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The forests in overseas territories are highly varied and shelter huge and often unique biological riches due to high rates of endemicity. Four of the five biodiversity hot spots in France are located in overseas territories, making for the country’s global responsibilities in this area. Over time, their surface area has decreased and their conservation status has changed in some places. They are under various forms of pressure: urbanisation, agricultural development, gold digging, etc. The value of these overseas forests is now better recognized and many measures have been undertaken in these territories: creation of protected areas, control of invasive species, enhanced productivity through forest-based industry uses and ecotourism. Nonetheless, they are still seriously threatened and secure land tenure system appears to be a pre-requisite for conducting public policies of conservation. Better knowledge of how the ecosystems function, which is still very fragmentary, is essential to enhance efficiency of the management and conservation measures undertaken. Finally, it is crucial for the future that the efforts of public players be pooled and coordinated within the framework of an overall, network-based approach to conservation.

La strategie de reconstitution des forets elaboree par l'ONF a ete definie sur la base des enseignements tires des tempetes passees, en France comme a l'etranger, et d'un reseau de competences d'une centaine de personnes : forestiers, scientifiques, associations, representants de communes forestieres... Cette strategie est fondee sur : -- la protection des sols, des regenerations en place et des sous-etages lors de l'exploitation forestiere, - une gestion extensive des remanents, - la conservation et la gestion de ce qui est reste sur pied, le maintien des lisieres, des clairieres... - la definition des objectifs et des moyens selon les enjeux apres diagnostic, concertation interne et concertation externe avec les acteurs concernes du territoire, - la maitrise des ongules et, si necessaire, la protection des regenerations contre la dent du gibier, - la priorite a la regeneration naturelle et aux melanges d'essences en s'integrant dans les dynamiques naturelles de vegetation. Cela necessite donc d'attendre et d'observer pour agir, - la plantation, si necessaire, en respectant la bonne adequation stations-essences-provenances, - le suivi et l'evaluation des reconstitutions pour en tirer des enseignements et faire progresser les connaissances.