15 An Inventory of the Southern Coastal Plain Pine Forests, Belize ¥©targ(ft Jmmr0;^3Mam@miw^0 injgjM) OCT© WW Ministry of Overseas Development , i j Scanned from original by ISRIC - World Soil Information, as ICSU World Data Centre for Soils. The purpose is to make a safe depository for endangered documents and to make the accrued nformation available for consultation, following Fair Use auidelines. Every effort is taken to respect Copyright of the naterials within the archives where the identification of the Copyright holder is clear and, where feasible, to contact the originators. For questions please contact [email protected] ndicating the item reference number concerned. 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 DIVISION- The Land Resources Division of the Ministry of^Overseas Development assists developing countries in mapping, investigating and assessing land resources, and makes recommendations on the use of these resources for the development of agriculture, livestock husbandry and forestry, it also gives advice on related subjects to overseas governments and organisations, makes scientific personnel available for appointment abroad and provides lectures and training courses in the basic techniques of resource appraisal. The Division works in close co-operation with government departments, research institutes, universities and international organisations 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 Origin of the Project 5 Procedure 5 Team Composition 6 PART 3. THE ENVIRONMENT Physical Aspects Location 7 Climate 7 Geology 10 Topography 11 Water 13 Soils (by C J Birchall) 13 Vegetation 14 Fauna 17 Human Aspects 18 History 18 Forest Exploitation 19 Population 19 Land Tenure 20 Current Land Use 20 Communications 21 Markets 22 PART 4. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS 23 Objectives 23 Sampling Blocks and Strata 24 Sampling of Timber Stocking 24 Regeneration Count 25 Volume Measurements 25 Other Observations 25 in Page PART 5. RESULTS OF THE INVENTORY 27 Forest/Vegetation types 27 Stand Tables 27 Standing Volume 27 Volume Table 35 Regeneration 37 PART 6. CONCLUSIONS 40 Exploitable Growing Stock 40 Seedling Regeneration 41 Silviculture and Management 41 PART 7. REFERENCES AND RELATED WORKS 43 APPENDIXES 45 1. List of common and latin names of plants mentioned in the text 45 2. Volume figures for private lands 47 LIST OF TABLES 1. Summarised area statement for the whole project area 2 2. Mean numbers of stems of pine per unit area 3 3. Standing volume of pine in project area 3 4. Mean annual rainfall at four stations 9 5. Mean annual maxima and mean annual minima and highest and lowest temperatures at three stations 9 6. Mean annual relative humidity at two stations 9 7. Provisional figures from 1970 population census for settlements between Sittee River and Deep River 20 8. Forest/vegetation types identified and mapped 24 9. Area statement showing areas of sampled pine-bearing forest/vegetation types 27 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 28 11. Standing volume of pine per unit area, including defective timber, in groups of forest/vegetation types 29 12. Standing net sound volume of pine per unit area, assuming maximum defect, in groups of forest/vegetation types 30 13. Local volume table for Pinus caribaea 31 14. Standing gross volume of pine, including defective timber, in groups of forest/vegetation types 32 15. Standing net sound volume of pine, assuming maximum defect, in groups of forest/vegetation types 33 Page 16. Summary statement of standing gross volume of pine (defective timber included) 34 17. Summary statement of net sound volume of pine, assuming maximum defect 34 18. Pine volume table data: sample size and incidence of defect 37 19. Regeneration of pine in five forest/vegetation type groups in Block 2 38 20. Regeneration of pine in five forest/vegetation type groups in Block 3 39 21. Hughes Estate: Standing gross volume of pine, including defective timber, in groups of forest/vegetation types 47 22. Hughes Estate: Standing net sound volume of pine, assuming maximum defect, in groups of forest/vegetation types 48 23. The Stopper: Standing gross volume of pine, including defective timber, in groups of forest/vegetation types 49 24. The Stopper: Standing net sound volume of pine, assuming maximum defect, in groups of forest/vegetation types 50 LIST OF FIGURES 1. Monthly rainfall 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 available in the period 1933-70 12 3. Mean monthly relative humidity at Stann Creek and Punta Gorda, based on years for which data are available in the period 1933-70 12 4. Defective trees: rot as a percentage of total volume and its variation with tree size 36 LIST OF MAPS Text Map Location 8 Forest/Vegetation Maps 2 sheets 1:50 000 scale Separate sheets v 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 Carto­ graphic Unit of LRD for the preparation of maps and diagrams. ABSTRACT The results of an inventory of pine in 1 400 km2 (540 mi2) 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 km2 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.