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• Environments conducive to Theobroma cacao in Martinique

  1-15

  Jean-Philippe Claude

  Yelji Abati

  Yanis Jean-François

  Views:

  36

  The current cocoa orchards in Martinique are genetically diversified and enjoy a good health situation. The aromatic properties of chocolates produced from Martinique beans seem exceptional. The cultivation of cocoa on this French island located in the Caribbean achieved international fame in the 18th century. Today, almost fifty farmers continue to grow cocoa, but climate projections indicate that the possibilities for growing this species will have considerably decreased in the coming decades. A geographic information system (GIS) was in fact developed using QGIS software version 3.36.2, to carry out an agroclimatic zoning and show the effect of climatic constraints on the distribution of environments suitable for Theobroma cacao, in Martinique. The climatic requirements of the species were defined based on global scientific literature and the environmental data comes from the French national meteorological services. Agroforestry, agro-ecology, plant selection and scientific innovations in agronomy will be the main ramparts to prevent a possible decline of this culture on the island.

• Mount Pele, an ecoclimatic gradient generator

  27-41

  Philippe Joseph

  Views:

  175

  Generally, mountains determine the characteristics of particular areas, because of the island phenomenon they cause. However, the geological origins of mountains are multiple and they are located in different climatic regions. Nevertheless, in all aspects they reflect the basic elements of the local biologic unit. The shapes, climates, diverse water resources, biocenoses and the generated soils are the different components that determine, through their dynamic interaction, the “Mountain” ecosystem. Tectonic subduction processes lead to the development of islands such as Martinique, whose basic structure consists of a series of mountains (among them Mount Pele). Like the topographic divisions, the local micro-climates, water courses, different soils (themselves the consequences of the presence of the mountain itself) and successive volcanic eruptions determine, over time, the organization of the diverse vegetal entities.