ROBERT E. NELSON and THOMAS ANNASTAS
HALF A WORLD away from the rest of the nation, American Samoa is the only United States claim to territory in the South Pacific. There, in the middle of Polynesia - 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) southwest of Hawaii - more than 20,000 American Samoans are seeking to pluck the fruits of modern civilization. Their new needs have been stimulated by modern communications and magnified by a rapid population increase, but they are not so easily satisfied because economic opportunities are restricted, and resources limited. High on the list of resources not vet fully tapped stand the islands' tropical forests, the development and conservation of which will play an important role in shaping American Samoa's future.
Consisting of seven islands, American Samoa totals only 76 square miles (196 square kilometers). These tropical islands range in size and in population from 52-square-mile (135-square-kilometer) Tutuila (population 16,814) to uninhabited Rose island, less than a square mile (2.6 square kilometers) in size. American Samoa also includes Ta'u, Ofu, Olosega, Aunu'u, and Swains islands. Only the plain in southwest Tutuila breaks up the steep mountainous topography. The highest peak on the large island rises more than 2,100 feet (640 meters). Thin rocky soil covers much of the mountain slopes.
ROBERT E. NELSON is a forester, Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Honolulu, Hawaii, and THOMAS ANNASTAS is supervisor of fisheries and forestry, Government of American Samoa, Pago Pago.Western Samoa, which is now independent, is already receiving technical assistance from FAO. See Figure 3.
FIGURE 2. - Forest and cultivated patches on ridge north of Mapusaga on Tutuila island.
The islands' lush tropical vegetation is supported by a warm. humid climate. Annual rainfall averages about 200 inches (5,000 millimeters). November to March is the wettest season, but April through October can be classed as only less wet. Southwest trade winds prevail much of the time.
FIGURE 3. - Map of the Samoa islands.
Families in American Samoa grow much of their own food and fiber crops - taro, bananas, breadfruit, coconut, yams, and pandanus. They raise some livestock, but depend chiefly on fish for protein. In recent years, however, they have relied more and more on imported foods and other commodities, and less on subsistence agriculture. The production of copra for commercial sale is said to be slowly dwindling. Altogether, about 12,000 acres (5,000 hectares) of land are farmed, including the coconut palm plantations. A significant acreage is devoted to shifting agriculture in the subsistence economy.
Rather than producing everything they need for their own use, Samoans are working for pay in increasing numbers. The greatest impact of westernization is on Tutuila, where the largest single employer, by far, is the Government of American Samoa. The fish canning industry is also a significant employer, but other opportunities to work for pay are extremely limited. Consequently interest is high in finding other sources of income, including forest products.
In 1964, the Government of American Samoa requested a survey of the islands' forest resources. Work was concentrated on Tutuila, and included an on-the-ground reconnaissance; aerial photographs of the other islands were also reviewed.
Aerial photographs show that large parts of Tutuila island and the Manua islands are forested. Probably more than half of Tutuila - about 18,000 acres (7,300 hectares) - is forested. But nearly half of this forested area is of such steep slopes and thin soils that practical considerations and the need to protect watershed values should prohibit or limit forest use or disturbance. Excluding these critical watersheds, it is estimated that there are about 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares) of timber forests on Tutuila island; and of this amount, the area of relatively undisturbed forests totals about 7,000 acres (2,800 hectares).
With the aid of aerial photographs sample plots in forest types representative of the relatively undisturbed forests were selected. A total of 26 plots at nine different locations were visited and measured.
Tutuila island appears to have a substantial timber resource. Depending on wood quality or merchantability of various species, this resource in the relatively undisturbed forests may amount to 50 million board feet (226,500 cubic meters) or more of sawlogs. The regenerating forests and cultivated areas contain additional timber.
While hiking through the forests, an amazing variety of tree species was noted. On the sample plots, 25 different species were tallied while five other individual trees tallied were not identified by name. The plots hardly represented all the tree species in American Samoa.
Forest stands vary widely in sawtimber volume - from less than 3,000 to more than 21,000 board feet per acre (35 to 240 cubic meters per hectare) in the plots measured. Average gross sawlog (merchantable) volume for the nine different locations sampled ranged from 3,000 to 16,000 board feet per acre (35 to 180 cubic meters per hectare).
Most dominant trees in the forests stood 85 to 100 feet (26 to 30 meters) tall, with broad crowns. The tallest tree we measured on the sample plots was 102 feet (31 meters). But the length of bole classed as sawtimber did not exceed 3 logs (48 feet or 14.5 meters) in any trees measured. Most trees even of large diameter had fewer than three logs.
Although larger trees were not uncommon, most trees were less than 30 inches (76 centimeters) dbh. The tallest tree measured also had the greatest diameter - 73 inches (185 centimeters).
The survey of Samoa's forest resources also included the island of Tau, but only from examination of aerial photographs. It appears that the timber resource on Tau is about one fourth that on Tutuila. Tau probably has a lesser proportion of forest land and a greater proportion of coconut plantations.
Samoa's forests already provide the people of the islands with important benefits: watershed protection, recreation, beautiful scenery and useful products.
Essential to a growing population is a continuous supply of high-quality water. Samoa's forested watersheds help ensure both quality and quantity of water. They moderate runoff, protect the soil from erosion, and reduce stream siltation. If the soil on large areas of steep slopes were disturbed excessively, the watershed could be threatened. Samoans cultivate small patches of plantation and do not work the soil harshly; the* cultivation practices, enhanced by rapid regrowth of vegetation, minimize any damage to forested watersheds.
From the air, Samoa's forests appear to cover the islands like a luxurious green carpet. This scenic beauty will become an even greater asset as the islands grow in popularity with tourists. To the villagers the forested mountains already provide a scenic backdrop and recreationists' haven. Within the forest habitat dwells an interesting bird life.
The forests belong to families or villages and provide the people with many useful products, such as posts and other wood materials for building houses, logs for canoes, fine hardwoods for bowls and other implements, tree sap for glue, fuelwood, and bark and other fiber materials. Fruits and nuts are also harvested from the trees. Samoans depend on their forests for many of these products, but are increasingly relying on imported substitutes.
Increased use of Samoa's timber resources is likely in the future. But several basic needs exist - the need to conserve existing forest values coupled with the need for resources to be managed and developed prudently. It would seem to be necessary to:
1. Investigate the desirability of preserving natural areas. Apparently an extensive area of lowland forest once stood west of Tafuna, but only a few plots remain today. Setting aside one or more larger size parcels of this forest type and of upland forest types appears highly desirable for scientific and other purposes.2. Protect and enhance the watershed values in the forested mountains. Few signs were to be seen of extensive abuse of land, excessive runoff, or erosion. But the possible consequences of any expanded clearing of forested areas for shifting agriculture should be carefully appraised before proceeding further.
3. Encourage production of timber as a crop - just as any other crop that appears promising for local use or export. The present timber supply, though limited, and the potential for greater growth together form an important part of the islands' limited resources. Many areas of accessible, once-cultivated land now stand idle, and appear suited for tree crops. Demonstration plantings should be made to lead the way.
4. Begin forest plantings of the more desirable native species and carefully selected introduced species to develop better quality timber products on the more accessible land. Villagers, who own the forests, harvest products as they need them. Forest values probably have been harmed to an unknown degree by the practice of harvesting only the best trees and leaving poorer trees and inferior species to regenerate.
5. Examine the wood qualities of several species. As a minimum, we suggest that weight and shrinkage should be determined for tree species considered locally as important in quality and volume. Species that show greatest potential should be tested more extensively for strength, machining, gluing and other essential properties.
6. Introduce modern milling machinery and up-to-date processing methods so as to stimulate use of local timber. For example, the Alaskan chain saw mill is a possibility. Timber harvesting and wider use might be stimulated by setting up a centralized yard where logs and rough lumber could be sold, remanufactured, dried, and otherwise treated. Roads need to be developed so that timber could be transported from the mountainous interior. No roads run along Tutuila's north coast.
7. Investigate the possibility of exploiting the uniqueness of something distinctively Samoan. Research is needed to yield answers to such questions as: (fan the forests be tapped for products particularly marketable to tourists? Could small "hand-hewn" Samoan outrigger canoes be marketed? Are there species of trees with particularly high quality wood for specialty items?
These recommendations make up a conservative forestry program for the present. To implement them will require greater attention to forest values than is now being given. Much of the work required should have the active guidance of professional foresters or specialists in related fields. As in other parts of the world, forestry and forest use in American Samoa are dynamic - problems and opportunities will change.
FIGURE 8. - Samoan worker adzes a keel for a long-boat from a log of take (Terminalia catappa).
