HURRICANES AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN TROPICAL FORESTS - THE CASE OFGUADELOUPE

In this work, we consider the role played by hurricanes in the mainten ance of high biodiversity, and we look at how biodiversity may influen ce the response of tropical forest ecosystems to hurricane disturbance s. After hurricane Hugo struck Guadeloupe in 1989, we started a compar ative study on the resistance and the resilience of the rain forest, t he semi-deciduous forest and the mangrove forest. It appeared that the resistance of these forests was positively linked to their diversity, which was assessed both through flora richness and structure complexi ty (resulting from the variety of life forms). Examples of species spe cific resistance or vulnerability occur in the three forests; however, the higher the ecosystem's diversity, the fewer and the weaker they a re. Abundant species tend to be less vulnerable than others - at least in the rain forest and in the semi-deciduous forest. Forest recovery operates mainly through pre-existing individuals (surviving trees, cop picing stumps, saplings or seedlings). Pioneer species may slightly an d temporarily benefit from large openings, especially in the rain fore st. Strong recurrence of hurricanes may lead to the extinction of some rare, vulnerable, short-range disseminating, non pioneer species. (C) Elsevier, Paris.