The Effects of Anthropization on the Coastal Island Vegetation: The Example of the Mangrove Forest of the Bay of Fort-de-France (Martinique)

At the Land-Sea interface, the mangrove forests represent unique but very threatened ecosystems. In the tropical island systems as to the biosphere scale, the mangrove forests and related biocenoses are relevant anthropization markers. The pressures and the direct and indirect damage are also multiple and varied. Generally, the coastal ecosystems of the French West Indies are in constant evolution. The effect of natural factors is increased by human activities. In these small, densely populated and urbanized areas, the mangrove forests are part of the last unoccupied areas. Faced with growing development needs, they represent an area to use, exploit and impact. The human footprint is high and sometimes it has irreversible consequences. The human impact mainly translates into the erosion of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Facing these imbalances, the study of the mangrove ecosystem using conservation ecology stands as an essential approach for the preservation of Martinique’s coastal ecosystems.