The biodiversity hotspot map identifies areas for preservation by two criteria, one being a certain rate of endemism: that the flora and fauna are not found elsewhere, and because at least 70% of its primary vegetation has been lost.

[5] The îlets de la Perle, the Citadelle and the coastal waters in north-west Martinique form a regional nature reserve called "Réserve marine du prêcheur - Albert Falco".

[8] The Regional Nature Park, in partnership with the island's government, has registered the "volcanoes and forests of Mount Pelée and the Pitons of northern Martinique" as a UNESCO World Heritage Site candidate.

[11]The park runs a quality control and promotion scheme for honey, lamb and cassava produced there, labelling those which meet its standard with the "marque parc".

[20]The White-breasted thrasher is a bird endemic to Martinique, found in the dry forest of the Caravelle peninsula and in Saint Lucia.

Martinique has 95 species of insects (or more generally hexapoda) which are strictly endemic[22] including Athis pinchoni, a moth.

[23] The bromeliad aechmea reclinata is an endemic epiphytic plant species that was discovered very recently by botanists of the Martinique National Park.

[25] In the wetlands several exotic plants have become established such as water hyacinth, Pistia stratiotes, Hydrilla verticillata and Salvinia molesta.

Geological formations in the South are older and the topography is closer to sea level, only exceeding 500 m (1,600 ft) at a point, the coasts are more indented, and here sedimentary rocks become visible among the ancient basalts.

[27] In 2012, 1230 wetlands were identified on the whole island of Martinique, categorised into 156 "ecosystems", covering a total surface area of 2,700 ha (10 sq mi).

These include man-made environments, areas which are always waterlogged, or only during the wet season and the water may be fresh, salt or brackish.

There are also mangrove massifs on clay-sand substrate, scattered on the Atlantic coast and to the south of Martinique, sometimes merging with the forest.

A study of ecosystem service, published in April 2017, estimates the economic contribution of the mangrove to the fishery sector at €15,143,000, plus €63,000 for "pêche vivrière" or fishing for food.

Due to climatic and edaphic soil conditions caused by the gradient, means that even when the forest is mature, it will not necessarily develop into a climax community.

The second continuum is located in the north of Martinique, on the steep slopes of the Piton Mont Conil and it is protected by two integral biological reserves: "Prêcheur-Grande-rivière" and "Montagne Pelée".

However, at lower altitudes the forest was cleared for cash crops in the 18th century, then in the 19th for cocoa cultivation, shown by the presence of Samanea saman, a tree of Brazilian origin used as a shade plant.

As cultures have tended to settle here over the history of the island, it is usually secondary forest, including trees such as Simarouba amara (bois-blanc) and Inga laurina (Pois-doux).

Micropholis guyanensis, Pouteria pallida in the Sapotaceae family or Myrcia deflexa (Myrtaceae) and Prestoea montana (a palm tree), already present in the rainforest, become dominant in this zone.

These woodlands are referred to as "forêt des elfes" because of their stunted height, and the reliability of misty, humid conditions in the high elevations where they grow, which they rely on for moisture.

The park supports cultural transmission by providing educational activities in schools and in practice, by communicating in Creole in its official documents (as proposed in its charter, signed in 2012).

"Canari", "Coco-neg" or "Tesson" kitchen utensils still made today using the Colombin technique, are the heirs of this Arawak tradition.

The range of pottery being made on the island expanded from everyday objects to moulds for the sugar industry, bricks and round roof tiles.

Overall, most species there are common and the biodiversity now present depends a great deal on the continued use of phytosanitary irradiation treatments on farms.

The Creole garden appeared with the abolition of slavery, when former slaves settled on cleared land, and developed further with the decline of the sugar industry, which employed many agricultural workers.

To launch its programme of international cooperation, the Parc naturel régional de la Martinique carried out a consultancy mission for the creation of a discovery trail across the island of Dominica, from north to south.