International Journal of Recent Research and Review, Vol. IX, Issue 3, September 2016 ISSN 2277 – 8322 Coastal Wetland Ecosystems: The Example of Guadeloupe Michelle DAHOME-DI RUGGIERO Doctor in geography- University of the West Indies-BIORECA Email: [email protected] Abstract - Coastal wetland ecosystems comprising the climate [5] in the region, the evolution of the needs mangrove forests and their annexes: swamp forests, of human societies [6] and especially the system’s prairies and/or marshes are small green hinge spaces rich adaptability capabilities[7]. Their adaptability and their in biodiversity but fragile at the same time. Their benefits ensure a balance in the different island exceptional benefits and values make them the true ecosystems both from the point of view of biodiversity identity of our Caribbean island territories and of vital maintenance and socio-economic development importance to humanity. Our 2008 study allowed us to show that their traditional uses have a low impact without [1].These ecosystems represent the true environmental overexploitation. Accordingly, it is clear that the identity of the inter-tropical island territories of the dynamics of their habitats and their biodiversity is at risk Caribbean and especially of the Antilles. In general, we due to modern activities that affect the planet. This is the no longer have to prove their socio-economic problem: these environments so indispensable to the importance at world scale, they cover 25% of the world planet will disappear in time due to the environmental alimentation [8].In Guadeloupe as elsewhere, they are risks they are facing; can we reduce their vulnerability to also often put at risk due to their overexploitation, preserve them by using sustainable development? As particularly by the modernity of the activities generated their many ecological processes are constantly increasing, by industry, tourism, the proliferation of waste, sewage such as the biocenosis-environment-physical competition stations and other[9]. As a result, the spatio-temporal and also the exchanges with the neighbouring ecosystems, they become vulnerable; If we no longer have to prove the dynamics of these habitats and their biocenosis is the value of the coastal wetlands, their ability to adapt result of the risks they face due to the multiple requires that we make every effort to protect and ecological changes of the planet caused by preserve them. In this article we will present the anthropization. structural and functional characteristics of these The issue is clear: will these coastal wetlands, mangrove forest ecosystems which represent a vital world vital to our planet, disappear due to environmental risks heritage. Then we will explain their vulnerability to and can a sustainable development reduce their coastal risks. Finally an analysis will highlight the likely vulnerability to preserve them? solutions to facilitate their recovery. Since we no longer have to prove their value, we will Keywords - Plant succession, dynamics, ecology, show that we must make all efforts to protect and vulnerability, function, protection, coastal risks. preserve them. I. INTRODUCTION In this article, we present the structural and functional characteristics of these coastal mangrove The mangroves forest of the wetland coasts of the forests, a vital world heritage. Then we will show their French West Indies, occupying 0.04% of the mangrove vulnerability to environmental risks. Finally an analysis forests global area [1] are small spaces with important and discussion will highlight the current management functions and numerous benefits [2],classified as major difficulties regarding effective sustainability solutions. global issues. These specific, fragile, high biodiversity environments are determined by physical parameters, II. STUDY CONTEXT AND METHODOLOGY especially an unstable substrate and variable salinity To address this problem, we chose Guadeloupe, an [3]. They present an ecological heterogeneity whose archipelago located at 61° West longitude and 16° factorial determinism are the geological history [4] or North latitude in the middle of the Caribbean. It has 10 great landscape diversity, with wetlands on 7500 kilometres in length oriented East-West, the main hectares in 1998, 4/5 to be found around the Grand Cul- vegetation of these coastal areas is the mangroves. de-sac Marin lagoon. Sheltered by a reef circa 20 Smaller and always green, they are an open system receiving material and energy both from the land and Field observations, such as transect the sea. They are located mainly on the islets, coves and observations, botanical surveys [11], and traces of estuaries around the lagoon and sometimes along the activities complement this cartographic work of species south and east coasts. the anthropization, its impacts and highlight the vulnerability of these interpretation and recognition. They are accompanied by surveys among the residents of the study sites to record environments. A bibliographical synthesis will result in an analysis of the relationship between man and nature, focusing on participatory management and the possibility of using these environments. III. PLANT ORGANISATION OF THE COASTAL WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS For this purpose, the photographs we used are in colour, they are numbered 302, 306, 308, 310, 331, 339, 348, and 485, taken from the GLP010-C-25000 mission. Fig. 1. Distribution of wetlands in Guadeloupe They were taken by the IGN (Institute Géographique National) on 28 March 2004, at 3935 m altitude. For the To learn about the structural and functional recognition of the units in the photographs we use a organisation of these mangrove coasts, we studied range of green (Figure 2). The red mangroves or aerial photographs by photo-interpretation to identify Rhizophora mangle are dark green, the Avicenia the plant communities (Figure 2). We carried out an germinans and Laguncularia racemose onesare much interpretative analysis on 2004 photographs (1/25000th) lighter. The swamp forest formed by mangle medaille and the topographic data banks or BD-Topo and the (Pterocarpus officinalis) is a heterogeneous green (with orthophotos of the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin. The space a grainy-velvety texture). The marshes are a smooth botanical organisation will allow us to create a typology and clear green; the prairies are a very pale green [12]. for these ecosystems [10]. 11 Fig. 2 Interpretation of the littoral wetland ecological units A. Typology swamp forest and/or swamp. The type 2 open coastal wetland including a mangrove swamp, a swamp forest In many areas of the island along the lower coasts under and a prairie, can also be seen in some sectors of the the influence of the tides we can see, from the sea to Petit Cul-de-Sac Marin. This type is located in the land, landscape units parallel to the sea in accordance commune of Petit-Bourg at the mouth of the river with the overall diagram in Figure 3 [9]. It is a coastal Lézarde and the territory of Goyave in the Bay of the wetland defined using the mangroves: a mangrove town (from Pointe La Rose to Pointe de la Rivière to forest on salty soil on the sea border and a back Goyave around l'Anse à Douville). mangrove forest. Depending on the water conditions, it Sometimes, small mangrove wetland plant is composed of an herbaceous swamp of brackish formations can also be seen in forest borders along the water, a swamp forest of fresh water, a freshwater gullies and streams flowing into inlets of the Atlantic prairie adjacent to crop lands or constructed areas. This coast, example of riparian mangroves at Moule [14]. succession of ecosystems permanently defined in Captive mangroves are recorded from Port- contact with the sea is an open coastal wetland (Figure Louis to Anse-Bertrand; separated from the sea by a 3). If instead the area is protected by a sandy belt, sandy belt, they are also found in Northern Basse-Terre called "captive mangrove forest" by Rousteauin (Figure 4). These mangrove islets, called mangrove 1996[13] due to the temporary contact with the sea, it is [15], are located on the a coastal captive wetland. In both cases we can “pockets” by the NFB in 2012 edge of a man-made aquatic basin at Deshaies and establish a typology based on the back mangrove forest along the north coast of Sainte-Rose. which is where the landscape varies (Table I) On the South and east coast of Grande-Terre, Among the open coastal wetlands, the partly these small captive spaces (Table II) are defined by halophilic alluvial open mangrove forests border the Portecop in 2009 [14] as basin or lagoon mangrove lagoon of Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin (Figure 4). We can forests (in Saint-Félix-Gosier). The same year, they are distinguish four types numbered from 1 to 4, they are named "colluvial mangroves" by PhilippeJoseph [16] determined by the presence or absence of one or several who considers them Rhizophora pioneer fronts. back mangrove forest ecosystems: for example a 12 Fig. 3 Distribution of ecosystems in the littoral Wetlands – (1988, Imbert, Bland et Rusiier) Fig. 4. Mapping of types of open coastal wetlands 13 TABLE I Typology of coastal wetlands sandy belt coast Lagoon / Mangrove Marsh forest Swamp Meadow type wetland Littoral Lagoon or Open mangrove sea coast « x x x x Type 1 « x x x Type 2 « x x x Type 3 « x x Type 4 Coast x - - - Captive sandy belt Mangrove coast TABLE II Examples of localization of the “small” mangrove forests of Guadeloupe (from field observations: 2009-2016) TYPES LOCATIONS Riparian Moule: Damencourt, the Bay, Rivière d’Audoin. Marie-Galante: Rivière Vieux Fort St François: Anse à la Barque, Baie Olive Basin Gosier: Grand-Baie, Pointe de la Verdure, Saint Félix, Les Salines. Deshaies (near the Grande Anse beach) Lagoon Saint-Anne: the Lambi pond, la Helleux, Anse à Saints Saint-François: Anse Gros Boeuf, the salt mines of Pointe des Chateaux Nord Basse-Terre: Sainte-Rose, Deshaies Channel Anse-Bertrand: Anse Colas, Porte d’Enfer 14 The centre of these biocenotic communities supplied Rhizophora mangle followed by shrubby mangroves with colluvium [17] and water is a Rhizophoratum.