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Abstract
The overall effect of a forest canopy upon its immediate environment is discussed; this is followed by study of forest clearance, with emphasis on experimental investigations. The effect of forest clearance on erosion of soils is then considered. After discussing the disturbance of the ecosystem by man in prehistoric times, it is asserted that the hydrological impact of man, even in prehistoric times, was so great that even climatic changes in the hydrological cycle may have been masked. The paper concludes with some comments about lessons for the future.