TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1 METHODS ........................................................................... 1 THE DOCUMENT TRAIL FOR THE BRITISH PERIOD ..................................... 1 THE TREATMENT OF THE EXTRACTS ............................................... 2 The extraction criteria .............................................. 2 The transcription .................................................. 2 The presentation of the extracts ....................................... 2 RESULTS .......................................................................... 3 THE DOCUMENTS AND THEIR RECORDERS ........................................ 3 ANALYSIS ........................................................................... 6 THE NATURE AND STATE OF THE FOREST ........................................... 6 The extent of the forested area ....................................... 6 The quality of the forests ........................................... 7

The size of the trees .............................................. 10

The recognition of forest-types ........................................ 10

“Hardwood forest’ ........................................... 11

‘Softwood forest’ ............................................ 12

The ‘barrens’ ............................................... 12

The ‘swamps’ .............................................. 15

The distribution of the recognized forest-types ............................ 16

The relative abundance of the different trees ............................. 17

The forest along the coast ........................................... 18

THE FOREST AS A NATURAL HABITAT: ASPECTS OF FOREST ECOLOGY

The open nature of old-growth hardwood forests .......................... 20 The spacing of the trees ............................................. 20 Fallen trees in the forest ............................................ 21 “Cradle-hills” ...................................................... 21 The forest ground vegetation ......................................... 21 Forest succession ................................................ 22 The natural forest as an indicator of soil quality ........................... 24 The forest soils .................................................... 3O Wind-storms causing tree destruction .................................. 31 Wood clogging the rivers ........................................... 33 The fauna of the forest . . . . ........................................ 33 The forest as a source of insect pests .................................. 33 FOREST CLEARANCE The pattern of forest clearance for agriculture ............................ 34 Natural or intrinsic factors ......................................... 35 The natural forest cover ................................ 35 Nearness to water .................................... 35 Nearness to salt-marshes .............................. 35 Human-associated factors ........................................ 36 Human—imposed geographical factors ........................... 36 The French period clearances .......................... 36