ascension island

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 !

LET’S DO IT !

Kew Garden

Click on the picture to go to Kew’s website

AND NOW ?

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec0

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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