The savannah project: making progress!

The savannahs of French Guiana suffer from a lack of interest from research and management organisations, their attention being more easily focused on the forests, the last large tropical primary forests on the planet. As a consequence, the savannahs, less than 2% of French Guiana’s territory, have received very little serious study up until now.

The Dry Savannahs, French Guiana, A. Stier

This is another challenge for the Guianese Life+ team – to put together a study of an environment about which at present almost nothing is known!

The past few weeks have nevertheless been productive. In cooperation with different partners, a map of the savannahs of French Guiana has been made that takes into account rainfall patterns and soil-types, factors that greatly influence their botanical and ornithological populations. A number of sample sites for study will be selected on the basis of the information on this map.

In addition, botanical, ornithological and soil-survey study techniques have been employed, and those relating to birds have been tested in the field over the past two days by the Association’s volunteers, thus enabling the parameters of the studies to be put into the context of the local environment.

Once the sample sites have been selected the fieldwork proper will begin, followed quickly by the botanical studies.

Anna Stier
Project Leader
Life+ Cap DOM