Fifteenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

Over 70% of the territory of the Republic of Haiti, which shares the island of Haiti with the Dominican Republic, is mountainous. The mountains have always been inhabited, and historically served as a place of retreat and refuge for people fleeing the plantations of the French colony during the period of slavery. It continued to be inhabited after independence in 1804, and remains so today. A provider of agricultural goods and timber resources, the mountain has deteriorated over time. The result has been a national deforestation rate averaging around 17.5%. This has also been the case for the village of Vallue, which is home to some 250 families and is located in the hills above the commune of Petit-Goâve, in the Palmes region of Haiti’s West Department. Over a period of thirty years, successive reforestation campaigns, using both native and exotic species, have seen the woodland cover restored to 25.9%. Based on an inventory of plant species present in three distinct micro-zones located within the village boundaries, it was found that the relative richness of biodiversity had improved in the micro-zones. The introduction of non-native species during reforestation campaigns played a role. Their presence within the immediate limits of the families’ habitats contributed to this enrichment. In the study area, no problems of invasion were reported that might have been caused by the use of exotic plants.