This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1980-06 edition. Excerpt: .extensive tracts also occur in the northern part of the Central Region. The forests tend to occur on sites that are particularly suitable for cassava and kenaf, which makes them vulnerable to clearing by both itinerant and settled farmers.

Fairly open formations in their natural state, burning and clearing are rendering these forests similar to savannah woodlands interspersed with forest patches. Other Forest Formations In addition to these five main types of high forest, there are a few other forest formations. For example, mangrove forests are still fairly extensive (though much depleted), notably along the western peninsula coast where they are unusually luxuriant, plus smaller patches along the eastern peninsula coast, and a few relict fragments in the tidal swamps around river mouths in the Gulf of Thailand (Aksornkoae, 1978;Sukwonge/a/., 1975; Vibulsresthe/a/., 1975). Unlike the situation in several other parts of Southeast Asia, where demand for mangrove poles and charcoal has virtually eliminated mangrove forests, Thailands mangroves still survive in moderate-sized patches. Some 1,775 km2, or over half the remaining mangrove forests, are to be exploited through full-forest harvesting for wood chips. Regional Review Of Thailands five regions, the North is by far the largest, comprising 171,775 km2 or one third of the country.

Around 40 percent is still densely forested (Table 9), though only limited areas remain undisturbed. Around another 30 percent of the North consists of former forest that has been so heavily logged or burned that it now amounts to savannah woodland or even open grassland (Chunkao et al., 1976; Kunstadter et al., 1978; Miller et al., 1978; Nualchawee and Miller, 1978; Omakupt, 1978; Morain and Klankamsorn, .