Les ensembles sylvatiques et paysagers relevant du Conservatoire du littoral et de la forêt domaniale du nord-ouest de la Martinique

Résumé En

The North of Martinique forest ecosystems constituting a part of the “Littoral Conservatoire” present a great floristic and physionomie diversity. Those monumental forests correspond to patrimonial elements in the Leeward Islands. They grow at an altitude of 0 to 500 m. Up to the altitude, the Mount Pelée domanial forest takes place. From the coast to the highest tops, this large mountainous unit is characterised by bioclimatic gradation (annual rain rate located between 2 000 mm and 5 000 mm) that governs the different forest types, specified each by their floristic potential, their physionomy and their different predominant species. The existence of an eco-systemic continuum involving numerous eco-unities, floristic compositions, at different stage of development, represent an efficient protection for this remarkable forest part. In reality, it is a great laboratory providing precious information about the development of a great part of the vegetal bio-systems in the Leeward Islands. The anthropic energy was diversified in frequency and intensity. This process gave place to successional and plural stages, associated to ecosystemic degrees of complexity settled on a dynamic gradient. In the end with the successive acquisitions obtained by the “Littoral Conservatoire” within the wooded northern of the Mount Pelée, an exceptional unity of protection was born, a unique biocenotic reference in the less Caribbean which should be erected a biosphere reserve.