Primary and Secondary Forest

Abstract

The vertical gash on a slope visible from afar (see Chap. 4 and Fig. 15.1) is the beginning of a long process which commences with bare soil, in this case a narrow landslip, and should eventually result in a forest indistinguishable from the surrounding forest. As regeneration proceeds, the gash changes colour: first the grey or ochre of the soil becomes pale green with young plants, then bright green, then an ever darker green as one stage in the development of flora and vegetation gives way to another; collectively, these stages form a succession.