (1953) who defines
savanna as:
"
a plant formation of tropical America, comprising a virtually continuous,
ecologically dominant stratum of more or less xeromorphic herbs, of which grasses and
sedges are the principal components, with scattered shrubs, trees or palms sometimes
present
The essential point is that the herb stratum is ecologically dominant."
Beard considers that the vegetation of all tropical American savannas is sufficiently
homogeneous for them to be regarded as a single formation. He recognises four main phases,
open, orchard, palm and pine, with two fringe types, sedge savanna and high grass savanna.
Beard (1944, 1953), Hunt (1970) and others, observe that the distribution of the different
savanna phases appears to be determined by the drainage characteristics of the site. This is
in line with the comments made above on the Puletan soils of the southern Coastal Plain.
Beard's orchard and pine phases are characteristic of the dry end of the spectrum and are
found on the Puletan sands. The open and palm phases are associated with conditions of impeded
drainage and correspond to the 'sabana' described by Bartlett; they occur on the Puletan sandy
loams and clay loams. The pattern may be altered by fire. Hunt regards Beard's high grass
savanna as transitional between savanna and broadleaved forest, as it occurs at the edges of
forest and is less readily and less frequently burned than the other savanna phases.
Hunt comments on the misleading appearance of uniformity of the herb stratum which conceals a
considerable variation in species composition, depending on drainage. Only the extremes of
wet and dry conditions are conspicuous. The dry extreme is characterised by Trachypogon
angust ifolius
and Paspalum pect inatum and the wet extreme by Mesosetum f iIifolium
and
Rhynchospora
globosa.
On the poorer drained savannas, pine is stunted and sparse and the frequency of other woody
species is also much reduced, except for clumps or more extensive blocks of Acoelor raphe
(Beard's palm phase), Quercus and locally abundant Cameraria.
Bartlett (1935) suggests that
the growth of pine may be inhibited by a high concentration of salt in the soil. The very
open type of savanna occurs mainly along the eastern edges of the project area on the lowerlying terraces descending towards the sea.
Under conditions of better soil drainage and a lower incidence of fire, a denser stocking of
both pine and other woody species occurs. Eventually this better stocked savanna (Beard's
orchard and pine phases) merges into Broken Ridge. There are extensive areas of pine savanna
that is savanna with a woody component predominantly of pine - although the density of pine
is very low.
Orchard savanna is distinguished by having a considerable stocking of woody species other than
pine. Two distinct variants are those described by Bartlett as 'nanzal' and 'encinal' . Nanzal
is distinguished by the predominance of craboo (Byrsonima crassifolia).
Encinal is pure oak
woodland and occurs in the form of isolated, well-defined islands. The trees comprising the
oak woodland may be of a considerable size with well-developed bushy crowns. Ground cover
under the oak is sparse or absent and a considerable proportion of the ground surface consists
of exposed white sand. Patches of encinal occur particularly in the vicinity of Mango Creek.
Broadleaved Forest
Strips of broadleaved gallery forest occupy the river valleys. The strips associated with the
major rivers are substantial and extend as broad swathes several hundred metres wide. The
riparian broadleaved forest on the plain merges with the more extensive blocks of broadleaved
forest in the foothills.
15
The physiognomic and floristic characteristics of the broadleaved forest are variable. At its
most developed it is Cohune Ridge, that is, high forest dominated by the cohune palm
(Orbignya
cohune).
This type of forest has an open structure near the ground, with few understorey and
shrub species because of the shade cast by the top canopy. Cohune Ridge occurs along the major
rivers, chiefly upstream towards the foothills of the Maya Mountains. At the other extreme,
broadleaved forest may be only low thicket, with emergent small trees reaching a height of
10-15 m (30-50 ft). There may be a sparse herbaceous ground cover, and cutting grass
(Scleria
bracteata)
is frequently present. This type of forest occurs along the western edges
of the plain towards the foothills and on some of the alluvial fans, between the Trio and
Bladen Branches, for example.
Merchantable species occurring in the broadleaved forest of the Coastal Plain include mahogany
(Swietenia macrophylla)
and rosewood (Dalbergia stevensonii),
both of which are exploited on a
small scale. Rosewood is of importance in the vicinity of the Bladen Branch of Monkey River
and Deep River.
Mixed Pine/Broadleaved Forest
This type of vegetation (Broken Ridge) is transitional between broadleaved forest and pine
savanna and falls within the marginal forest category described by Hunt (1970).
Broken Ridge occurs on the better drained soils which are capable of supporting both pine
and broadleaved species, the balance between the two apparently being determined by fire. In
the absence of fire, pine savanna becomes Broken Ridge which in turn becomes broadleaved
forest. In physiognomy there is a gradation from the early transitional vegetation, having
an open structure without canopy closure and with trees and shrubs of various sizes, to the
more uniform and continuous broadleaved thicket and woodland with an overstorey of overmature
pine.
Floristically, Broken Ridge is very variable, the species composition probably depending
particularly upon soil drainage, as well as on other factors. More detailed descriptions
of the various plant associations which are included in this category, and of the Coastal
Plain vegetation in the Belize River area, are given by Jenkin et al. (in preparation).
Common woody species, apart from pine and various Melastomes, are AcoeJorraphe
wrightii,
Byrsonima crassifolia
and Quercus spp. As Broken Ridge develops, trees more typical of true
broadleaved forest, such as negrito (Simaruba glauca),
tend to emerge from the low canopy.
Broken Ridge thicket does not cast a dense shade and is frequently laced with
Scleria
bracteata.
Savanna Development and the Role of Fire
The origin and maintenance of the Central American savannas has been the subject of
considerable speculation and study. A frief review of the subject is given elsewhere by
Johnson and Chaffey (1974) in relation to the Mountain Pine Ridge, which is the principal
upland pine savanna in Belize. Repetition here is avoided except in so far as is necessary
to draw inferences which relate specifically to the southern Coastal Plain.
Broadly, two main theories of savanna development have arisen. On the one hand, authors such
as Charter (1941) and Beard (1953) have attemped to explain savanna as a consequence essentially
of edaphic factors, especially soil drainage. In contrast and more recently, the pine savanna
of the Miskito Coast - the largest area of Pinus caribaea
savanna in Central America and
similar in many respects to the Coastal Plain of Belize - has been described as a fire disclimax
which, in the absence of fire, reverts to broadleaved forest (Munro, 1966; Taylor 1962). The
same view is held by Luckhoff (1964) in relation to most of the Caribbean pine savannas in
Central America, although he observes that the pine savanna of the Coastal Plain in Belize
appears to be determined exclusively by soil characteristics. Budowski (1956) and Parsons
(1955), the latter with reference to the Miskito Coast, envisage savanna development as a
consequence of soil degradation which, in turn, is the result of the removal by fire of former
broadleaved forest.
Authors subscribing to either view have tended to see fire as an influence of man and have
discounted lightning as a cause. In Belize (and elsewhere in Central America, vide Beard, 1953)
the degree of adaptation of the vegetation to fire is such that it seems doubtful whether it
could have occurred wholly since man's arrival in the Americas, which Beard quotes as being
16
between 10 000 and 25 000 years ago. In the uplands of Belize, it is well established by
observation that lightning- caused fires are frequent in pine savanna and occur occasionally in
broadleaved forest. Fire records are not available for the southern Coastal Plain, although
Wolffsohn (1967) reports that lightning-caused fires are unknown there.
Over most of the southern Coastal Plain, where drainage is poor both externally and internally the result of topography and the sand-over-clay savanna soils - it seems likely that fire is of
much less significance in maintaining the savanna (whatever its origin) than on better sites.
Certainly, for practical purposes, the immediate problem on these areas is not the possibility
of a return to broadleaved vegetation but the failure to achieve regeneration of pine because
of recurrent fire. On the more deeply draining soils on the plain and in the adjacent foothills,
where fairly rapid invasion by broadleaved forest can occur, fire is probably of decisive
importance. Here, Luckhoff' s conclusion that the development of Broken Ridge is the consequence
of the prolonged absence of fire is almost certainly correct.
Butt and Stem Decay in Standing Pine
The pathology of Pinus caribaea
in Belize has been discussed by Etheridge (1968) and by Johnson
and Chaffey (1974). Of importance in relation to the present inventory of the southern Coastal
Plain is the occurrence of stem and butt decay, the incidence of which is high in mature pine.
Fire sears are the commonest site of infection. Williams (1965) records primary infection
through fire scars by the fungus Lentinus
pallidus,
which causes cubical brown rot. Etheridge
lists nine further species of wood destroying fungi isolated from pine in Belize. Rotten
heartwood commonly becomes infested by the termite Coptotermes
niger,
primary termite attack
being precluded by the high resin content of the wood.
FAUNA*
Among the larger mammals, the only species commonly seen on the open savanna is a deer,,
(Odocoileus
truei).
This is hunted for meat, as are armadillo (Tatusia
spp.), gibnut (Coelogcnys
paca) and the two wild pigs, peccary (Dicotyles
tajacu)
and warrie (D. labiatus),
all of which
are found more commonly in the broadleaved forest and Broken Ridge. Four species of cat occur
in the area and are hunted for sport, which is commercially organised. These are jaguar
(Felis onca), puma (F. concolor) ocelot (F. padalis)
and tiger cat (F. glaucula yucat.cn ica).
Other mammals worthy of note are tapir (Tapirella
bairdi),
kinkajou (Potos flavus),
quash
(Nasua nasica),
fox (Urocyon cinereo argentus),
bush dog (Galictis
barbara),
various anteaters
(Tamandua spp.) and oppossums of the genera Caluromys, Didelphis,
Uarmosa and Philander ,
Birds which are hunted for meat are the curassow (Crax rubra rubra),
guan (Penelope
purpurasccns
purpurascens)
and chachalaca (Ortalis
vetula
intermedia).
Two other conspicuous bird species
are the oscellated turkey (Meliagris
ocellata),
which is protected (although formerly a game
species), and the John Crow or turkey vulture (Cathartes
aura).
Among insects, the termite Coptotermes
niger is important in relation to pine, although termite
infestation of trees is always secondary to fungal attack which is normally effected through
fire scars (Williams, 1965).
Scolytid bark beetles are a serious pest of Pinus caribaea
in Belize and neighbouring territories.
The most important species is probably Dendroctonus
frontalis
Zimm. (Etheridge, 1968). The
injurous effect of D. frontalis
is due to the fungus Ceratocystis
sp. which the insect
transmits. Fungal infection of a tree cannot only prove fatal but also degrades the timber
by staining the sapwood blue.
*The notes given here are based largely upon the authors' own observations and impressions and are not
intended to be regarded as complete or authoritative. The principal source of specific names consulted
in writing these notes is Wright et al. (1959).
17
A shoot borer, Rhyaconia
frustrana
Comstock, is recorded as affecting P. caribaea
in Belize
by Loock (1950) and Browne (1968) but its importance, if any, in the Coastal Plain is not
known.
Finally, no account of the fauna of the southern Coastal Plain would be complete without
mention of the blackfly (Simulium
sp.). Fortunately, although the superabundance of
Simuliids can be very discomforting, the insect is not known to carry disease.
HUMAN ASPECTS
HISTORY
The infertility of the savanna soils discouraged cultivation of the project area during the
period of the Maya civilisation (300 BC - 900 AD). Except for subsistence farming along the
coastal settlements, the southern Coastal Plain remained largely uninhabited until the late
19th century.
Banana production was important in the early 20th century. Leafspot and Panama disease,
marketing difficulties, and a shortage of land suitable for cultivation contributed towards
a decline in the export crop in 1937.
The export of coconuts grew in importance along the coast during the early 20th century and
continues to date.
Little use has been made of the foothills edging the Coastal Plain. The absence of limestone
prevented their settlement by the ancient Mayas. In more recent times, the use of the foothills
has been limited by the paucity of commercially desirable tree species. Early settlers
ignored them because of the absence of logwood (Haematoxylon
campechianum)
and chicleros
(tappers of chicle, an exudate from which chewing gum is made) have been similarly disinterested
in the area because of the absence of sapodilla (Manilkara
zapota).
More recently the
foothills have been exploited for the small stock of mahogany (Swietenia
macrophylla).
Afforestation of the pine savanna by planting was started in the southern Coastal Plain in the
late 1940s. Between 1949 and 1952 more than 90 ha (230 ac) was planted annually in the area
which subsequently became the Mango Creek Forest Reserve, and afforestation at a rate of
40 ha (100 ac) per annum was maintained until 1959. Savannah Forest Station developed to
serve both as a base for the planting programme and as a fire-fighting station.
Forest reservation dates from 1941, when the Deep River Forest Reserve was gazetted. Mango
Creek and Swasey-Bladen Reserves followed in 1960. Fire protection was practised throughout
these years, in so far as equipment and accessibility permitted, and by 1960 the whole of the
southern Coastal Plain was subject to some degree of fire protection. Fire lookout stations
had been constructed at six points and fire-fighting organisations had been established at
Savannah Forest Station, inside the project area, and at Melinda, the Divisional Forest
Office near Stann Creek. The policy towards fire control envisaged nuclei of manpower located
at the fire lookouts with major support provided by the two forest stations, but this policy
was never fully implemented. Following recommendations by Downie (1959) that the national
allocation of funds to forestry should be halved, the fire control effort in the Coastal Plain
was severely contracted. Newly built fire lookout stations which had had little or no use
were abandoned. Fire control has never been particularly successful. Fire-fighting resources
have been inadequate for the area involved and the local people' s habit of setting fire to
the savanna in the dry season has never been successfully discouraged.
Air photography of most of the project area, at scale 1:16 000, was flown in 1956 and a
forest-type map prepared from it. In the same year, ground enumeration was carried out and
forest management plans prepared. Relevant records are no longer available.
In 1961, Belize was struck by Hurricane Hattie, which caused severe damage to the
country's forests. Accounts are given in the 1961 Annual Report (British Honduras Forest
Department, 1962) and by Lindo (1967).
18
The eye of the hurricane, with wind speeds of 240-370 km/h (150-230 mi/h) moved south-west
about 25 km north of Sittee River. Susceptible trees in the northern part of the project area
had recently been blown over by two minor hurricanes. Pine trees up to 25 cm d.b.h. were
sufficiently supple to survive the high winds. Damage was severe south of the Swasey Branch,
where the pine was only then being exploited; here, windthrow averaged about 50% and was as
much as 80% in places.
Debris left by the hurricane was such that the risk of fire was greatly increased and
legislation was introduced to control entry into most of the southern Coastal Plain. North
of the Swasey Branch, in the former Mango Creek Forest Reserve, controlled burning was
conducted in order to pre-empt the possibility of uncontrolled fire (British Honduras
Forest Department, 1963). Timber salvaging operations were encouraged by the temporary waiver
of royalty, which resulted in a considerable increase in the output of sawn lumber.
In the late 1960s, horticultural operations were started near Savannah Forest Station, and
in 1969 Mango Creek Forest Reserve was de-reserved in order to make the whole area available
for horticulture.
FOREST
EXPLOITATION
Exploitation of the southern Coastal Plain dates back to the 1920s, when pine was exported from
All Pines, long since abandoned. Hummel (1921) attributes the reluctance to exploit pine at
that time to the lack of knowledge of its qualities. Logging on a large scale, with sawmills
at Mango Creek, started around 1945, and operations moved progressively southwards once the
areas close to Mango Creek were logged out.
Quantitative records of timber removed are not available. Obtaining a sustained yield was not
seriously attemped, partly because of a reluctance to impose restrictions upon a developing and
successful industry. Such restrictions could have been effective if introduced in the late
1940s (British Honduras Forest Department). By 1961, the year of Hurricane Hattie, most of the
southern Coastal Plain had been exploited. The last commercially exploitable stands were cut
in 1966 (British Honduras Forest Department, 1967).
The question of the feasibility of establishing a pulp and paper industry, possibly based on
pine in the southern Coastal Plain, was raised in the 1950s. From a brief survey, le Cacheux
(1957) found that the existing pine resources were insufficient for such an industry. He
concluded that supplies of pulp wood sufficient to maintain a pulp industry might become
available in the late 1970s, provided that afforestation in the southern Coastal Plain
continued as planned. In the event, the Downie report (1959), resulted in the abandonment of
the planting programme.
In 1963, a wood naval stores industry was started at Big Creek, near Mango Creek. Resin was
extracted from the pine stumps left by timber working and exported to the United States. For
reasons which are not clear the enterprise was not as successful as had been anticipated and
operation ceased in 1965. A lasting benefit is the road system which was constructed on the
pine savannas and was subsequently of value for fire control.
In recent years only one small sawmill just south of the Swasey Branch has continued to take
pine in the project area. Small volumes of rosewood are exported in the round, and other
hardwoods are sawn at Medina Bank on Deep River.
POPULATION
Figures from the 1970 population census for settlements in the areas between Sittee River
and Deep River are shown in Table 7. These figures relate to settlements of more than 50
persons and therefore slightly underestimate the population.
19
TABLE 7 Provisional figures from 1970 population census for settlements between
Sittee River and Deep River
Settlement
Total population
Males
Females
Households
64
33
31
16
Independence
225
111
114
37
Mango Creek
602
306
296
100
Monkey River
276
143
133
n. a.
Placentia
290
148
142
56
71
43
28
17
500
220
280
118
2 028
1 004
1 024
Alabama
Savannah
Seine Bight
Total
n. a.
n.a. = not available
Source: Belize Ministry of Finance and Economic Development
Except for Alabama, which is a banana estate, and Savannah, a forest station, the settlements
listed are coastal and their populations largely depend on agriculture and fishing. Placentia
and Seine Bight village are effectively outside the project area as the narrow spit of land
on which they are situated is separated for most of its length from the mainland by the
Placentia Lagoon. The coastal town of Monkey River is effectively excluded from the project
area by virtue of being readily accessible only by sea and having no significant contact with
the pine savannas.
A preponderance of males in Savannah, but not in the other settlements listed in Table 7,
reflects the tendency for Forest Department employees to commute to the forest station for
work but to maintain a permanent home elsewhere.
LAND TENURE
Most of the project area is Crown Land but two privately owned estates included in the
inventory include about 4 220 ha (10 400 ac) of pine land. South of the Swasey Branch, the
Crown Land inventoried consists of forest reserves. North of the Swasey Branch the land
remains in Crown ownership although it has been de-reserved and is leased for private use.
Administration of the forest on Crown Land is the responsibility of the Forest Department.
CURRENT LAND USE
The principal uses of land in the project area are for agriculture and timber production.
Hunting and recreation are secondary. (Timber production is discussed elsewhere).
Agriculture
The agricultural use of the area is of three basic kinds.
1.
Subsistence agriculture by traditional methods of shifting cultivation, or 'milpa' .
2.
Longer-term agriculture based on fruit, notably citrus and bananas.
3.
Large-scale production of horticultural annual crops by shifting cultivation.
20
Subsistence Agriculture
Cultivation of both annual and perennial crops is practised along the
lower reaches of Sittee River and Monkey River. Crops include rice, maize, beans, cassava, yam,
coconut and mango.
Traditional farming is essentially on a subsistence basis although a small amount of surplus
production may be sold for cash. This type of agriculture is restricted in its distribution
by soil fertility and accessibility to areas other than those most important for timber
production; there is therefore no conflict between the two uses in the demand for land. There
is a problem, however, in the tendency for runaway milpa fires to spread to the forests on the
savanna.
Coconuts are grown commercially on the coastal beaches for export by small-scale operators using
traditional methods.
Fruit farming
Citrus farming occurs around South Stann Creek and a sizeable mango estate has
been established near Mango Creek. Although some fruit is sold for local consumption most
citrus is taken by two citrus factories in Pomona Valley, near Stann Creek for the United States
market.
Work is going ahead to revive the banana industry with a nucleus of operations at Cowpen, and
new roads have been constructed to improve access to Riversdale for shipping. There is no
conflict between fruit farming and forestry in the demand for land.
Horticulture
There was considerable development in the production of cucumbers, water melons
and tomatoes on the pine savanna soils until 1973. Crops were exported to the United States
when home-produced crops of the same kind were in short supply there. As the market for the
imported product lasted for only a short period each year, the timing of the operation was
critical. The operation was abandoned in 1973.
Horticulture and timber production were competing for land, but in 1969 the former Mango Creek
Forest Reserve was de-reserved and leased for the cultivation of horticultural crops.
Hunting and Recreation
Several animal species are hunted for meat which, with fish, forms an important item in the diet
of the agricultural population. Conflict with timber production arises from the practice of
subsistence farmers setting fire to the pine savanna in order to attract game animals to the
fresh growth which follows a burn. If the dependence on wild animals as a source of meat could
be reduced by greater reliance on domestic livestock, the fire hazard could be greatly reduced.
Jaguar and other cats are hunted commercially for sport. Other recreational use of the area is
minimal, except where resort development has occurred along the coast at Seine Bight and
Placentia.
COMMUNICATIONS
Road communications are poor. The area is traversed by the Southern Highway from Stann Creek to
Punta Gorda, which remains passable for four-wheel drive vehicles throughout the year except
for short periods, usually of a few hours' duration, when flooding occurs at river crossings.
During the dry season, access by vehicle is possible over much of the coastal plain. Logging
roads dating from the 1950s, tracks made more recently for oil prospecting and old railway
alignments all remain serviceable, and in places it is possible to drive across the open
savanna. In wet seasons, vehicular access is complicated by surface floodwater. The ground
surface is such that loss of traction in wet conditions is often less of a problem than
mechanical failure.
The coastal settlements are readily accessible by sea but only those in the Mango Creek area
can be easily reached from other parts of the mainland. The main rivers are navigable by
dory (small canoe) across the width of the plain and for some distance into the foothills.
21
There are airstrips suitable for light aircraft at Savannah Forest Station, Mango Creek and near
Mango Creek. Savannah is served by scheduled daily flights between Belize City and Punta Gorda.
Radio communication is maintained by the Forest Department, with radio telephone equipment at
Cabbage Haul Fire Lookout and Savannah. Cabbage Haul is the relay station for the Divisional
Forest Office at Melinda and can communicate with Belize City, Belmopan, and the other Forest
Department relay station at Cooma Cairn. Departmental vehicles are equipped with mobile radio
telephone sets.
MARKETS
Markets for pine lumber are now exclusively local, although considerable quantities were
previously exported. Sawn pine lumber was sold in May 1971 at a government-controlled price of
17 cents per bdft (i.e. S"72/m3, S2/ft 3 )*- The sawn lumber production from the one small pine
mill still operating in the project area is disposed of in Stann Creek and Belize City. Hardwood
production is also marketed locally, except for rosewood which is exported in the round.
• Bgl = £0.25
22
PART 4. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS
OBJECTIVES
The broad objective of the forest inventory was to quantify the growing stock of pine in the
project area. The type of information to be collected and the subsequent treatment of the data
were governed by the generally low rate of stocking, which was evident from air photography, and
by consideration of management and utilisation, the latter especially in relation to pulp. The
detailed objectives are defined as follows.
A.
Estimation of Standing Volume of Pine
1.
To estimate the standing volume of pine in blocks specified by the Forest Department and in
the project area as a whole. The precision of estimate required was + 20% at 95% probability, except where preliminary sampling revealed such a low stock that it was agreed with the
Forest Department to curtail sampling and accept less precision.
The minimum size of material for which volume estimates were required, south of the Swasey
Branch, was 7.6 cm (3.0 in) d.b.h. and north of the Swasey, 12.6 cm (5.0 in) d.b.h. The
difference in the requirements for the two parts of the project a.rea was due to the recent
de-reservation of the pine area north of the Swasey Branch (i.e. the former Mango Creek
Forest Reserve). With the then possibility that much of this former reserve would in the
near future be cleared for horticultural use, and assuming that a minimum commercially
exploitable size for pulp of 25,4 cm (10.0 in) existed, the project only dealt with timber
that was already or would very soon be exploitable for pulp. It was decided to quote volume
estimates for the following size categories.
Block 1
d.b.h. >12.6 cm ( 5 0 in)
d.b.h. >15. 2 cm ( 6 0 in)
d.b.h. >25.4 cm (10 0 in)
Blocks 2 -3
d.b.h. > 7.6 cm ( 3 0 in)
d.b.h. >15.2 cm ( 6 0 in)
d.b.h. >25.4 cm (10 0 in)
On account of the high incidence of stem and butt rot the estimate of volume was required to
incorporate some measure of defect, to permit the assessment of the standing volume of sound
timber.
Private lands
Separate volume figures were required for two areas of private land, the
Hughes Estate and the Stopper, derived not from separate sampling of them but from the
figures for the first blocks in which they lay. A third estate, Harvest Cay Works, was
to be excluded in the presentation of results.
To show by means of stand tables the size class distribution for each of the four blocks.
Stand tables were required particularly to indicate probable future recruitment of material
to 25.4 cm (10.0 in) d.b.h. and above.
Assessment of Pine Regeneration
In order to assess the amount of pine regeneration by numbers of stems, classified by
height, 'regeneration' was taken to comprise stems of less than 5 cm (2 in) d.b.h. The
precision of estimate required was i 20% at 95% probability. For reasons given above,
the area north of the Swasey was not sampled for regeneration..
Construction of a Pine Volume Table
To construct a single variable local volume table for Pinus
23
caribaea.
D.
Forest/Vegetation Type Mapping
To produce by airphoto interpretation a map of the project area showing the distribution
of pine forest and pine regeneration according to a canopy density classification. The map
was required both for planning the field sampling and for subsequent management.
SAMPLING BLOCKS AND STRATA
Originally the project area was divided into four blocks. It was agreed with the Forest Department that no field sampling should be done in Block 4 south of Deep River because of the paucity
of pine and difficulty of access. Block 4 has therefore been merged into Block 3.
Vegetation type mapping was done by stereoscopic examination of air photographs of scale
1:15 000. Fourteen forest/vegetation types were recognised and mapped, of which seven were
sampled. Pine forest types were distinguished on the basis of canopy density and by the presence
or absence of a broadleaved understorey. The distinguishing characteristics of the forest/
vegetation types mapped are summarised in Table 8.
TABLE 8 Forest/vegetation types identified and mapped
Distinguishing features
Forest/vegetation type
1.
Pine forest
1. 1
1.2
1.3
2.1
Broadleaved forest*
2.2
Mixed pine/broadleaved
forest
2.2/1.1
2.2/1.2
2.2/1.3
2.2/1.4*
3.
Canopy closure %
Without pine
Pine canopy
closure %
>r
70
40-70
^4Q
Grassland
Without pine
With pine seedlings and/or very
scattered overmature pine
Swamp*
4.1*
4.2*
4.3*
5.
K(
(
Very scattered overmature
pine overstorey
3. 1*
3. 2
4.
(
>70
( 40-70
(
<40
Palmetto
Grass
Coastal and estuarine, including
mangrove
Beach vegetation, including
coconut groves
Coastal strand*
'Types not sampled
SAMPLING OF TIMBER STOCKING
Sampling was carried out by means of randomly distributed sample plots. Each forest block was
treated as a unit within which the sample plots were randomly arranged without consideration of
their location within a particular forest/vegetation type, so permitting data to be subsequently
combined in whatever ways might prove desirable for analysis.
The total number of plots sampled in each block was of the order of 100, each plot being
50 x 100 m (165 x 330 ft), having an area of 0.5 ha (1.2 ac) with the long axis aligned northsouth.
24
Trees of all species were calipered and their d.b.h. recorded to the nearest millimetre as the
mean of two measurements taken at right angles. In two of the blocks, trees of d.b.h. 5 cm
(2 in) and over were recorded. In the third sampling block, from Sittee River to the Swasey
Branch, trees of less than 12.6 cm (4.5 in) d.b.h. were not sampled.
It was agreed with the Forest Department that figures for the two areas of private land (the
Hughes Estate and the Stopper) for which separate figures were required, should be derived from
results obtained for the complete blocks of which they form a part, so they were not sampled as
separate units. The approximate boundaries of the Hughes Estate, the Stopper and Harvest Cay
works (to be excluded in presenting block volumes) are given on the forest 'type map.
REGENERATION
COUNT
Pine regeneration of less than 5 cm d.b.h. was sampled by means of 0.1 ha (0.25 ac) plots, each
10 x 100 m (33 x 330 ft), aligned inside the western margin of the timber sampling plots. Stems
were recorded and classified according to height. Three height classes were recognised, viz
0-1.5 m (0-5 ft), 1.5-3 m (5-10 ft) and over 3 m (10 ft).
Regeneration was sampled in only two of the three blocks sampled for standing volume.
(Sittee River to Swasey Branch) regeneration was not sampled.
VOLUMETRIC
In Block 1
MEASUREMENTS
Quantitative data for the construction of a local volume table for pine were collected from
167 randomly selected trees. Measurements were made of a sample of approximately 15 trees in
each 5 cm (2.0 in) d.b.h. class up. to 70 cm (27.5 in) and the parameters measured as follows:
diameter at breast height, butt diameter (15 cm, 5.9 in above ground), top diameter (10.0 cm,
3.9 in, overbark), mid-point diameter, height to top diameter and total height. Diameter
measurements were made to the nearest millimetre, each measurement being taken both under and
overbark, and recorded as the mean of two measurements at right angles, and height measurements
to the nearest centimetre.
Allowance for the generally high incidence of butt and stem decay in the pine in the project area
was effected through the volume table. Diameter measurements were made of rot, where it occurred,
at each point at which stem diameter measurements were made. Rot diameters were similarly
recorded as the mean of two measurements at right angles, and an estimate made of the length of
stem affected by rot.
OTHER
OBSERVATIONS
In addition to the quantitative sampling data collected at each sample point, stand condition,
degree of canopy closure, situation, slope, aspect, drainage and underlying rock were also
recorded.
25
PART 5. RESULTS OF THE INVENTORY
FOREST/VEGETATION
TYPES
The distribution of the forest/vegetation types is shown on the maps accompanying this report
and in Table 9.
TABLE 9 Area statement showing areas of sampled pine-bearing forest/vegetation types in three
blocks
Forest/vegetation type
Pine forest
Mixed pine/broadleaved forest
Grassland
2.2/1.2
3. 2
Block
1. 1
ha
1.3
1. 2
ac
ha
ac
ha
2.2/1.1
ac
803 2 325 5 745 6 925 17 112
1* Sittee - Swasey
325
2 + Swasey - Bladen
25
62
325
803
2 525
6 239
208
514
327
808
1 830
4 522
3
Bladen - south
of Deep River
Total all blocks
ha
ac
ha
ac
2.2/1.3
ha
ac
ha
ac
75
185
225
556
775 1 915 17 775 43 922
75
185
350
865
825 2 039
942 2 328
1 800
4 448
725 1 791 1 227 3 032 5 891 14 557
558 1 379 2 977 7 356 11 280 27 873 1 092 2 698 1 300 3 212 2 827 6 986 25 466 62 927
* including Hughes Estate and excluding Harvest Cay Works
+ including the Stopper
STAND TABLES
Stand tables showing numbers of stems per unit area and the distribution according to size class
for grouped forest/vegetation types are given in Table 10. The forest/vegetation type groups
used are the same as those used for computing standing volumes, described below. The d.b.h.
classes shown in the tables each have a range of 5 cm (2 in). The smallest complete class for
which figures are given for Block l is the 15 cm (5. 9 in) class which extends from 12. 6 cm
(5.0 in) to 17.4 cm (6.9 in). For Blocks 2 and 3 the smallest complete class for which figures
are given is the 10 cm (3.9 in) class (7.6-12.5 cm/3.0^4.9 in). Stems of 5.0-7.5 cm (2.0-3.0 in)
d.b.h. are shown separately and are also included in the summary columns.
The 15 cm d.b.h. class is subdivided to show the numbers of stems equal to and above 15.2 cm
(6.0 in) d.b.h. The 25 cm (9.8 in) class is subdivided to show the number of stems of 25.4 cm
(10.0 in) d.b.h. and above. These subdivisions are necessary to permit the growing stock to be
grouped into the imperial-unit size categories required for standing volume (described below);
the size categories are included in the summary columns of the stand tables.
STANDING
VOLUME
Volume figures are presented for three size categories of growing stock, as described in Part 4.
Volumes were calculated for various groups of forest/vegetation types, rather than for each type
separately, because of the large number of types identified. The three combinations of types for
which results are presented are those found, by trial calculation, to give the lowest variance.
Tables 11 and 12 show the mean stocking for each group of forest/vegetation types. These
figures are derived by converting stem numbers per unit area into volume per unit area by use of
the local volume table (Table 13). Gross volume figures are given in Tables 14 and 15*.
*Mean volumes for Block 1 apply also to Harvest Cay Works (included in Block 1 for sampling purposes) The
block area used to calculate gross volumes for Block 1 excludes Harvest Cay Works, which is thus excluded
from the gross volumes given
27
TABLE 10
Stand tables showing numbers of stems of pine per unit area* and the distribution according to size class in groups
of forest/vegetation types in three blocks*
d. b. h., cm (in)
d.b.b. class, cm (In)
Block
Types
Area
ha
(ac)
d.b.h.
5.0-7.5 cm
(2.0-3.0 in)
15 (5.9)
25 (9.8)
10
30
20
40
35
45
50
55
60
70
65
5.0
>
(3.9) «15.2 (15.2) (7.9) <25.4 >25.4 ( U . 8 ) (13.8) (15.8) (17.7) (19.7) (21.7) (23.6) (25.6) (27.6) (2.0)
(10.0) (10.0)
(6.0) (6.0)
12.6 15.2
23.4
(5.0) (6.0) (10.0)
1
1.1:1.2;
9 575
1.3
(23 660)
n.s.
n.s.
16.6
6.7
9.4
3.8
9.4
3.8
4.4
1.8
1.4
0.6
2.4
1.0
0.8
0.3
0.4
0.2
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
n.s.
45
18
28
11
5
2
2. 2/1. 1
2.2/1.2
2.2/1.3
n.s.
n.s.
22.1
16.4
25.9
10.4
5.9
9.0
3.3
1.9
0.8
0.3
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
n.s.
96
74
21
1
8.9
6.7
10.5
4.2
2.4
3.7
1.3
0.7
0.3
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
39
30
9
5
2
4
1
2
1
1 075
(2 656)
n.s.
n.s.
1.5
0.6
0.5
0.2
0.7
0.3
0.5
0.2
0.7
0.3
0.5
0.2
0.8
0.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
775
71.9
60.9
18.9
12.4
30.0
11.9
10.0
18.1
7.0
4.5
1.5
0.5
0.9
0.3
0. 1
0.0
249
177
97
43
(1 915)
29.1
24.6
7.6
5.0
12.1
4.8
4.0
7.3
2.8
1.8
0.6
0.2
0.4
0.1
0. 1
0.0
101
72
39
17
1.3
2. 2/1. 3
3 350
(8 278)
77.0
31.2
63.0
25.5
8.0
3.2
4.6
1.8
10.4
4.2
5.4
2.2
4.2
1.7
6.3
2.5
2.2
0.9
1.3
0.5
0.6
0.2
0.3
0. 1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
183
74
106
43
35
14
15
6
2
3.2
1 800
(4 448)
14.7
6.0
6.8
2.8
1.3
0.5
0.8
0.3
2.5
1.0
2.2
0.9
1.0
0.4
2.4
1.0
0.8
0.3
0.4
0.2
0.2
0. 1
0.1
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
33
13
18
7
10
4
5
2
3
1. i; 1. 2;
1.3
2 365
(5 844)
47.3
19.1
67.5
27.3
13.8
5.6
9.0
3.7
12.9
5.2
6.8
2.8
4.5
1.8
6.6
2.7
4.2
1.7
1.5
0.6
0.8
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
175
71
128
52
47
19
18
7
2. 2/1. 1
2.2/1.2
2.2/1.3
2 894
32.5
73.3
27.4
23.5
37.2
19.8
11.1
17.9
12.2
3.8
3.9
1.1
0.6
0.5
0.2
0.5
266
233
132
52
3
(7 151)
13.2
29.7
11.1
9.5
15.1
8.0
4.5
7.2
4.9
1.5
1.6
0.4
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.2
107
94
54
21
5 891
(14 557)
17.2
7.0
13.9
5.6
1.3
0.5
0.8
0.3
1.2
0.5
0.8
0.3
0.5
0.2
1.7
0.7
0.7
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.0
0.3
0. 1
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.0
0. 1
0.0
0.0
0.0
39
16
22
9
7
3
4
2
1
3.2
2
1. 1; 1. 2
2. 2/1.1
2. 2/1.2
2
3
3.2
17 775
(43 922)
n.s.
* Figures for both stems/ha and stems/ac have been rounded to the nearest 0. 1; t h i s accounts for some apparent anomalies in conversions of low stem numbers
x n.s.
=
not sampled
TABLE 11
Standing volume of pine per unit area, including defective timber,
in groups of forest/vegetation types in three blocks*
Area
ha
1
1
1. i ; l . 2; 1.3
2.2/1. 1:2.2/
1.2:2.2/1.3
9 575
1 075
17 775
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
d.b.h.
class*
Types
Block
m3/ha
ac
23 650
2 656
43 922
3.2
i-i;i-2;
2.2/1.1-2.2/
1.2
1.3:2.2/1.3
3.2
3 350
1 800
i.i;i.2;i.3
2.2/1.1:2.2/
1.2:2.2/1.3
3.2
775
2 365
2 894
5 891
1 915
8 275
4 448
5 844
7 151
14 557
Reliable
minimum
estimate
Mean
ft3/ac
m 3 /ha
ft3/ac
b
9.7
139
7.0
100
c
8.0
114
5.4
77
d
3.5
51
1.8
26
b
28.6
409
21. 1
302
c
26. 1
373
18.7
267
d
15.7
223
9.6
137
b
1. 8
26
0.5
7
c
1.7
24
0.3
5
d
1.3
19
0.0
0
a
49.8
712
29.0
414
c
45.5
650
25. 1
359
d
33.2
474
17.5
250
a
19. 2
274
15.3
219
c
15.8
226
12. 1
172
d
11. 1
159
8. 1
116
a
5.3
76
3.6
52
c
4.9
70
3.2
46
d
3.5
50
2. 1
30
a
24. 1
344
10.9
156
c
19.9
285
7.4
106
d
13.7
196
5.2
74
a
68.3
975
50.8
726
c
62.3
890
46.2
660
d
44.0
629
30.8
440
a
5.2
74
2.8
40
c
4.5
65
2.2
32
d
3.9
56
2.0
28
* Figures for m 3 /ha have been rounded t o the nearest 0. 1, thos»e for ft 3 /'ac to the rlearest whole number.
This ac counts for apparent anomalies m the conversions of s mall volunaes
X
a > 7.6 cm (3.0 in)
c > 15. 2 cm (6.0 in)
b > 12.6 enl ( 5.0 in)
d > 25. 4 eni (10.0 in]
29
TABLE 12
Standing net sound volume of pine per unit area, assuming maximum
defect, in groups of forest/vegetation types in three blocks
Area
Block
d.b.h.
Types
\*± tXOO
ha
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
1. l ; l . 2 ; l . 3
2.2/1. l;2. 2/
1.2:2.2/1.3
3.2
1.1:1.2:2.2/
1. 1 : 2 . 2 / 1 . 2
1.3:2.2/1.3
3.2
l. i ; i . 2 ; 1.3
2.2/1. 1:2.2/
1.2:2.2/1.3
3.2
Reliable
minimum
estimate
Mean
9 575
1 075
17 775
775
3 350
1 800
2 365
2 894
5 891
ac
23 660
2 656
43 922
1 915
8 278
4 448
5 844
7 151
14 557
30
tn 3 /ha
ft3/ac
m 3 /ha
ft3/ac
b
9.2
131
6.7
95
c
7.5
107
5. 1
73
d
2.9
42
1.5
22
b
26.2
374
19.6
280
c
24. 1
345
17.7
252
d
12.8
183
8.0
114
b
1.6
23
0.5
7
c
1.5
21
0.3
5
d
1. 1
16
0.0
0
a
44.2
632
25.9
370
c
39.9
571
22. 1
316
d
27.5
393
14.7
210
a
17.4
248
14.0
200
c
14.0
200
10.7
153
d
9.3
133
6.9
98
a
4.8
68
3.3
47
c
4.4
62
2.9
41
d
3.0
43
1.8
26
a
21.8
311
9.9
142
c
17.6
252
6.5
93
d
11.4
162
4.3
61
a
60.6
866
44. 1
630
c
55.0
786
40.7
582
d
36.8
525
26.3
376
a
4.4
63
2.3
33
c
3.8
54
1.8
25
d
3. 1
45
1.6
22
TABLE 13 Local volume for Pinus
Volume of
sound t r e e s *
d.b.h.
m3
ft3
cm
in
10
3.9
0.042
1.48
15
5.9
0. 112
3.96
20
7.9
0. 223
7. 87
25
9.8
0.381
13.45
30
11.8
0.590
20.83
35
13.8
0.855
30. 19
40
15.8
1. 177
41.56
45
17.7
1.562
55. 15
50
19.7
2.011
71.01
55
21.7
2.528
89.26
60
23.6
3. 116
110.03
65
25.6
3.775
133. 30
70
27.6
4.510
159. 25
caribaea
Confidence l i m i t s
for sound t r e e s
± m3 •
± ft3
0.005
0.18
0.014
0.49
0.027
0.95
0.055
1.94
0. I l l
3.92
0.204
0.341
7.20
12.04
Net sound volume
of defective trees+
± m3
± ft3
0.376
13.28
0.512
18.08
0.690
24.36
0.912
32.20
1. 183
41.77
1.505
53. 14
1.882
66.45
2.317
81.81
2.809
99. 19
3.364
118.78
* Loge volume m3 underbark = 2 . 4 Loge d.b.h. cm overbark - 8.69
+ Defect volume = - 0.162 + 0.000267 (d.b.h. cm overbark) 2
Defect negligible in trees of d.b.h. 25 cm (9.8 in)
The reliable minimum estimates quoted in Tables 11 and 12 and used to derive those given in
Tables 14 and 15 are based on estimates of precision at 95% probability.
Separate estimates are given as follows:
i. Volume of standing timber, assuming all trees are sound
ii. Net sound volume of standing timber, assuming maximum incidence of defect, obtained
by using the net sound volume figures for defective trees given in Table 13.
The reason for quoting both is that, although the conservative estimate of net sound volume
may be the more useful statistic, the estimate which ignores defect is the more reliable of
the two on account of the difficulty of adequately measuring defect in the field and the
consequent absence of estimates of precision for net sound volume in the volume table.
Table 16 and 17 give summarised gross volumes for each block as a whole and for the three
blocks combined. The minimum estimates given in Tables 16 and 17 are obtained by summing the
reliable minimum estimates given in the preceding tables. The values obtained by summing
reliable minimum estimates are almost certainly much lower than the actual values; true
reliable minimum estimates for the project area as a whole have not been calculated because
of the different combinations of forest/vegetation types used for calculation for the three
blocks.
In Tables 16 and 17, the total project area volumes are given for two size categories only
because of the difference between Block 1 and Blocks 2 and 3 in terms of the minimum size of
tree measured.
31
TABLE 14 Standing gross volume of pine, including defective timber, in groups of forest/vegetation types in three blocks
Diameter at breast height, cm (in)
Block
Reliable minimum estimate
Gross volume
Area
Types
>12. 6 (5.0)
ha
ac
' 0 m3
'00
ft3
>15. 2 (6.0)
>25. 4 (10.0)
>12. 6 (5.0)
>15. 2 (6.0)
>25. 4 (10.0)
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
' 0 m3: '00 f t 3
6 703 23 660
5 171
18 218
1 723
6 152
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
1
1. l; 1.2
1.3
9 575
23 660
9 288
32 887
7 660
26 972
3 351
12 067
1
2.2/1.1
2.2/1. 1
2.2/1.2
1 075
2 656
3 075
10 863
2 806
9 907
1 688
5 923
2 268
8 021
2 010
7 092
1 032
3 639
1
3.2
17 775
43 922
3 199
11 420
3 022
10 541
2 311
8 345
889
3 075
533
2 196
0
0
>7.6 (3.0)
>15. 2 (6.0)
>25. 4 (10.0)
>7.6 (3.0)
>15. 2 (6.0)
>25. 4 (10.0)
2
1. l; 1.2
2.2/1. 1
2.2/1.2
775
1 915
3 859
13 635
3 526
12 447
2 573
9 077
2 247
7 928
1 945
6 875
1 356
4 787
2
1.3
2.2/1.3
3 350
8 278
6 432
22 682
5 293
18 708
3 719
13 162,
5 125
18 129
4 053
14 238
2 713
9 602
2
3.2
1 800
4 448
954
3 380
882
3 114
630
2 224'
648
2 313
576
2 046
378
1 334
3
1. l; 1.2
1.3
2 365
5 844
5 700
20 103
4 706
16 655
3 240
11 454
2 578
9 117
1 750
6 195
1 230
4 325
3
2.2/1. 1
2.2/1.2
2.2/1.3
2 894
7 151
19 766
69 722
18 030
63 644
12 734
44 980
14 702
51 916
13 370
47 197
8 914
31 464
3
3.2
5 891
14 557
3 063
10 772
2 651
9 462
2 297
8 152
1 649
5 823
1 296
4 658
1 178
4 076
TABLE 15 Standing net sound volume of pine, assuming maximum defect, in groups of forest/vegetation types in three blocks
Diameter at breast height, cm (in)
Reliable minimum estimate
Gross volume
Block
Area
Types
>12.6 (5.0)
1. l; 1.2
1.3
1
2.2/1. 1
2.2/1.2
2.2/1.3
1
3.2
>15. 2 (6.0)
>25. 4 (10.0)
'00 f t 3
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
2 777
9 937
6 415
22 477
4 883
17 272
1 436
5 205
9 163
1 376
4 860
2 107
7 437
1 903
6 693
860
3 028
9 224
1 955
7 028
889
3 075
533
2 196
0
0
' 0 m3
9 575 23 660
8 809
30 995
7 181 25 316
1 075
2 656
2 817
9 933
2 591
17 775
43 922
2 844
10 102
2 666
>7.6 (3.0)
>12. 6 (5.0)
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
ac
>25. 4 (10.0)
•00 f t 3
' 0 m3
ha
1
>15. 2 (6.0)
'00 f t 3
>15. 2 (6.0)
' 0 m3
>25. 4 (10.0)
>7.6 (3.0)
»15. 2 (6.0)
>25. 4 (10.0)
2
1. i; 1.2
2.2/1. 1
2.2/1.2
775
1 915 3 426
12 103
3 092
10 935
2 131
7 526
2 007
7 085
1 713
6 051
1 139
4 021
2
1.3
2.2/1.3
3 350
8 278 5 829
20 529
4 690
16 556
3 115
11 010
4 690
16 556
3 585
12 665
2 311
8 112
2
3.2
1 800
4 448
864
3 025
792
2 758
540
1 913
594
2 091
522
1 824
324
1 156
3
1. l; 1.2
1.3
2 365
5 844 5 156
18 175
4 162
14 727
2 696
9 467
2 341
8 298
1 537
5 435
1 017
3 565
3
2.2/1. 1
2.2/1.2
2.2/1.3
2 894
7 151 17 538
61 928
15 917
56 207
10 650
37 543
12 763 45 051
11 779
41 619
3
3.2
5 891
2 592
9 171
2 239
7 861
1 826
6 551
1 060
3 639
14 557
1 355
4 804
7 611 26 888
943
3 203
TABLE 16
Summary statement of standing gross volume of pine in three blocks* (defective timber included)
Diameter a t b r e a s t h e i g h t , cm ( i n )
Gross volume
Area
R e l i a b l e minimum e s t i m a t e
Block
»12.6
1
ha
ac
' 0 m3
28 425
70 238
£5 562
»7.6
(5.0)
'00
>25. 4 ( 1 0 . 0 )
»15. 2 ( 6 . 0 )
ft3
55 170
(3.0)
' 0 m3
13 488
'00
ft3
47 420
>15. 2 ( 6 . 0 )
»12.6
' 0 m3
'00
ft3
7 350
26 335
»25.4 (10.0)
(5.0)
»15.2 (6.0)
'00
9 860
34 756
7 714
(3.0)
»15. 2 ( 6 . 0 )
»7.6
ft3
' 0 m3
' 0 m3
'00
ft3
27 506
>25.4
(10.0)
' 0 m3
'00
ft3
9 791
2 755
>25.4 ( 1 0 . 0 )
2
5 925
14 641
11 245
39 697
9 701
34 269
6 922
24 463
8 020
28 370
6 574
23 159
4 447
15 723
3
11 150
27 552
28 529
100 597
25 387
89 761
18 271
64 586
18 929
66 856
16 416
58 050
11 322
39 865
Total
all
blocks
45 500
112 431
55 336
195 464
48 576
171 450
32 543
115 384
36 809
129 982
30 704
108 715
18 524
65 379
* Area figures given are the combined areas of the forest/vegetation types sampled and are not t o t a l block areas
CO
I»
TABLE 17
Summary statement of net sound volume of pine in three blocks*, assuming maxi^im defect
Diameter a t b r e a s t h e i g h t ,
cm ( i n )
R e l i a b l e minimum e s t i m a t e
Gross volume
Area
Block
»12.6
ha
1
28 425
ac
70 238
' 0 m3
14 470
»7.6
(5.0)
'00
>15. 2 ( 6 . 0 )
ft3
51 030
(3.0)
' 0 m3
12 438
'00
ft3
43 703
»15.2 (6.0)
»25.4 ( 1 0 . 0 )
' 0 m3
6 108
'00
ft3
21 825
»25.4 (10.0)
>12.6
' 0 m3
9 411
»7.6
(5.0)
'00
ft3
32 989
(3.0)
»15. 2 ( 6 . 0 )
' 0 m3
7 139
'00
>25. 4 ( 1 0 . 0 )
ft3
26 161
»15. 2 ( 6 . 0 )
' 0 m3
2 296
' 00
ft3
8 233
>25. 4 ( 1 0 . 0 )
2
5 925
14 641
10 119
35 657
8 574
30 249
5 786
20 449
7 291
25 732
5 820
20 540
3 774
13 289
3
11 150
27 552
25 286
89 274
22 318
78 795
15 172
53 561
16 459
58 153
14 376
50 693
9 571
33 656
Total
all
blocks
45 500
112 431
49 875
175 961
43 330
152 747
27 066
75 835
33 161
116 874
27 515
97 394
15 641
55 178
Private Lands
Volume figures for the private lands are given in Appendix 2. Tables 21 and 22 refer to the
Hughes Estate in Block 1 and Tables 23 and 24 to the Stopper in Block 2. The volumes quoted are
derived from the mean values for the forest blocks of which the private lands form a part, as
given in Tables ll and 12. As the private lands were not sampled as seperate units, the volume
calculated are approximate.
VOLUME TABLE
The local volume table for Pinus caribaea
given in Table 13 is produced from a linear regression
of sample tree volume against overbark diameter at breast height.
The volume table shows for each d.b.h. class:
i. The total volume of timber, whether defective or not, given as the volume of timber in
a completely sound tree
ii.
The net volume of sound timber in defective trees.
The computation of the volume table was made at the Commonwealth Forestry Institute, Oxford, the
total volume of each sample tree calculated by Newton' s formula:
v = L (a + 4b + c)
where
v
L
a
b
c
=
=
=
=
=
stem volume
stem length from butt (15 cm, 5.9 in, above ground) to top height
cross-sectional area at top height
cross-sectional area at middle
cross-sectional area at base
The stem volume and the dimensions used to calculate it are all underbark.
For defective trees, the sound volume excluding defect was obtained for each d.b.h. class by
subtracting from the total volume for the class the mean volume of rotten timber, calculated
separately from the defective tree data.
Confidence limits quoted for total volume are at 95% probability. Confidence limits were not
calculated for the net volume of sound timber because the estimation of rot in the trees sampled
was partly a matter of judgement rather than of actual measurement, and because the often
irregular shape of pockets of rot and cavities could not be adequately allowed for in the
computation.
Table 18 shows the number of trees sampled in each diameter class in order to provide the volume
table data. Also shown are the number of defective trees found in each class. The figures for
defective stems probably reflect the fact that, in the course of the past exploitation of the
project area, most of the sound trees of exploitable size were removed.
Figure 4 shows how, in defective trees, the volume affected by rot varies with tree size.
Defective timber as a percentage of total volume (i.e. the volume of sound trees in Table 13) is
plotted against diameter at breast height.
35
70
cm
Diameter breast height
5-9
79
I
9-8
I
Figure 4
D.O.S. 31S2F
11 9
I
13 8
I
15 8
177
_|
21 7
23 6
|_
254
27-6
I
I
Percentage of rotten timber in the rot-affected trees sampled and the variation of this percentage with tree size
Prepared by Directorate of Overseas Surveys 1974
TABLE 18 Pine volume table data:
d.b.h. class
sample size and incidence of defect
cm
in
No. of trees
in sample
Defective trees
in sample
% defective
15
5.9
15
0
0
20
7.9
15
1
7
25
9.8
17
4
24
30
11.8
13
5
38
35
13.8
15
7
47
40
15.8
17
12
71
45
17.7
14
10
71
50
19.7
15
8
53
55
21.7
15
13
87
60
23.6
14
10
71
65
25.6
9
8
89
70
27.6
8
7
88
The areas from which the sample trees were obtained had mostly been logged over previously.
As a result of the selective removal of sound and slightly rotten stems, particularly in the
larger diameter classes, the proportion of defective trees in the sample may be higher than
in unexploited areas.
REGENERATION
Mean stocking rates for Block 2 are shown in Table 19 and those for Block 3 in Table 20,
together with reliable minimum estimates at 95% probability. Regeneration figures are presented
for five groups of forest/vegetation types. The combination of types used, which are the same
for both blocks and which differ from those used for volume, are those found by trial calculation to give the lowest variance.
Stem numbers are given for the three height classes separately, and combined (total regeneration).
The latter figures were calculated separately from those for the individual height classes, in
order to reduce sampling errors. The reliable minimum estimates for total regeneration are
therefore not the sum of those for the three height classes.
37
TABLE 19
Regeneration of pine in five forst/vegetation type groups in Block 2*
ha
1.1; 1.2
1.3
350
2 525
l . l; 1.2; 1.3
Height
class**
Area
Types
2 875
3.2
1 800
2 . 2 / 1 . 1:2.2/
1.2; 2. 2 / 1 . 3
1 250
stems/ha
stems/ac
stems/ha
a
166
67
0
0
b
174
70
0
0
c
130
53
0
0
d
470
190
16
6
a
325
132
177
72
b
177
72
90
36
c
50
20
23
9
d
552
223
346
140
a
291
118
169
68
b
176
71
97
39
c
67
27
23
9
d
534
216
353
143
a
170
69
40
16
b
41
17
6
2
c
5
2
1
0
d
217
88
64
26
a
62
25
0
0
b
33
13
0
0
c
42
17
0
0
d
137
55
0
0
ac
865
6 239
7 104
4 448
3 089
Reliable
minimum
estimate+
Mean
stems/ac
All f i g u r e s rounded t o nearest whole number
** a < l . 5 m (5 ft)
c >3.0 m (10 ft)
+
b 1.5 - 3.0 m (5-10 ft)
d total
Where sampling e r r o r s of 100% or higher were obtained, the r e l i a b l e minimum estimate i s zero
38
TABLE 20
Regeneration of pine in five forest/vegetation type groups in Block 3
ha
l. l; 1.2
1.3
l. l; 1.2; 1.3
3.2
2.2/1. 1:2.2/
1.2:2.2/1.3
Height
class
Area
Types
535
1 830
2 365
5 891
2 894
ac
1 322
4 522
5 844
14 557
7 151
Reliable
minimum
estimate
Meiin
stems/ha
stems/ac
stems/ha
stems/ac
a
18
7
0
0
b
40
16
5
2
c
12
5
0
0
d
70
28
5
2
a
40
16
5
2
b
49
20
10
4
c
24
10
2
1
d
112
45
36
15
a
36
14
7
3
b
47
19
16
6
c
22
9
4
2
d
104
42
43
17
a
20
8
3
1
b
22
9
8
3
c
15
6
2
1
d
57
23
21
9
a
8
3
0
0
b
16
6
1
0
c
28
11
0
0
d
52
21
0
0
39
PART 6. CONCLUSIONS
EXPLOITABLE GROWING STOCK
Saw Timber
The stand tables given in Table 10 show that the present stocking of trees of exploitable size
for saw timber (i.e. 107 cm, 42 in girth or 34 cm, 13 in d.b.h. and above) in terms of stems per
unit area is very low. Mean values range from less than 1 stem/ha (0.4 stem/ac) to slightly more
than 20 stems/ha (8 stems/ac). Mean stocking rates of exploitable timber in type 3.2 (grassland,
with pine seedlings and/ or scattered overmature pine), which accounts for rather more than half
of the total area of forest/vegetation types sampled, are in all three blocks less than 2 stems/ha
(0.8 stems/ac).
Increment data for poor coastal plain sites are not available. Sample plot data recorded by the
Forest Department from plantations on better sites in the southern Coastal Plain and further
south at Machaca indicate a mean annual increment in d.b.h. of about 1 cm (0.4 in), which is
similar to that for naturally regenerated pine in the Mountain Pine Ridge. Thus it takes at
least five years for a tree to pass through a single 5 cm d.b.h. class. On the basis of this
rate of growth, it follows from the present size class distributions given in Table 10 that it
will take at least 10 years to achieve a stocking of, say, 50 exploitable trees per ha
(20 stems/ac) in the best stocked areas and in the absence of exploitation. In the poorest
stocked forest vegetation type (i.e. type 3.2) at least 30 years would be required to reach
such a stock of exploitable trees. Type 3.2 has a negligible rate of recruitment to exploitable size, which will not start to increase significantly for 15-20 years.
On the basis of estimates of present growing stock, comparatively low terminal rates of stocking
can be foreseen. If material presently below the 10 cm (3.9 in) diameter ;lass (recorded in only
two of the three blocks) is taken into account, final rates of stocking well below 300 stems/ha
(123 stems/ac) are foreseeable over most of the area. In type 3.2 (more than half the total area
sampled), final stocking rates will probably be less than 50 stems/ha (20 stems'ac). These
figures compare unfavourably with final stocking rates to be expected from plantations. *
It can be inferred from Table 18 that the incidence of butt and stem rot, in terms of numbers of
trees affected, increases with tree size. This broad conclusion can be made with some confidence
although, because of the small sample size, the figures quoted cannot be regarded as being
accurate in themselves. The smoothness of the curve in Figure 4 suggests that, in defective
trees, a significant relationship exists between the incidence of rot, in terms of volume, and
tree size. Table 18 and Figure 4 taken together indicate that decay is, as might be expected,
partly a function of age.
Figure 4 shows that, in the sample taken, the proportion of volume affected by rot in a defective
tree rises from being negligible in material of 25 cm (9.8 in) d.b.h. and below to a constant level
of approximately 25% in trees of 50 cm (19.7 in) and above. However since the sample was taken
from an area previously culled for sound or slightly defective trees this level may be higher
than would be encountered in defective trees in an unexploited stand.
The rot and the significant loss of increment which it represents
attributed indirectly to fire because of the known frequency with
through fire scars. Failure to cut defective trees in the course
a factor. The volume table sample to which Table 18 and Figure 4
growing stock (at least as far as the larger trees are concerned)
sound stems.
in the larger material can be
which decay organisms enter
of past exploitation is also
refer represents the residual
after selective cutting of
As allowance for defect was made through the volume table, the data do not permit conclusions
regarding variation with location in the incidence of defect. On the savanna areas, where there
has been a history of recurring fire, the incidence of rot would probably be significantly higher
* Luckhoff (1964) quotes a final stocking rate of 321 stems/ha (130 stems/ac) for Pinus caribaea in
plantations in South Africa.
41
than in some areas of Broken Ridge, where there is a well developed broadleaved understorey and
fire has for some time been infrequent or absent. Similarly, in a few small areas which have not
been cut over, apparently because of their inaccessibility, the incidence of defect in the larger
trees is probably lower than it is in the rest of the project area. In fact, most unexploited
areas are in Broken Ridge, so the two factors usually coincide. Such areas are, for example, the
foothills in the vicinity of Silver Creek in Block 1 and the Broken Ridge west of the Sierritas
in Block 2.
Pulp
The present stocking of material of 25.4 cm (10.0 in) d.b.h. and above is low in terms of the
requirements of industrial wood use. The minimum estimate of sound timber represents about five
months' supply for a pulp mill (using 295 t, 300 ton/day) or four year's supply for a particle
board plant (using 30 t/day). The minimum estimate of the total standing volume of sound timber,
including the smallest sizes measured, represents rather less than a year's supply for a pulp
mill or nine years supply for a particle board plant. Thus the inventory results indicate that
any industrial wood-using operation which might be introduced in the southern Coastal Plain would
have to be of a kind capable of economic production on a small scale, if it was to be dependent
for its raw material largely or entirely upon supplies from the project area.
Apart from the question of supply, prospects for industrial utilisation depend also on other
factors. Among these, the chemical and structural characteristics of the locally grown pine and
the market situation are important. As far as pulp is concerned, indications to date are that
pulp made only from Belize pine is of rather poor quality (Chittendon and Palmer, 1959; Palmer,
1969). Moreover it seems probable that an export market for pulp (the internal market is
negligible) might not exist because of adequate production elsewhere in Central America (Wyatt
Smith, 1970)
SEEDLING
REGENERATION
Tables 19 and 20 show that approximately one quarter of the area sampled for pine regeneration,
or 2 900 ha (7 100 ac), carries a stocking of regeneration (i.e. stems <5 cm (2 in) d.b.h.) of
the order of 350 stems/ha (140 stems/ac). It is significant that in both of the blocks in
which regeneration sampling was carried out, the forest/vegetation type least stocked with
larger trees (i.e. type 3.2) also has a very low stocking of regeneration. The paucity of
regeneration.here can be attributed largely to fire. A measure of the seriousness of fire in
the project area is given by the fact that type 3.2, which comprises land which could, but does
not, support a significant stocking of naturally regenerated pine, accounts for 45% or 7 700 ha
(19 000 ac) of the total area sampled for regeneration. The reliable minimum estimates of
regeneration stocking obtained for types 1,1 and 1.2 may partly reflect the better stocking of
larger material in those types (i.e. they have already passed through the regeneration phase),
although the precision of estimate achieved in sampling those types is such that very much meaning cannot be attached to the results.
For the mixed pine/broadleaved forest types, both sample means and reliable minimum estimates
are low. This probably reflects the inhibiting of pine regeneration by the understorey of broadleaved herbaceous and woody species.
SILVICULTURE AND MANAGEMENT
If the establishment and maintenance of naturally regenerated pine forest is to continue to be an
objective in the southern Coastal Plain, then the principal silvicultural requirement is fire
control. Given the inadequacy of the existing fire fighting resources in relation to the task
presented, two possible courses of action are:
1.
To enlarge the present fire-fighting organisation and (possibly) disperse it so that it
can cover areas remote from the two forest stations.
2.
To reduce the area subject to fire protection so that it matches the actual fire
control capability. This might involve the establishment of some scale of priority
whereby certain areas would be recognised as being more worthy of fire protection than
others.
42
Some relocation of fire-fighting resources to the south of the Swasey Branch might be worth
considering, particularly bearing in mind that the area north of the Swasey has been dereserved.
A means of monitoring the effectiveness of fire protection is needed and the use of permanent
sample plots would be appropriate. The plots, distributed throughout the savanna areas, would be
enumerated at regular intervals, say every 2-3 years.
The data collected would indicate
i.
ii.
whether the stocking of pine regeneration increases as fire control is improved
whether the regeneration survives from one year to the next.
The second point is important in distinguishing between a situation wherein recurring regeneration is destroyed by recurring fire and one in which fire is prevented sufficiently to enable
seedlings to reach a size at which they can withstand fire.
The futura of the areas of mixed pine/broadleaved forest does not appear promising from the point
of view of pine production. Where the broadleaved component is continuous and well developed it
has to be accepted that, except for such exploitation of the existing pine overstorey as may be
economic, these areas no longer form part of the pine resource. In areas where the broadleaved
understorey is less well defined and pine is or has until recently been regenerating, it may be
feasible to remove the broadleaved growth, for example by controlled burning, although the diffifulties involved in doing so would be appreciable.
Development of broadleaved forest beneath mature and overmature pine, as has occurred in some
areas of the project area, supports the view that the complete absence of fire may be as inimical
to the growth of pine as is a situation of recurring, uncontrolled fire. It appears that, if
pine regeneration can be established by means of fire protection, the use of controlled burning
may then become necessary in order to prevent encroachment by weed species, at least on the
better drained sites where the growth of broadleaved species is favoured.
A considerable amount of knowledge and experience has already been accumulated on the establishment of pine plantations at Savannah in the project area and of plantations of various broadleaved species in areas closely adjacent to the project area. The success of plantations of
Gmelina arborea, Tectona grandis and Pinus caribaea on the better drained foothill soils at
Silk Grass just north of the project area boundary is noted by Wyatt-Smith (1970). He recommends
that a survey should be made of the extent of these more productive soils along the rest of the
Coastal Plain foothills. This recommendation, and the possibility of further planting of fastgrowing exotics such as Gmelina arborea,
are worth pursuing.
43
PART 7. REFERENCES AND RELATED WORKS
BARTLETT H H
1935
A method of procedure for f i e l d work in t r o p i c a l
American phytogeography based upon a botanical
reconnaissance in p a r t s of B r i t i s h Honduras and
the Peten f o r e s t of Guatemala. Pubis Carnegie
Instn 461, 1-25.
BEARD J S
1944
Climax vegetation in t r o p i c a l America.
25, 127-158.
BEARD J S
1953
The savanna vegetation of northern tropical
America. Ecol. Monogr. 23, 149-215.
Ecology
History of forestry in British Honduras.
Internal
Rep. For. Dep. Br. Honduras
BRITISH HONDURAS
FOREST DEPARTMENT
BRITISH HONDURAS
FOREST DEPARTMENT
1962
A. Rep. For. Dep. Rr. Honduras
1961.
BRITISH HONDURAS
FOREST DEPARTMENT
1963
A. Rep. For. Dep. Rr. Honduras
1962.
BRITISH HONDURAS
FOREST DEPARTMENT
1967
A. Rep. For. Dep. Rr. Honduras
1966.
BROWNE F G
1968
Pests and diseases of forest plantation trees.
Oxford: Clarendon Press.
BUDOWSKI G
1956
Tropical savannas, a sequence of forest f e l l i n g
and repeated burnings. Turrialba 6 , 23-33.
CACHEUX P l e
1957
Report on a preliminary pulp and paper survey i n
B r i t i s h Honduras including p o s s i b i l i t i e s for
wallboard manufacturing. Port of Spain: Caribbean
Commission.
CHARTER C F
1941
A reconnaissance survey of t h e s o i l s of B r i t i s h
Honduras north of the c e n t r a l metamorphic and
igneous massif with special reference t o t h e i r
u t i l i s a t i o n in a g r i c u l t u r e . Port of Spain:
Government P r i n t e r .
CHITTENDON A E and
PAIMER E R
1959
Pulping t r a i l s on Pinus caribaea wood from
B r i t i s h Honduras. For. Sei. 1, 22-40.
DIXON C G
1956
Geology of southern British Honduras.
Belize: Government Printer.
DOWNIE J
1959
An economic policy for British Honduras.
Belize: Government Printer.
ETHERIDGE D E
1968
Preliminary observations on the pathology of
Pinus caribaea
Morelet in British Honduras.
Commonw. For. Rev. 47, 72-80.
45
HUMMEL C
1921
HUNT D R
1970
Report on the f o r e s t s of B r i t i s h Honduras with
suggestions for a far reaching forest policy.
Belize: Government P r i n t e r .
Some observations on the pine savannas of
British Honduras.
Gdns kcw.
JOHNSON M S and
CHAFFEY D R
1974
LINDO L S
1967
Internal
Rep. R.
Bot.
A f o r e s t inventory of p a r t of the Mountain Pine
Ridge, Belize. Land Resour. Study No. 13.
The effect of hurricanes on the f o r e s t s of
B r i t i s h Honduras.
New Delhi
Pap. 9th Commonw. For.
Conf.
1968.
LOGAN WEM
1966
V i s i t of Forestry Adviser to B r i t i s h Honduras.
Tech. Asst. Rep. Minist, overseas Dev.
LOOCK E E M
1950
The pines of Mexico and B r i t i s h Honduras. A
report on the reconnaissance of Mexico and
B r i t i s h Honduras during 1947. Bull. Dep. For.
Un. S. Afr. No. 35.
LUCKHOPP H A
1964
The n a t u r a l d i s t r i b u t i o n , growth and botanical
v a r i a t i o n of Pinus caribaea and i t s c u l t i v a t i o n
in South Africa. Annale Univ.
Stellenbosch
39, 1.
MUNRO N
1966
The fire ecology of Caribbean pine in Nicaragua.
Proc. 5th A. Tall Timb. Fire Ecol.
Tallahassy,
Florida
1966, 67-83.
PALMER E R
1969
Conf.
Pulp and paper prospects in British Honduras.
Internal
Rep. Trop.
Prod.
Inst.
PARSONS J J
1955
The Mi ski to pine savanna of Nicaragua and
Honduras. Ann. Ass. Am. Geogr. 45, 36-63.
STANDLEY P C and
RECORD S J
1936
The forests and flora of British Honduras.
TAYLOR B W
1962
WALKER S H
1972
Field
Mus. Nat.
Hist.
Bot.
12, 1-432.
The status and development of the Nicaraguan
pine savannas. Caribb. Forester
23, 21-26Summary of climatic data for British Honduras.
Suppl.
Rep. Land Resour.
Div. overseas
Dev. Adm.
No. 3.
WATERS R M
1969
British Honduras: possibilities for pulp and
paper: a preliminary study. Internal
Rep.
For.
WILLIAMS R M C
1965
Dep. Br.
Termite infestation of pines in British
Honduras.
W0LFFSOHN A L A
1967
Honduras
Overseas
Res.
Publ.
No. 11.
Post-hurricane fires in British Honduras.
Commonw. For. Rev.
46, 233-238.
WRIGHT A V S
ROMNEY D H
ARBUCKLE R H and
VIAL V E
1959
Land in British Honduras. Report of the British
Honduras land use survey team. London: HMSO.
WYATT-SMITH J
1970
Visit of Forestry Adviser to British Honduras
(3-6 March 1970).
Adm.
46
Internal
Rep. overseas
Dev.
APPENDIX 1. LIST OF COMMON AND BOTANICAL NAMES OF
PLANTS MENTIONED IN THE TEXT
COMMON NAMES
The common names given are those found by the authors to have wide local usage and/or are
mentioned in the t e x t . More complete l i s t s of the common names of p l a n t s in the southern
Coastal Plain (and elsewhere in Belize) are given by Standley and Record (1936) and by
Wright et al. (1959).
Calabash
Crescent ia cujete
Caoba
see mahogany
Caribbean pine
see pine
Cohune palm, corozo
Orbignya cohune (Mart.) Dahlgren
Craboo
Byrsonima crassifolia
Cocoplum
Chrysobalanus
Cutting grass
Scleria
Mahogany, caoba
Swietenia
Negrito
Simaruba glauca DC.
Logwood
Haematoxylon campechianum L.
Oak
Quercus spp;
Palmetto, pimento
AcceI or raphe wright ii (Gris.) Wendl.
Pine, Caribbean pine
pino
Pinuz caribaca
Rosewood
Dalbergia
Sapodilla,
sapote
L.
(L.) DC.
icaco L.
bracteata
Cav.
macrophylla
King
Morelet var. hondarensis
steiensonii
Manilkara zapota
Standi.
(L.) van Royen
Savanna white poisonwood
Cameraria belizensis
Teak
Tectona grand is L.
Yaha
Curatella
Standi.
americana L.
47
Barr, and Golf.
BOTANICAL NAMES
Acoelorraphe
wrightii
Byrsonima crassifolia
Cameraria bel izensis
Chrysobalanus
(Gris) Wendl.
palmetto, pimento
(L.) DC.
craboo
Standi.
icaco L.
Crescent ia cujete
cocoplum
L.
calabash
Curate 11a americana L.
Dalbergia
savanna white poisonwood
yaha
stevensonii
Standi.
rosewood
Gmelina arborea Roxb.
Haematoxylon campechianum L.
Lentinus
pallidus
Manilkara
zapota
logwood
Berk, and Curt.
(L.) van Royen
Mesosetum filifolium
sapodilla,
sapote
Hubbard
Orbignya cohune (Mart.) Dahlgren
Paspalum pectinatum
cohune palm, corozo
Nees
Pinus caribaea Morel et var.
hondurensis Barr, and Golf
Caribbean pine, pine, pino
Quercus spp.
oak
Rhyncospora globosa
Scleria
bracteata
Roem. & Schult
cutting grass
Cav.
Simaruba glauca DC.
Swietenia
macrophylla
negrito
caoba, mahogany
King
Tectona grand is L.
Trachypogon
angustifolius
teak
(Kunth) Nees
Ximenia americana L.
48
APPENDIX 2. VOLUME FIGURES FOR PRIVATE LANDS
TABLE 21 Hughes Estate:
Standing gross volume of pine, including defective timber, in groups of forest/vegetation types
Diameter at breast height, cm (in)
Types
Area
>12. 6 ( 5 . 0 )
ha
R e l i a b l e minimum e s t i m a t e
Gross volume
ac
W
'00 f t 3
>15. 2 ( 6 . 0 )
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
>25. 4 ( 1 0 . 0 )
'Om3
'00 f t 3
>12.6 ( 5 . 0 )
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
>15. 2 ( 6 . 0 )
'Om3
'00 f t 3
>25. 4 ( 1 0 . 0 )
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
1.1
940
1.2
2 323
912
3 229
752
2 648
329
1 185
658
2 323
508
1 789
169
604
1.3
2.2/1.1
2.2/1.2
26
64
74
262
68
239
41
143
55
193
49
171
25
88
2 365
5 844
426
1 519
402
1 403
307
1 110
118
409
71
292
0
0
3 331
8 231
1 412
5 010
1 222
4 290
677
2 438
831
2 925
628
2 252
194
692
2.2/1.3
3.2
Total
all
types
TABLE 22
Hughes E s t a t e :
Standing net sound volume of pine, assuming maximum defect,
Diameter at b r e a s t h e i g h t ,
Types
Area
in groups of f o r e s t / v e g e t a t i o n
cm ( i n )
Gross volume
?12.<S ( 5 . 0 )
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
>15. 2 ( 6 . 0 )
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
types
R e l i a b l e minimum e s t i m a t e
>25.4 (10.0)
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
>12. 6 ( 5 . 0 )
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
>15. 2 ( 6 . 0 )
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
»25. 4 ( 1 0 . 0 )
' 0 m3
'00 f t 3
ha
ac
940
2 323
865
3 043
705
2 486
273
976
630
2 207
479
1 696
141
511
26
64
68
239
63
221
33
117
51
179
46
161
21
73
2 365
5 844
378
1 344
355
1 227
260
934
118
409
71
292
0
0
3 331
8 231
1 311
4 626
1 123
3 934
566
2 028
799
2 795
596
2 149
162
584
1. 1
1.2
1.3
2.2/1. 1
2.2/1.2
2.2/1.3
3.2
Total
all
types
TABLE 23 The Stopper:
Standing gross volume of pine, including defective timber, in groups of forest/vegetation types
Diameter at breast height, cm (in)
Area
Types
Reliable minimum estimate
Gross volume
>7.6 (3.0)
W
'00 f t 3
>15. 2 (6.0)
'0 m3
'00 f t 3
>25. 4 (10.0)'
'0 m3
'00 f t 3
>7.6 (3.0)
'0 m3
'00 f t 3
>15. 2 (CO)
'0 m3
'00 f t 3
>25. 4 (10.0)
'0 m3
'00 f t 3
ha
ac
194
479
966
3 410
883
3 113
644
2 270
563
1 983
487
1 720
339
1 197
531
1 312
1 020
3 595
839
2 965
589
2 086
812
2 873
643
2 256
430
1 522
160
395
85
300
78
277
56
197
58
205
51
182
34
119
885
2 187
2 071
7 305
1 800
6 355
4 553
1 433
5 061
1 181
4 158
803
2. 838
1. 1/1.2
2. 2/1. 1
2.2/1.2
1.3
2.2/1.3
3.2
Total
a l l types
1 289
TABLE 24 The Stopper:
Standing net sound volume of pine, assuming maximum defect, in groups of forest/vegetation types
Diameter at breast height, cm (in)
Types
Area
Reliable minimum estimate
Gross volume
>7.6 (3.0)
'00 f t 3
»15. 2 (6.0)
w
>25. 4 (10.0)
W
'0 m3
'00 f t 3
>15. 2 (6. 0)
'Om 3
'00 f t 3
>25.4 (10.0)
'Om3
'00 f t 3
ha
ac
'0 m3
194
479
857
3 027
724
2 735
533
1 882
502
1 772
429
1 514
285
1 006
531
1 312
924
3 254
743
2 624
494
1 745
743
2 624
568
2 007
366
1 286
160
395
77
269
70
245
48
170
53
186
46
162
29
103
885
2 187
1 858
6 550
1 587
5 604
1 075
3 797
1 298
4 582
1 043
3 683
680
2 395
'00 f t 3
'00 f t 3
>7.6 (3.0)
1. 1; 1. 2
2.2/1. 1
2.2/1.2
1.3
2.2/1.3
3.2
Total
a l l types
PUBLICATIONS OF THE LAND RESOURCES DIVISION
These p u b l i c a t i o n s have a r e s t r i c t e d d i s t r i b u t i o n and are not a v a i l a b l e to booksellers. The
Division makes a report on each completed p r o j e c t . The r e p o r t i s published as a Land Resource
Study or Technical Bulletin only with the consent of t h e government concerned. The abbreviated
t i t l e s of the r e p o r t s in t h e s t y l e of the 'World L i s t of S c i e n t i f i c P e r i o d i c a l s ' a r e Land Resour.
Stud, and Tech. Bull. Land Resour. Div. overseas Dev. Admin.
RAWDEN M G and
LANGDALE-BROW I
1961
An a e r i a l photographic reconnaissance of the
p r e s e n t and p o s s i b l e land use in the Bamenda
Area. Southern Cameroons. *
BAWDEN M G and
STOBBS A R
1963
The land resources of Eastern Bechuanaland.
LANGDALE-BROWN I and
SPOONER R J
1963
The land use prospects of Northern Bechaunaland*
BAWDEN M G (Ed)
1965
Some s o i l s of Northern Bechuanaland with a
d e s c r i p t i o n of the main vegetation zones.
SPOONER R J and
JENKIN R N
1960
The development of the Lower Mgeta River Area
of the United Republic of Tanzania. Land
Resource Study No. 1.
BAWDEN M G and
TULEY P
1966
The land resources of Southern Sardauna and
Southern Adamawa Provinces, Northern Nigeria.
Land Resource Study No. 2.
BAWDEN M G and
CARROLL D M
1968
The land resources of Lesotho.
Study No. 3. *
JENKIN R N and
FOALE M A
1968
An i n v e s t i g a t i o n of the coconut-growing p o t e n t i a l
of Christmas Island.. Volume I. The environment
and the p l a n t a t i o n s . Volume 2. Appendixes.
Land Resource Study No. 4.
BLAIR RAINS A and
McKAY A D
1968
The Northern S t a t e Lands.
Resource Study No. 5.
HILL I D
1969
An assessment of the p o s s i b i l i t i e s of o i l palm
c u l t i v a t i o n in Western Division. The Gambia.
Land Resource Study No. 6.
VERBOOM W C and
BRUNT M A
1970
An ecological survey of Western Province,
Zambia, with s p e c i a l reference t o the fodder
resources. Volume I , The environment, Volume
2, The grasslands and t h e i r development.
Land Resource Study No. 8.**
AITCHISON P J
BAWDEN M G
CARROLL D M
GLOVER P E
KLINKENBERG K
LEEUW P N de and
TULEY P
1972
The land resources of North East Nigeria.
Volume I, The environment! Land Resource
Study No. 9.
LAND RESOURCE STUDIES
*
Out of print.
*•
Land Resource Study No. 7 has not yet been published.
53
Land
Botswana.
Resource
Land
AITCHISON P J and
GLOVER P E
1970
The land resources of North East Nigeria.
Volume 2. Tsetse and trypanosomiasis. Land
Resource Study No. 9*.
BAWDEN M G
CARROLL D M and
TULEY P
1972
The land resources of North East Nigeria.
Volume 3. The land systems. Land
Resource
Study No. 9.
LEEUW P N de
LESSLIE A and
TULEY P
1972
The land resources of North East Nigeria.
Volume 4. Present and potential land use.
Land Resource Study No. 9.
TULEY P ed.
1973
The land resources of North East Nigeria.
Volume 5. Appendixes and tables. Land
Resource Study No. 9.
JOHNSON M S
1971
New Hebrides Condominium. Erromango Forest
inventory. Land Resource Study No. 10.
BLAIR RAINS A and
YALALA A M
1972
The Central and Southern State Lands, Botswana.
Land Resource Study No. 11.
BERRY M J and
HOWARD W J
1973
Fiji Forest inventory. Volume 1, trhe environment and forest types; Volume 2, Catchment
groups of Viti Levu and Kandavu; Volume 3,
Catchment groups of Vanna Levu. Land
Resource
Study No. 12.
JOHNSON M S and
CHAPPEY D R
1973
A forest inventory of part of the Mountain Pine
Ridge, Belize. Land Resource Study No. 13.
JOHNSON M S and
CHAFFEY D R
1973
An inventory of the Chiquibul Forest Reserve,
Belize. Land Resource Study No. 14.
HENRY P W T
1974
Pine forests of the Bahamas.
Study No. 16.
BERRY M J
LAURENCE J F
MAKIN M J and
WADDAMS A E
1974
Development potential of the Nawalparasi Area
of Nepal. Land Resource Study No. 17.
CARROLL D M and
BASCOMB C L
1967
Notes on the soils of Lesotho.
Bullet in No. 1.
PIGGOTT C J+
1968
A soil survey of Seychelles.
Bulletin No. 2*.
Land
Resource
TECHNICAL BULLETINS
LAND RESOURCE
Technical
Technical
BIBLIOGRAPHIES
POSNETT N W comp.
1963
Bahamas. Land Resource Bibliography
No. 1*.
POSNETT N W and
REILLY P M comp.
1971
Bahamas. Land Resource Bibliography
(Revised edition)
No. 1.
POSNETT N W
REILLY P M and
WHITFIELD P comp.
1971
Nigeria. Land Resource Bibliography
No. 2-
* Out of print.
54
Land
POSNETT N W and
REILLY P M comp.
1973
Belize. (British Honduras).
Bibliography No. 3.
POSNETT N W and
REILLY P M comp.
1973
Fiji. Land Resource Bibliography
GREENWAY M E
POSNETT N W and
REILLY P M
1974
New Hebrides and New Caledonia.
Bibliography No. 5.
* Out of print.
R 78857/10168/12 700 1/75 TP
55
Resource
No. 4.
Land
Resource