. Bulletin. Forests and forestry -- United States. FALLEN RAIN. 69 of the (Irainag'e basin of the stream. Even then the forest may not prevent floods altogether. The forest floor, which has more to do with the fallen rain water than any other part of the forest, can affect its flow only so long as it has not taken up all the water it can hold. That which falls after the forest floor is satu- rated runs into the streams almost as fast as it would over bare ground. An unforested drainage basin in the San Bernardino ^Mountains of south- ern California was found b}^ the Bu- reau of Forestry to dis
. Bulletin. Forests and forestry -- United States. FALLEN RAIN. 69 of the (Irainag'e basin of the stream. Even then the forest may not prevent floods altogether. The forest floor, which has more to do with the fallen rain water than any other part of the forest, can affect its flow only so long as it has not taken up all the water it can hold. That which falls after the forest floor is satu- rated runs into the streams almost as fast as it would over bare ground. An unforested drainage basin in the San Bernardino ^Mountains of south- ern California was found b}^ the Bu- reau of Forestry to discharge the rain it received more than twice as rapidly as similar forested ba- sins near by. In consequence, the stream in the former went dry, while the streams in the latter were still flow- ing abundantly. (See PI. XVIII.) In these ways it happens that in mountain countries, where floods are most common and do most harm, the forests on the higher slopes are closely connected with the prosperity of the people in the valleys below. Water in motion was nature's most powerful tool in shaping the present sui-face of the earth. In places where the slopes are steep, the structure of the ground loose, and the rainfall abundant, water ma}^ work very rapidly in cutting away the heights and filling the val- leys. The destruction of the forest in such a region exposes the surface to the direct action of falling rain. Fig. 44.—Rapid erosion in deep fine Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original United States. Division of Forestry. Washington : G. P. O.
Size: 1940px × 1288px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookpublisherwashingtongpo, booksubjectforestsandforestryunited
