Le developpement forestier en Martinique

Still rich from its diversity constituted over 45.000 hectares by its mangroves, coastal zones, dry forests in the south, subhumid and humid forests in the centre to the north, the forest of Martinique has known three centuries of degradation and impoverishment. The human pressure in its negative form has practically stopped nowadays owing to the settlement of management structures, to the effective application of protective rules and to the development of a preservation and improvement policy based on an inventory and a management plan. This policy tends to give to the forest of Martinique a triple role: protection, production and support of tourism. protection of grounds, preservation of environment and conservation of ecosystem richness. production of raw materials with the aim to satisfy the need for the local economy in the “antilloguyanais” and carribean context. support of an adequate development of tourism activity considering the well-being of local population. En Martinique comme dans les autres Iles de la Caraibe, les actions forestieres que Von peut entreprendre sont conditionnees par des caracteres specifiques. Ce sont en l’occurence un taux important; un relief accuse, lie A d’intenses phenomenes volcaniques; des zones forestieres diverses et fragiles; une vegetation ligneuse tres dynamique colonisant les terres abandonnees par l’agriculture; une exploitation rationnelle de la foret limitee aux terres domaniales; un artisanat centralise peu adapte aux realites economiques; une industries en expansion confrontee A un probleme d’approvisionnement en bois; le sous emploi en zone rurale; un potentiel touristique glev6. Au terme de cette enumeration, it apparait que la foret martiniquaise joue un triple role: de protection, de production de matiere premiere, de support touristique.