It has been a matter of speculation whether Spain was, or was not, once
heavily wooded (see page 11). In Roman times, only the Province of La
Manca is reported as being unforested, and, in the 13th and 14th
centuries, extensive forest zones are still recorded. The character of
the country at present, and the climate, both resembling so much our own
arid plains, make it questionable to what extent the forest descended
from the mountain ranges, which were undoubtedly well wooded.
At present the forest is mainly confined to the higher mountains. The
best is to be found in the Pyrenees and their continuation, the
Cantabrian mountains.
The area of actual forest (_bosques_) is not known with precision, since
in the official figures mere potential forest, i.e., brush and waste
land, is included (_montes_), and the area varies, i.e., diminishes
through new clearings, of which the statistics do not keep account.
Moreover, the statistics refer only to the “public forests,” leaving out
the statement of private forest areas, if any.
In 1859, this area was reported as over 25 million acres or 20 per cent.
of the land area (196,000 square miles); in 1885, the acreage had been
reduced to about 17.5 million acres; and, in 1900, about 16 million
acres, or 13 per cent. of the land area remained as public forest, and
the total was estimated at somewhat over 20 million acres.
The following peculiar classification, published in 1874, gives (in
round figures) at once an insight into the meaning of _montes_, and the
probable condition of the “public forest” area:
_Acres._
State Reserves 865,000
Salable State Property 4,550,000
Public Institute Forest 20,000
Communal Forest 9,860,000
Open Commons for Wood and Pasture 1,880,000
Common Pasture for Draft Animals 425,000
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Total 17,600,000
An estimate of the actual forest (timber and coppice), does not exceed
12 million acres for a population of 18 million, or .7 acres per capita.
The latest official figures claim as State property around 600,000
acres, and municipal institutional property 11.5 million acres; these
constituting the public forests. According to official classification,
these public forests are to the extent of 5.3 million acres high forest,
3 million coppice, the balance brushwoods.
In spite of this evident lack of wood material, except for firewood or
charcoal, the importations in 1903 did not exceed 13.5 million dollars,
accentuating the absence of industrial development. The official
statement of imports reports 6.5 million dollars more than the above
figure, but this includes horses and cattle enumerated as forest
products--products of the “montes.” These also figure in the
exportations of 15 million dollars, which to the extent of one-half
consists of cork (some 5 million dollars from 630,000 acres) and
tanbark, while chestnuts, filberts and esparto furnish the balance. In
1908, the imports of lumber and staves alone amounted to $7,382,000.
In 1882, all the public forests produced from wood sales only $900,000,
but the value of the products taken by rights of user was estimated at
nearly twice that amount. In 1910, the average income of the forest
service was reported as having averaged for the decade in the
neighborhood of 2 million dollars, and the expense approximately 1
million, a net yield of about 30 cents per acre on the area involved
resulting, the total cut being 5.7 million cubic feet annually.
The forest flora and its distribution is very similar to that of Italy,
and is described fully in two volumes prepared by a special commission
appointed for this purpose.