TITLE:
Contribution to the Study of Three Potentially Invasive Species in the Lesser Antilles: The Case of Martinique
AUTHORS:
Yelji Abati, Philippe Joseph, Kévine Baillard, Jean-Philippe Claude, Yanis Jean-François, Séverine Ely-Marius, Stéphane Sophie
KEYWORDS:
Lesser Antilles, Martinique, Biodiversity, Potentially Invasive Species, Dichrostachys cinerea, Spathodea campanulata, Triphasia trifolia, Anthropization
JOURNAL NAME:
Natural Resources,
Vol.16 No.13,
December
29,
2025
ABSTRACT: The invasive species are the second biggest cause of biodiversity loss. Invasive species are detrimental to the proper functioning of all ecosystems. Island ecosystems are more affected by biological invasions than mainland ecosystems. In Martinique, several potentially invasive plant species are threatening the island’s forests. These species manage to establish themselves in all three bioclimatic levels, leading to monospecific formations in certain regions. The analysis is based on a study of three potentially invasive species: Dichrostachys cinerea, Spathodea campanulata and Triphasia trifolia. A total of 48 floristic inventories were carried out in the island’s three bioclimatic stages. The data obtained enabled us to characterize station individually. In addition, multivariate statistical analyses (AFC and ACP) were carried out using EXCEL and XLSTAT software to highlight similarities between inventories and determine relationships with environmental variables. The results obtained have enabled us to decipher the main life traits of these species, while establishing their ecological profile when they are placed in the same ecological conditions in the forests of Martinique.