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Windward Islands Moist Forests
The Windward Islands moist forests ecoregion (WWF ID: NT0179) covers forested, high-precipitation areas of the volcanic Windward Islands. The forested areas are mostly at higher elevations in the interior of the islands, surrounded by dry forests, dry shrubland, or mangroves on the flat coastal lowlands. Closed forest of this ecoregion cover the majority of the islands. Species diversity is very high. Location and description The Windward Islands are a volcanic island arc, with mountainous interiors in which steep slopes and difficulty converting the land to agriculture has provided some protection from human settlement and development. Moist forests are found on the islands of Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, and Grenada. Climate The climate of the ecoregion is ''Tropical rainforest climate'' (Köppen climate classification (Af)). This climate is characterized as hot, humid, and having at least 60 mm of precipitation every month. The rainy season occ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mount Pelée
Mount Pelée or Mont Pelée ( ; french: Montagne Pelée, ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Montann Pèlé, meaning "bald mountain" or "peeled mountain") is an active volcano at the northern end of Martinique, an island and French overseas department in the Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc of the Caribbean. Its volcanic cone is composed of stratified layers of hardened ash and solidified lava. Its most recent eruption was in 1932. The stratovolcano's 1902 eruption destroyed the town of Saint-Pierre, killing 29,000 to 30,000 people in the space of a few minutes, in the worst volcanic disaster of the 20th century. The main eruption, on 8 May 1902, left only two survivors in the direct path of the blast flow: Ludger Sylbaris survived because he was in a poorly ventilated, dungeon-like jail cell, and Léon Compère-Léandre, living on the edge of the city, escaped with severe burns. Geographical setting and description Mount Pelée is the result of a typical subduction zone. The subd ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |