ABSTRACT
Much folklore and many myths remain about the role of land use and its relation to hydrology, and these hinder rational decision making. This is particularly true in relation to forestry, agroforestry and hydrology: claims by enthusiastic agroforesters and foresters are often not supportable. The perception that forests are always necessarily ‘good’ for the environment and water resources has, however, become so deeply ingrained in our collective psyches that it is usually accepted unthinkingly. The view is routinely reinforced by the media and is all-pervasive; it has become enshrined in some of our most influential environmental policy documents. The report by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED, 1992) states:
The impacts of loss and degradation of forests are in the form of soil erosion, loss of biological diversity, damage to wildlife habitats and degradation of watershed areas, deterioration of the quality of life and reduction of the options for development.
