MOVECLIM
expedition in Guadeloupe from June 2nd to 9th 2012
The team included six people:
Claudine Ah Peng and Olivier Flores (University of La Réunion), team leaders,
Terry Hedderson (University of Cape Town), Juergen Kluge (University of
Marburg), Jean-François Bernard and Elisabeth Lavocat Bernard
(scientific
council of the National Botanical Conservatory of Guadeloupe) as
local partners.
The expedition consisted in
establishing permanents plots for long term monitoring and characterizing
bryophytes and ferns diversity along an altitudinal gradient on the Eastern
slope of the volcano La Soufrière (1470 m) with elevational steps of 200 m, the
lower step at 300 m and the higher at 1450 m.
From 450 m until 1450 m the plots were located in the
National Park of Guadeloupe which issued our collecting permit.
Pix: Transect study sites of La Soufrière volcano on Basse Terre (map O. Flores)
Elisabeth and Jean-François did a preliminary
investigation for finding the plots in April and May, except for the plot 1050
m, which was a clusietum area (Clusia sp.)
and needed to be discussed with collaborators to determine the site. Temperature
and relative humidity loggers were set up on each studied plot and started at a
recording time of every hour.
The climatic data will be, then recorded every
six months by the National Park agents.
Friday
June 1st
At the airport welcoming of the participants by Lisa,
fetching of the rental car and drive to the rented house in Capesterre Belle
Eau (Basse Terre).
Saturday
June 2nd:
Plots at 650 m in the second Carbet Fall area, in a
native rainforest.
Pix 1: Carbet Fall
Pix 2: 650 m plot
Pix 3: Vegetation type at 650 m
Sunday
June 3rd:
Plots at 850 m just below the first Carbet Fall, cloud
forest with smaller trees with many epiphytes (bryophytes, ferns, bromeliaceae,
orchids…) hanging from the branches.
Pix 4: Vegetation type at 850 m plots
Pix 5: Epiphytic Lepidozia reptens
Pix 6: Epiphylls, Lejeuneaceae ssp.
Monday
June 4th:
Plots at 1450 m near the summit of La Soufrière and plots
at 1250 m at the Pass of L’Échelle, just below the volcano with low-shrub
vegetation.
Pix 7: Sphagnum sp.
Pix 8: Populations of Sphagnum sp on La Soufrière massif.
Pix 9: Pitcairnia sp.
Pix 10: Rhacocarpus purpurescens
Tuesday
June 5th:
Plots at 1050 m in the clusietum. Moving around in this plot was difficult due to
dense low shrub vegetation, not easily penetrable.
Pix 11: In the Clusia sp. bush
Wednesday
June 6th
Resting and curating specimens
Thursday
June 7th
Plots at 450 m, just above third Carbet Fall,
rainforest. At this elevational level, the National Park partners were informed
to the usage of the loggers as it was planned in the Moveclim project.
In the evening, a meeting was held with the National
Park partners where we discussed the project. Work of each partner was
clarified as well as the most appropriate mode of involvement of National Park
of Guadeloupe in this project.
Pix 12: Olivier & Alain, using the laser distance meter to measure the tree height
Pix 13: Vegetation type at 450 m
Pix 14: Setting up the plot of 10 X10 m
Friday
8th
Plots at 300 m, relatively slightly modified rain
forest, on rocky soil. This plot is not located in the National Park area.
Pix 15: Vegetation type at 300 m
Saturday
9th
Departure to Paris and preparation of the kick off
meeting.
Dr Alain Rousteau (University of Antilles Guyane) and Marion
his PhD student were with us the last two days for collecting data about the vegetation
structure of the plots (canopy height, tree species identification and
diameter). Hervé Magnin (National Park of Guadeloupe) and his collaborator
joined on a midday trip.
A very nice weather, a good understanding and
cooperation between the partners with a very nice and friendly atmosphere made
this mission very pleasant and successful as all sampling was efficiently done!
Authors: Elisabeth
Lavocat Bernard and Jean-François Bernard
Photographs: C. Ah-Peng & E. Lavocat-Bernard
