Effects of anthropic dynamics on mangrove ecosystems’ degradation in Haiti

Abstract Anthropization process and climatic changes, mainly deforestation and sea level rise, are factors significantly contributing to the loss of mangrove ecosystems. The aim of our study is to analyze the effects of the dynamics of human activities closely associated with these ecosystems’ degradation. We identify and compare soil use and occupation variations based on information provided by 140 randomly chosen participants at the Caracol County - Haiti. The results analyzed through multivariate regression tests, the most significant exploratory variable for the mangroves’ degradation process was “mangrove occupation”, regardless of age, gender, schooling, time in the same residence, profession, home distance from the mangrove, landslide events, and risk of floods. We have concluded that distance from home, ecological function, intervention in biodiversity conservation, as well as water-climatic and geo-physical threats are factors closely correlated to mangroves’ environmental conservation and management.