501 
3 are studied: 
res and Morne 
and inundation 
ficant is the 
m) and climax 
3 accumulation 
/aporation in 
irf Rhizophora 
salinity). 
iws that below 
r, hence the 
mce that can 
ysis over the 
present modi- 
ver the last 
•astic changes 
ire not uncom- 
cy is a slow 
. It is rather 
3-colonization 
nds. Nowadays 
regression is 
well seen in 
le main city, 
the sea. Next 
lation through 
bymes, Morne- 
nstant on the 
3n (Colocasia) 
,ng. If trees 
Later cyperaceae 
es. If fires 
olonize. Fire 
ones play an 
erocarpus and 
Luce thickets 
Figure 2.■Between Port Louis and Petit Canal 
Photo IGN 84 ANT 23200 125. Original 1:20000 reduced 
to about 1:27000 
I Mouth of Ravine Gachet ; 2 Sand beach ; 3 Sand 
dune with semi deciduous thicket ; 4 Thespesia ; 
5 Transect n° 11 ; 6 Pure Avicennia ; 7 Semi deciduous 
on limestone outcroup ; 8 High Avicennia and Lagun- 
cularia ; 9 Lagunc. sapling ; 10 High Rhiz. + Lagunc.; 
II Cyperaceae ; 12 Sporobolus prairie ; 13 Semi 
deciduous forest ; 14 Saltflat ; 15 High Rhiz. 
of Acrostichum and/or Rhabdadenia or saltflats quite 
discernible on photos. Rhizophora is more aggressive 
in recolonization than any other mangrove species. 
Regeneration processes are not discussed here. 
Without human interference, Pterocarpus stands 
are not fragile ecosystems ; they are quite balanced 
in their diameter classes. Decaying forest types 
occur by excess of silting or abrupt changes in 
water regime (road, dam construction, dunes after 
cyclones). 
7. MINOR WETLAND COMMUNITIES 
Minor wetland non-mangrove communities have been 
enumerated before. Outside G.C.S. pocket mangroves 
occur around tne two islands of Guadeloupe, Basse- 
Terre and Grande Terre ; likewise in Martinique, 
the main mangrove area is around Fort de France 
Bay and minor ones are located on the southern, 
and eastern (windward) coast south of Caravelle 
Peninsula. 
Some of the pocket mangroves of Guadeloupe are 
of particular interest and well seen on photos. 
The little relict mangrove of Portes d’Enfer is 
dying out because of unfrequent inundation impeded 
by sand accumulation : the four species altogether 
are there with a grove of pure Thespesia. 
The mangrove of Le Moule on the eastern coast 
of Grande Terre is mainly riverine and does not 
exceed 10 ha ; it communicates with the sea by a 
narrow channel ; Pterocarpus clumps occur at the 
back and Annona glabra is frequent ; the main interest 
Figure 3. Between Petit Canal and Vieux Bourg 
Photo IGN 84 ANT 23200 123 Original 1:20000 Reduced 
to about 1:27000 
I Avic. Park like ; 2 High Lagunc. ; 3 Cycloned 
Lagunc. becoming saltflat ; 4 Haematoxylon thicket ; 
5 Overwash mangrove. Transect 10 is pure Rhiz-. with 
increasing height from A to B. Transect 9 between 
points C and D : 6 Dwarf Rhiz. 2 to 4 m ; 7 Same 
as 6 with scattered Avic. ; 8 Pure Rhiz. 10 m ; 
9 Rhiz. pole stand 10 cm diameter ; 10 High Avic. ; 
II High Avic. + Rhiz. ; 12 Belt of Acrostichum 
(pale grey) ; D is Haematoxylon thicket ; 13 Cype 
raceae ; 14 Pterocarpus ; 15 Conocarpus. 
is the presence of some trees of the rare species 
Avicennia schauerana. 
Some narrow riverine mangroves are found on the 
eastern and southern coasts of Grande Terre. Two 
areas east of Pointe A Pitre are just surviving* 
Pointe Canot shows old Laguncularia and Conocarpus 
above 30 cm D.B.H. whereas the mangrove of Pointe 
de la Saline is completely trapped by a sand bar, 
isolating from the nearly sea a lagoai surrounded 
with a belt of Rhizophora and a strip of pure Avicennia 
on its northern and western sides. Its interest 
lies in the factthat the salinity is strongly fluc 
tuating becoming brackish in the rainy season. 
The mangrove of Pointe de la Saline is less than 
20 ha. 
Large decaying Avicennia (above 80 cm D.B.H.) 
are scattered among pocket mangroves on the S.E. 
coast of Basse Terre ; its western coast is practi 
cally devoid of mangrove due to a steep relief, 
although some isolated Rhizophora are present at 
the mouth of rivers, and here and there clumps 
of Annona glabra or scattered Thespesia on sand. 
The Port Louis swamp is an interesting complex 
(and a refuge for birds) of about 350 ha located 
north of Port Louis (Fig. 1), mainly with nudflats 
and grass or cyperaceous swamps, also with Rhizo 
phora, Laguncularia and dry deciduous thickets 
including a few Avicennia schauerana. 
South of Port Louis some trees of the rare Bucida 
buceras occur on the sand dune at the sea front 
and also at the limit between mangrove and prairie. 
Sizable clumps of Conocarpus occur at the back 
of the mangrove.