Abstract

The Foothills Region. A recent, and perhaps somewhat superßcial, survey has been carried out to determine the amount of deforestation that has taken place in the foothills of the Northern Range, since there is sufficient evidence of ero sion to give some cause for alarm. The aren surveyed has embraced all the land south of the main ridge of the Northern Range between Maraval on the west and Tacarigua on the east. It is true that there are erosion problems elsewhere in the Northern Range, but it was felt that the area indicated above presented by far the most difficult problems. There is extremely little fint land in the foothills region, about 75 per cent. of the aren is over 500 ft. above sea level and about 25 per cent, over 1,000 feet above sea level. Most of the slopes are very steep, some even precipitous, Roads are confined to the valley flats, but bridle tracks lead up from the roads to the ridges. The rainfall is somewhat variable, being about 70 to 80 inches per annum in the valleys and considerably more on the hilltops. South of the foot- hills the rainfall drops rapidly to 50 to 60 inches per annum. In normal years nearly all the rain falls during the last 7--8 months of the year, and on occasions the rain is extremely heavy. The period January to the beginning of May is usually marked by a drought, when the vegetation becomes tinder dry.

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