CLOUD FOREST ON ASCENSION ISLANDHow can the man transform his environment ?
ASCENSION ISLAND ?
Pretty young island : only 1 million year old
DISCOVERY1501 : Joao Da Nova
Ilha de Nossa Senora de Conceiçao
1503 : Afonso de AlbuquerqueAscension Island
THE BEGINNING OF THE TRANSFORMATION
The idea : Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
botanist
Supported by : Charles Darwin
PROPOSITIONS
Planting trees on the mountain : most important
Developing the formation of deeper soils
Planting the more promising areas in the lower valleys with drought adapted trees
Introducing suitable crops into garden on Green Moutain
THE IDEA
Place with no water
Trees : need of water
Place with water !
AND NOW ?
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Average high °C
Average low °C
Rainfall mm (inches)
Avg. rainy days
% humidity
AND NOW ?
Green Mountain
CONCLUSION
It is possible !
Barren island became a tropical forest
Thiphaine MEDARDThiphaine.medard(at)etu.emse.fr
SOME USEFULL WEBSITES
http://www.globalwhisperer.com/2010/09/ascension-island-darwins-best-kept-secret/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11137903
http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/BIE/greenmt.pdf Ascension island website