The dry forests of Martinique
The dry forests of Martinique are found on the south and east of the island, and also in the north near the windy coastlines. This is where the numerous species of trees and lianas which symbolize the island proliferate.
The dry forests are a prolongation of the wet forests which grow in the centre of the island. As they receive less rainfall than the forests on altitude, they are called dry forests. They get less than 1,500mm. of rain per year, a lot less than that which falls on the primary forests (over 2,500mm. of rainfall).
These dry forests are situated on the southern coast of the island near the Saint-Anna peninsula, on the east coast on the La Caravelle peninsula and also in the north of the island, on the windy coast, sheltered by the embankments of the Pelée Mountain (between Case-pilote and le Precheur). Some species of these trees, like the native pear tree, the red river gum and the everlasting, lose their leaves during the dry season.
When the dry season ends in April, these trees burst into flower before growing their leaves. Other dry forest species keep their leaves, which are thick and tough, and sometimes waxy, all year round. Examples of these are the jatoba, the cashew, the guaiacum, the pisonia, as well as some cactii and agaves.
We can add to this list species like the Ti Baum, the wild cherry tree, the logwood, verbenas and a multitude of thorned shrubs in the acacia family.
Apart from these trees and shrubs, the dry forest also includes many species of lianas like the snake wood, the licorice liana and the cats claw. The undergrowth is inhabited mainly by poaceae (true grasses) and sedges.
On the La Caravelle peninsula we can find big-leaved seagrape trees. As these forests are close to tourist resorts due to their proximity to the coast, they are rapidly shrinking due to human activity.
Some species like the jatoba or the rosewood tree have practically disappeared due to urban pressure and to repeated tree felling by the forestry industry. Only the La Caravelle peninsula benefits from protection as it has been declared a natural reserve. The other parts of the dry forest have been accorded no specific protection measures.