As part of the research work carried out at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle de Paris (MNHN) (Mathieu JORON’s team), a field mission to French Guiana was organised with 4 members of the team (Mathieu JORON, Lise FREZAL, Robert JONES and Jérôme BARBUT).
Works of which some of my results were published in the journal Nature/Heredity (25 March 2015): to read here.
It took place in 2 stages:
- Kaw Mountains (7 days)
Nuragu Station (10 days)
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Location of different prospecting sites in French Guiana (Google Earth)[/caption]
The objective was to collect biological material. This consisted in taking butterflies of the genus Heliconius from the environment, packaging them in a certain way in order to preserve, on the one hand, the wings and their colouring, and on the other, the body and its DNA.
The interest is to obtain a representative sample of genetic diversity for each species. The DNA studies, carried out in Paris, will make it possible to understand and highlight the structure, diversity and movements of the genes at the origin of wing colouring in populations and species (for more information).
Reserve de Kaw
The Kaw-Roura Marsh Nature Reserve (see photo album) is located a few kilometers southeast of Cayenne, between the towns of Roura and Regina. Because of its surface, it is the 3rd French reserve (94 700ha) and the largest wetland area in France. It was created by decree on 13 March 1998.
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Map of French Guiana (Source lonelyplanet.fr)[/caption]
Marshes, essentially composed of floating savannah to Cypeus sp. and Aracées, are bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the northeast and by 2 rivers: the Mahury and the Approuague, and are fed by the Angélique creek and the Kaw river.
The Kaw mountain is the first relief encountered by the trade winds coming from the sea, which makes it one of the rainiest areas of Guyana.
La station des Nouragues
It is a privileged place to study the functioning of tropical forests and their biodiversity. The station hosts scientists from national and international research organizations. Scientific equipment is made available to allow permanent measurements, maintained and operated by the station’s technical staff.
In order to limit environmental disturbances through excessive use of the site, the station can only accommodate a limited number of scientists, sufficient to develop research and thus have a global vision of the ecosystem but also to make the structure profitable. This is why the resort is not an establishment open to the public, except in exceptional cases.
- the Inselberg site < suitable for studies on tropical forest vegetation and is a reference point for the study of mammals and other animals due to zero hunting pressure.
- le site Pararé installé au bord de la rivière, est adapté aux études des forêts riveraines et des communautés de rivière.
The station is open all year round. It can thus host scientific missions lasting from a few days to several months. Sleeping books, electricity, refrigerators and drinking water are available. Communication is via satellite telephone and internet.
Geography and environment</span style=”font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;”>
The station is located on the watershed of the Arataye, a tributary of the Approuague, where the relief does not exceed 120m altitude. The Balanfois mountain range, which crosses the region, culminates at 460m. Inselberg lies at the base of a 430m high granitic inselberg (Def : rocky, steep residual relief dominating a plain).
Vegetation is typical of large low-lying primary forest. In addition there are palm swamps Euterpe (Pinoptières), vine forests and cambrouzes (vine bamboos). On the leached soil of the top of the inselberg, where the granitic rock outcrops, only a few plant species manage to develop as Clusia and Pitcairnia. Near the summit grows a forest rich in Myrtaceae and endemic plants.
Recommendation of books on this theme:
– Guide encyclopédique de Guyane
