Abstract
THE author early raises two debatable issues: he considers that (1) the general use of the word 'savannah' in Africa is wrong ; and (2) the use of this wrong term has misled both forester and layman into thinking that savannahs are useless and cannot be improved upon. The reviewer disputes both these points, on the grounds that (1) the savannahs of Africa to-day conform to the ecological type recognized as such, irrespective of their origin ; and (2) Nigeria possesses some 8,000 square miles of savannah reserves, most of which have been under ameliorative treatment for many years, which refutes the second contention. Elsewhere in West Africa it may hold good, but the most recent literature and information (Marshall, “Gold Coast” ; also Moor, Proc. Brit. Emp. for Conf., 1935)on the subject indicate a definite change in opinion.
The Forests of West Africa and the Sahara:
a Study of Modern Conditions. By Prof. E. P. Stebbing. Pp. viii + 245 + 49 plates (London and Edinburgh: W. and R. Chambers, Ltd., 1937.) 15s. net.
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A., J. The Forests of West Africa and the Sahara. Nature 141, 96–98 (1938). https://doi.org/10.1038/141096a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/141096a0
