HURRICANE DAMAGE AND FOREST STRUCTURE IN GUADELOUPE, FRENCH-WEST-INDIES

A comparative study of the damage caused by Hurricane Hugo on the thre e main types of forest in the lesser Antilles was carried out in the m angrove forest, the semi-evergreen forest and the rainforests of Guade loupe. Hurricane impact on these forests showed at first that high can opy trees generally prevented understorey trees from heavy direct dama ge (shield effect). In the species-poor, structurally homogeneous stan ds, in the mangrove forest, species' susceptibility was the major dete rminant in both intensity and type of damage. Damage was heavy in plac es and showed a certain spatial uniformity. In the rainforest, the hig h structural complexity of the vegetation generally induced a great va riability in the spatial distribution of damage even at a small scale. Due to the presence of tall trees, indirect damage was locally very h eavy. Clumps of large trees formed resistant structures which diminish ed lethal damage below the main canopy (cluster effect). In such a hig hly structured, species-rich forest, species' susceptibility was conce aled at the local scale by the prevailing influence of vertical struct ure. Because of its relatively rich flora but low stature, the semi-de ciduous forest exhibited intermediate patterns of damage. It was concl uded that floristic composition and forest structure help to explain, and to predict, hurricane damage to forest cover.