Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : The bacterial microbiota of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is known to have a defensive role in social insects, particularly for leaf-cutting ants (Formicidae: Attini) due to the use of antimicrobial molecules produced by cuticular actinobacteria. In this thesis, we studied the bacterial microbiota of ants in French Guyana using different approaches based on natural products chemistry and molecular ecology. The first chapter describes the isolation, identification, culture and biological evaluations of 43 cuticular actinobacteria. Antagonism bioassays of isolated strains and antibiotic activities of the culture extracts against human pathogens are presented as well as the identification of an antimicrobial cyclic dipeptide (Cyclo (LPro-LPhe)) isolated from a strain close to Streptomyces thioluteus. Moreover, the implementation of molecular networks applied to UPLC/MS/MS analysis of actinobacterial cocultures allowed us to explore the diversity of metabolites produced under these conditions. The second chapter presents a methodological study to evaluate the capacity of four DNA extraction methods, in terms of richness and composition of the cuticular bacterial microbiota, in high-throughput sequencing from Atta cephalotes and Pseudomyrmex penetrator. The results of metabarcoding highlight two methods of extraction and reveal inter- and intraspecific differences in the composition of cuticular bacterial communities. Finally, chapter three describes the composition of the cuticular bacterial microbiota of Camponotus femoratus and Crematogaster levior in ant garden and the results reveal the acquisition in the environment of a part of the microbiota. In parallel, metabolomic analyses of ant’s cuticle show, on the contrary, a greater specificity related to the ant species. Future researches focusing on statistical analysis strategies combining metabarcoding and metabolomics data are discussed.
Le microbiote bactérien cuticulaire des fourmis (Hymenoptera : Formicidae) est connu pour avoir un rôle défensif chez ces insectes sociaux, notamment chez les fourmis attines (Formicidae : Attini) grâce l’utilisation de molécules antimicrobiennes produites par des actinobactéries cuticulaires. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous avons étudié le microbiote bactérien des fourmis de Guyane en utilisant différentes approches en chimie des produits naturels et en écologie moléculaire. Le premier chapitre décrit l’isolement, l’identification, la culture et l’évaluation biologique de 43 actinobactéries cuticulaires de fourmis de Guyane. Les tests d’antagonismes des souches isolées et l’activité antibiotique des extraits de culture contre des micro-organismes pathogènes humains sont présentés ainsi que l’identification d’un dipeptide cyclique (Cyclo(LPro-LPhe)) antimicrobien qui a été isolé à partir d’une souche proche de Streptomyces thioluteus. Par ailleurs, la mise en œuvre de réseaux moléculaires appliqués à une analyse par UPLC/MS/MS de cocultures d’actinobactéries a permis d’explorer la diversité des métabolites produits dans ces conditions. Le deuxième chapitre présente une étude méthodologique pour comparer quatre méthodes d’extraction d’ADN, en termes de richesse et de composition du microbiote bactérien cuticulaire, par séquençage haut débit à partir des espèces Atta cephalotes et Pseudomyrmex penetrator. Les résultats du métabarcoding ADN mettent en lumière deux méthodes d’extraction et révèlent des différences inter- et intraspécifiques dans la composition des communautés bactériennes cuticulaires. Enfin, le chapitre trois décrit la composition du microbiote bactérien cuticulaire des espèces Camponotus femoratus et Crematogaster levior dans les jardins de fourmis. Les résultats soulignent l’acquisition d’une partie du microbiote dans l’environnement. En parallèle l’analyse métabolomique des cuticules montre à contrario une plus grande spécificité liée à l’espèce de fourmi. Les recherches futures axées sur les stratégies d’analyses statistiques combinant le métabarcoding et la métabolomique sont discutées.
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01537793

NNT : 2017YANE0003
tel-01537793
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01537793
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01537793/document
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01537793/file/thesecarolinebirer.pdf

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley-Blackwell
Résumé :  
Cross-species analyses of plant functional traits have shed light on factors contributing to differences in performance and distribution, but to date most studies have focused on either leaves or stems. We extend these tissue-specific analyses of functional strategy towards a whole-plant approach by integrating data on functional traits for 13 448 leaves and wood tissues from 4672 trees representing 668 species of Neotropical trees. Strong correlations amongst traits previously defined as the leaf economics spectrum reflect a tradeoff between investments in productive leaves with rapid turnover vs. costly physical leaf structure with a long revenue stream. A second axis of variation, the 'stem economics spectrum', defines a similar tradeoff at the stem level: dense wood vs. high wood water content and thick bark. Most importantly, these two axes are orthogonal, suggesting that tradeoffs operate independently at the leaf and at the stem levels. By simplifying the multivariate ecological strategies of tropical trees into positions along these two spectra, our results provide a basis to improve global vegetation models predicting responses of tropical forests to global change.
Ecology Letters

hal-01032142
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032142
DOI : 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01517.x

Éditeur(s) : Gauthier-Villars
Résumé : Holothuria atra is the most common aspidochirotid holothurian on tropical Indo-Pacific reefs, Asexual reproduction by transverse fission, followed by regeneration, has been studied at Reunion Island (Indian Ocean) and compared with different populations of the Indo-Pacific zone, thus permitting a better identification of the most significant parameters and a better understanding of this reproductive strategy. At Reunion Island, the species is studied at two stations on the same fringing reef: 1) on the back-reef where the fission rate is high (20 % of the population), the individuals small (generally weighting less than 150 g) and the population density high (4/m(2)); and 2) on the reef front, where fission is extremely rare, the mean size of the individuals larger (up to 300 g) and the density low (0.01/m(2)), Different categories of individuals, fissioning (F), after fission, anterior and posterior parts (A and P), and regenerating (Ap and Pa) have been identified from external observations. Dissection has demonstrated the unequal allocation of organs during fission and the variability of the regenerative states, mostly in the anterior part. Concerning fission, the position of the split in an individual is in the anterior half (at 44 % of the total length). The monthly incidence of fission is higher from October to January and in June-July. Fission does not result in an increase in the density of the population. The monthly rates of regenerating individuals originating from anterior (3.7 %) and posterior (5.1 %) parts suggest that survival is higher in the latter instance. The occurrence of asexual reproduction in various populations of this species is discussed in relation to the ecology and the parameters of the populations considered. On the back-reef studied at Reunion Island, the population is subtidal and emersion cannot explain fission. Anthropogenic disturbances are possible triggers of this phenomenon.
Oceanologica Acta (0399-1784) (Gauthier-Villars), 1996 , Vol. 19 , N. 3-4 , P. 209-216

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00094/20479/18149.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00094/20479/

Éditeur(s) : EDP Sciences
Résumé : Marine Protected Areas (MPA) are often contemplated as a tool for the sustainable management of exploited resources and ecosystem conservation. This paper proposes an approach to establish a statistical diagnostic of the effects of MPAs on fish assemblages, and define corresponding ecological indicators. This requires choosing relevant variables (abundance, diversity, demographic parameters..) and appropriate statistical methods. The study was based on data from the Abore reef Reserve in New Caledonia. Two sets of methods: 1-inferential linear models (ANOVA, GLM): 2- Partial Least Squares (PLS) methods of regression, were used to test the effects of this MPA. PLS enabled us to test simultaneously within a model, density, species richness, biomass and mean size variables of fish community to retain the most sensitive and relevant ones. Habitat variability was also taken into account in these models. Species were grouped according to several criteria: 1-feeding habit; 2- taxonomy; 3-mobility; 4-adult size; 5-demographic strategy. No significant effect of the opening of the Abore reef to fishing was found for mobility. Feeding habit was the only criterion for which the results from the inferential models and PLS showed a significant effect of reserve status for all variables. Species richness, density, and to a lesser extent mean size, were sensitive to the removal of reserve status. but not biomass. Results from ANOVA and PLS regression were consistent but the latter allows a more holistic approach as it integrates all variables within a single model.
Les Aires Marines Protégées (AMP) sont de plus en plus considérées comme des mesures de gestion alternative permettant à la fois une gestion durable des ressources exploitées et la conservation des écosystèmes. Nous proposons une approche pour définir des indicateurs synthétiques et permettre un diagnostic statistique de l'effet des AMP sur les peuplements. Ce travail passe par le choix de variables pertinentes (abondance, richesse spécifique, paramètres démographiques, etc.) et de méthodes statistiques appropriées. Cette étude a été réalisée sur la réserve du récif Aboré en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Les données issues de deux campagnes scientifiques menées sur ce récif sont utilisées pour tester globalement l'effet des AMP grâce à des modèles linéaires inférentiels (ANOVA, GLM), et par des méthodes de régression PLS (Partial Least Squares). Ces dernières permettent de confronter dans un même modèle quatre variables (densité, richesse, biomasse et taille moyenne des poissons), afin de retenir les plus sensibles et les plus pertinentes pour l'évaluation de l'impact de la réserve. La variabilité de l'habitat est également prise en compte dans la modélisation. Les espèces sont regroupées selon plusieurs critères: 1- le régime alimentaire; 2- la taxonomie; 3- la mobilité; 4- des caractéristiques démographiques; 5- des caractéristiques de taille. Les espèces, quel que soit leur mobilité, n'apparaissent pas affectées par l'ouverture à la pêche du récif Aboré, qu'elles soient sédentaires ou très mobiles. Seul le critère trophique révèle un effet du changement de statut Réserve/Non Réserve pour toutes les variables, à la fois d'après les modèles inférentiels et les régressions PLS. Les résultats des modèles inférentiels et des régressions PLS montrent que la richesse spécifique et la densité sont les variables les plus sensibles à l'impact de l'ouverture à la pêche. La taille moyenne est également bien modélisée sur l'ensemble des résultats mais pas la biomasse. Les résultats d'ANOVA et de régression PLS sont cohérents mais la régression PLS permet d'intégrer toutes les variables dans un même modèle
Aquatic Living Resources (0990-7440) (EDP Sciences), 2004-04 , Vol. 17 , N. 2 , P. 139-149

Droits : EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD 2004
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2004/publication-398.pdf
DOI:10.1051/alr:2004022
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/398/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : Functional aspects of biodiversity were investigated in a lowland tropical rainforest in French Guyana (5°2'N, annual precipitation 2200 mm). We assessed leaf '15N as a presumptive indicator of symbiotic N2 fixation, and leaf and wood cellulose '13C as an indicator of leaf intrinsic water-use efficiency (CO2 assimilation rate/leaf conductance for water vapour) in dominant trees of 21 species selected for their representativeness in the forest cover, their ecological strategy (pioneers or late successional stage species, shade tolerance) or their potential ability for N2 fixation. Similar measurements were made in trees of native species growing in a nearby plantation after severe perturbation (clear cutting, mechanical soil disturbance). Bulk soil '15N was spatially quite uniform in the forest (range 3-5‰), whereas average leaf '15N ranged from m0.3‰ to 3.5‰ in the different species. Three species only, Diplotropis purpurea, Recordoxylon speciosum (Fabaceae), and Sclerolobium melinonii (Caesalpiniaceae), had root bacterial nodules, which was also associated with leaf N concentrations higher than 20 mg gm1. Although nodulated trees displayed significantly lower leaf '15N values than non-nodulated trees, leaf '15N did not prove a straightforward indicator of symbiotic fixation, since there was a clear overlap of '15N values for nodulated and non-nodulated species at the lower end of the '15N range. Perturbation did not markedly affect the difference '15Nsoil m '15Nleaf, and thus the isotopic data provide no evidence of an alteration in the different N acquisition patterns. Extremely large interspecific differences in sunlit leaf '13C were observed in the forest (average values from m31.4 to m26.7‰), corresponding to intrinsic water-use efficiencies (ratio CO2 assimilation rate/leaf conductance for water vapour) varying over a threefold range. Wood cellulose '13C was positively related to total leaf '13C, the former values being 2-3‰ higher than the latter ones. Leaf '13C was not related to leaf '15N at either intraspecific or interspecific levels. '13C of sunlit leaves was highest in shade hemitolerant emergent species and was lower in heliophilic, but also in shade-tolerant species. For a given species, leaf '13C did not differ between the pristine forest and the disturbed plantation conditions. Our results are not in accord with the concept of existence of functional types of species characterized by common suites of traits underlying niche differentiation; rather, they support the hypothesis that each trait leads to a separate grouping of species.
ISSN: 0029-8549

hal-01032378
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032378
DOI : 10.1007/s004420050593

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
Semantic web standards, tools, ontologies and related technologies have considerably matured in the recent years. Nowadays, accessing a wide catalogue of biological, social, environmental, and ecological data sources helps stakeholders working on biodiversity to answer their complex questions. Will the real time access to web resources effectively support the definition of strategies to conserve and manage biodiversity? How might semantic web technologies help us to handle the complex and heterogeneous big data related to biodiversity? The workshop aims to identify the key challenges faced by the bioinformatics community, discuss potential solutions and identify the opportunities emerging from the trans-disciplinary interactions between Plant Science and Informatics experts. Therefore, we expect the bioinformatics experts to explain how they apply semantic web standards and tools to their scientific topic, from biology, agriculture, agro-ecology, genomics, environmental studies, to social sciences, citizen sciences. Research papers presenting various aspects of semantic web technologies applied to biodiversity data, ranging from position papers to implemented systems descriptions and their evaluation, will be selected. We are particularly interested in the use of the semantic technologies to design and develop systems that supports research on agricultural and wild biodiversity conservation and management for food security. Examples may include strategies for resilience to climate change pressures, sustainability of productive ecosystems, ecosystems services monitoring or territories management, rather than systems supporting only research on climate patterns or soil erosion.
http://hal-lirmm.ccsd.cnrs.fr/lirmm-00831757

lirmm-00831757
http://hal-lirmm.ccsd.cnrs.fr/lirmm-00831757
http://hal-lirmm.ccsd.cnrs.fr/lirmm-00831757/document

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Réseau « Développement durable et territoires fragiles »
Résumé : The Green and Blue infrastructure (Trame verte et bleue –TVB) is a new conservation policy tool based on the notions of ecological network and corridor. The introduction of this new instrument through the French Grenelle environment commitments brings about some change in the spatial strategy of the conservation policy. Beyond the identification of priority conservation areas, ecological planning of all the territory is concerned. The TVB’s implementation process establishes the connection of multi and nested decisional and action levels. It thus creates specific situations of complexity and uncertainty that require innovation and perpetual change of governance. The study of the Auvergne region case through the adaptive governance analytical framework highlights the potential fruitful role of Regional nature parks in such dynamics of change and learning. Mots-clés : aménagement durable des territoires, biodiversité, réseau écologique, corridor écologique, gouvernance adaptative, socio-écosystème, trame verte et bleue Keywords : Sustainable landplaning, Biodiversity, Ecological network, Adaptive governance, socio-ecosystem
La Trame verte et bleue (TVB), nouveau dispositif d’action publique visant à enrayer la perte de biodiversité traduit un renouvellement des référentiels de justification des politiques de conservation et de leur stratégie territoriale. Il s’agit d’intégrer la planification écologique dans l’aménagement de l’ensemble du territoire. Le processus de territorialisation de la TVB met en rapport de multiples niveaux de décision et d’action imbriqués. Il crée de ce fait des configurations inédites de complexité et d’incertitude et implique des innovations en termes de gouvernance que le cadre analytique de la gouvernance adaptative permet d’appréhender. En nous appuyant sur l’exemple du Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne, nous analysons le rôle que ces institutions sont susceptibles de jouer dans ces dynamiques de changement et d’apprentissage socio-technique et politique qui conditionnent une mise en œuvre effective de la TVB.
ISSN: 1772-9971

hal-01195370
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01195370
DOI : 10.4000/developpementdurable.9675
PRODINRA : 269288

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : International audience
The easy-to-use in vivo model, zebrafish larva, is being increasingly used to screen chemical-induced hepatotoxicity, with a good predictivity for various mechanisms of liver injury. However, nothing is known about its applicability in exploring the mechanism called membrane remodeling, depicted as changes in membrane fluidity or lipid raft properties. The aim of this study was, therefore, to substantiate the zebrafish larva as a suitable in vivo model in this context. Ethanol was chosen as a prototype toxicant because it is largely described, both in hepatocyte cultures and in rodents, as capable of inducing a membrane remodeling leading to hepatocyte death and liver injury. The zebrafish larva model was demonstrated to be fully relevant as membrane remodeling was maintained even after a 1-week exposure without any adaptation as usually reported in rodents and hepatocyte cultures. It was also proven to exhibit a high sensitivity as it discriminated various levels of cytotoxicity depending on the extent of changes in membrane remodeling. In this context, its sensitivity appeared higher than that of WIF-B9 hepatic cells, which is suited for analyzing this kind of hepatotoxicity. Finally, the protection afforded by a membrane stabilizer, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), or by a lipid raft disrupter, pravastatin, definitely validated zebrafish larva as a reliable model to quickly assess membrane remodeling involvement in chemical-induced hepatotoxicity. In conclusion, this model, compatible with a high throughput screening, might be adapted to seek hepatotoxicants via membrane remodeling, and also drugs targeting membrane features to propose new preventive or therapeutic strategies in chemical-induced liver diseases.
ISSN: 0260-437X

hal-01526425
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01526425
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01526425/document
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01526425/file/Zebrafish%20larva%20as%20a%20reliable%20model-Podechard%20JAT%202016%20revised.pdf
DOI : 10.1002/jat.3421

Éditeur(s) : Wiley-blackwell
Résumé : In bird species that have a high movement capacity, dispersal may connect subpopulations over vast geographical regions, with important consequences for the design of conservation management strategies. Here we used a molecular approach to infer the patterns and rates of dispersal among eight Mediterranean subpopulations of the endangered Bonelli's Eagle, based on 245 individuals screened at 17 microsatellite loci. There was moderate genetic differentiation between subpopulations sampled in the western (Iberia and Morocco) and eastern (Cyprus) Mediterranean, whereas differentiation among subpopulations in the former region was weak to moderate and followed a pattern of isolation by distance. Within the western Mediterranean, the small, peripheral and ecologically unique population of southwest Portugal had the lowest genetic diversity and the highest differentiation. The remaining subpopulations formed two loose clusters, one including Morocco and southwest and eastern Spain, and the other northeast Portugal and western and central Spain. Few recent migrants were detected, and they originated primarily from adjacent subpopulations. Our findings suggest that western Mediterranean Bonelli's Eagles may have a large-scale metapopulation structure, with subpopulations connected to some extent by distance-dependent dispersal, probably influenced by natal philopatry and the geographical configuration of subpopulations. The combination of marked ecological and genetic divergence suggests that the peripheral subpopulation of southwest Portugal may be regarded as a distinct management unit.
Ibis (0019-1019) (Wiley-blackwell), 2013-07 , Vol. 155 , N. 3 , P. 485-498

Droits : 2013 British Ornithologists’ Union
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00148/25924/24018.pdf
DOI:10.1111/ibi.12065
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00148/25924/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : Tropical forests are predicted to harbor most of the insect diversity on earth, but few studies have been conducted to characterize insect communities in tropical forests. One major limitation is the lack of consensus on methods for insect collection. Deciding which insect trap to use is an important consideration for ecologists and entomologists, yet to date few study has presented a quantitative comparison of the results generated by standardized methods in tropical insect communities. Here, we investigate the relative performance of two flight interception traps, the windowpane trap, and the more widely used malaise trap, across a broad gradient of lowland forest types in French Guiana. The windowpane trap consistently collected significantly more Coleoptera and Blattaria than the malaise trap, which proved most effective for Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera. Orthoptera and Lepidoptera were not well represented using either trap, suggesting the need for additional methods such as bait traps and light traps. Our results of contrasting trap performance among insect orders underscore the need for complementary trapping strategies using multiple methods for community surveys in tropical forests.
Zookeys

hal-01032428
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032428
DOI : 10.3897/zookeys.216.3332

Éditeur(s) : 3e Rencontres Scientifiques Internationales du contrat de baie de la rade de Brest. Brest 14-16 mars 1995
Résumé : Aquaculture production of scallop has been identified by a series of technical operations during the past ten years programme under a partnership involving the fishermen organizations with regional and national grants. 3 million juveniles have been produced annually, giving a potential recapture by fishing of 100 to 120 tonnes 3 years later. Results in terms of technical and economical approach have pointed out the principal unknown factors responsable for high costs. 7he pilot programme aims to increase the production to reach a level of 5 million juveniles to support the fishery of the rade de Brest and induce new management of the resources. Two priorities were selected, control of the reproduction in the hatchery to obtain reliable larval and postlarval rearing during a larger period of the year, mainly during summer, and improvement of survival rate of the juveniles by minimizing stress when manipulating the animals. But biological and ecological mechanisms are still poorly understoodfor scallop and generally bibvalves and the last two years have shown unchanged results. The technical pathways shows interactions between the different steps of the production of juveniles where different teams operate separately. Management of the livestock has to be developed to increase the survival rate by better breeding but also to reduce the loss by adapted and coordinated practices. Recapture results indicate that fishery strategies depend also on the production of juvenile, and could orientate the management of the hatchery.

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00044/15494/12860.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00044/15494/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : 1- We examined among- and within-species effects of seed mass for seedling establishment from seed to 5 years of age in a field experiment at Paracou, French Guiana. 2- Six seeds of each of eight species were weighed and planted into each of 120 plots (1 m2) throughout closed-canopy forest along 12 100-m transects in 1998. 3- We described the microhabitat of each planting site using principal components derived from measurements of light availability, soil moisture, carbon and nitrogen content, and soil phosphorus availability. Although both survival and relative growth rate (RGR) increased with increasing light availability, no other microhabitat variable significantly affected seedling performance. Nor did the magnitude of microhabitat effects on survival or RGR differ among species. 4- Larger-seeded species were more likely to survive from germination to 1 year as well as from 1 to 5 years of age. RGR for seedling height during the first year post-germination was not related to seed mass, but smaller-seeded species did grow slightly faster thereafter. Path analyses revealed that correlations between seed mass and performance were explained in part because larger seeds produced larger initial seedlings, which tended to survive better but grow more slowly. 5- We also analysed within-species effects of seed mass for the larger-seeded Eperua grandiflora and Vouacapoua americana (both Caesalpiniaceae). Larger seeds produced larger seedlings in both species, but larger seeds survived better only for Eperua. Larger seedlings grew more slowly in both species, but did not offset the early (Eperua) and later (Vouacapoua) positive direct effects of seed mass on RGR that may represent contrasting strategies for reserve deployment. 6- Our results demonstrate that seed size influences performance within and among species in part because of indirect effects of initial seedling size. However, we suggest that traits tightly correlated with seed mass at the species level, such as specific leaf area, leaf longevity and photosynthetic capacity, may also contribute to interspecific performance differences.
ISSN: 0022-0477

hal-01031089
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01031089
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2005.01041.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD WILEY-BLACKWELL Wiley
Résumé : International audience
Connectivity among populations determines the dynamics and evolution of populations, and its assessment is essential in ecology in general and in conservation biology in particular. The robust basis of any ecological study is the accurate delimitation of evolutionary units, such as populations, metapopulations and species. Yet a disconnect still persists between the work of taxonomists describing species as working hypotheses and the use of species delimitation by molecular ecologists interested in describing patterns of gene flow. This problem is particularly acute in the marine environment where the inventory of biodiversity is relatively delayed, while for the past two decades, molecular studies have shown a high prevalence of cryptic species. In this study, we illustrate, based on marine case studies, how the failure to recognize boundaries of evolutionary-relevant unit leads to heavily biased estimates of connectivity. We review the conceptual framework within which species delimitation can be formalized as falsifiable hypotheses and show how connectivity studies can feed integrative taxonomic work and vice versa. Finally, we suggest strategies for spatial, temporal and phylogenetic sampling to reduce the probability of inadequately delimiting evolutionary units when engaging in connectivity studies.
ISSN: 0962-1083

hal-01218810
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01218810
DOI : 10.1111/mec.13048

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley-Blackwell
Résumé :  
1. Despite considerable interest in the application of plant functional traits to questions of community assembly and ecosystem structure and function, there is no consensus on the appropriateness of sampling designs to obtain plot-level estimates in diverse plant communities. 2. We measured 10 plant functional traits describing leaf and stem morphology and ecophysiology for all trees in nine 1-ha plots in terra firme lowland tropical rain forests of French Guiana (N = 4709). 3.We calculated, by simulation, the mean and variance in trait values for each plot and each trait expected under seven sampling methods and a range of sampling intensities. Simulated sampling methods included a variety of spatial designs, as well as the application of existing data base values to all individuals of a given species. 4. For each trait in each plot, we defined a performance index for each sampling design as the proportion of resampling events that resulted in observed means within 5% of the true plot mean, and observed variance within 20%of the true plot variance. 5. The relative performance of sampling designs was consistent for estimations of means and variances. Data base use had consistently poor performance for most traits across all plots, whereas sampling one individual per species per plot resulted in relatively high performance. We found few differences among different spatial sampling strategies; however, for a given strategy, increased intensity of sampling resulted in markedly improved accuracy in estimates of trait mean and variance. 6. We also calculated the financial cost of each sampling design based on data from our 'every individual per plot' strategy and estimated the sampling and botanical effort required. The relative performance of designs was strongly positively correlated with relative financial cost, suggesting that sampling investment returns are relatively constant. 7. Our results suggest that trait sampling for many objectives in species-rich plant communities may require the considerable effort of sampling at least one individual of each species in each plot, and that investment in complete sampling, though great, may be worthwhile for at least some traits.
Functional Ecology

hal-01032175
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032175
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2009.01600.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Society for the Study of Reproduction
Résumé : International audience
Spermmotility notably depends on the structural integrity of the flagellum and the regulation ofmicrotubule dynamics. Although researchers have started to use " omics" techniques to characterize the human sperm's molecular landscape, the constituents responsible for the assembly, organization, and dynamics of the flagellum microtubule have yet to be fully defined. In this study, we defined a core set of 116 gene products associated with the human sperm microtubulome (including products potentially involved in abnormal ciliary phenotypes and male infertility disorders). To this end, we designed and applied an integrated genomics workflow and combined relevant proteomics, transcriptomics, and interactomics datasets to reconstruct a dynamic interactome map. By further integrating phenotypic information, we defined a disease-interaction network; this enabled us to highlight a number of novel factors potentially associated with altered sperm motility and male fertility. Lastly, we experimentally validated the expression pattern of two candidate genes (CUL3 and DCDC2C) that had never previously been associated with male germline differentiation. Our analysis suggested that CUL3 and DCDC2C's products have important roles in the sperm flagellum. Taken as a whole, our results demonstrate that an integrated genomics strategy can highlight relevant molecular factors in specific sperm components. This approach could be easily extended by including other " omics" data (from asthenozoospermic men, for example) and identifying other critical proteins from the human sperm microtubulome. Summary Sentence Although researchers have started to use "omics" techniques to characterize the human sperm's molecular landscape, the constituents responsible for the assembly, organization, and dynamics of the flagellum microtubule have yet to be fully defined.
ISSN: 0006-3363

hal-01515563
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01515563
DOI : 10.1095/biolreprod.116.143479
PUBMED : 28395323

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD MDPI
Résumé : International audience
The future of tropical managed forests is threatened by climate change. In anticipation of the increase in the frequency of drought episodes predicted by climatic models for intertropical regions, it is essential to study commercial trees' resilience and vulnerability to water stress by identifying potential interaction effects between selective logging and stress due to a lack of water. Focusing on 14 species representing a potential or acknowledged commercial interest for wood production in the Guiana Shield, a joint model coupling growth and mortality for each species was parametrized, including a climatic variable related to water stress and the quantity of aboveground biomass lost after logging. For the vast majority of the species, water stress had a negative impact on growth rate, while the impact of logging was positive. The opposite results were observed for the mortality. Combining results from growth and mortality models, we generate vulnerability profiles and ranking from species apparently quite resistant to water stress (Chrysophyllum spp., Goupia glabra Aubl., Qualea rosea Aubl.), even under logging pressure, to highly vulnerable species (Sterculia spp.). In light of our results, forest managers in the Guiana Shield may want to conduct (i) a conservation strategy of the most vulnerable species and (ii) a diversification of the logged species. Conservation of the already-adapted species may also be considered as the most certain way to protect the tropical forests under future climates.
ISSN: 1999-4907

hal-01315432
https://hal-sde.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01315432
DOI : 10.3390/f7050105

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : International audience
Functional ecology has long considered the support function as important, but its biomechanical complexity is only just being elucidated. We show here that it can be described on the basis of four biomechanical traits, two safety traits against winds (SW) and self-buckling (SB), and two motricity traits involved in sustaining an upright position, tropic motion velocity (MV) and posture control (PC). All these traits are integrated at the tree scale, combining tree size and shape together with wood properties. The assumption of trait constancy has been used to derive allometric scaling laws, but it was more recently found that observing their variations among environments and functional groups, or during ontogeny, provides more insights into adaptive syndromes of tree shape and wood properties. However, over-simplified expressions have often been used, possibly concealing key adaptive drivers. An extreme case of over-simplification is the use of wood basic density as a proxy for safety. Actually, since wood density is involved in stiffness, loads and construction costs, the impact of its variations on safety is non-trivial. Moreover, other wood features, especially the microfibril angle (MFA), are also involved. Furthermore, wood is not only stiff and strong, but it also acts as a motor for MV and PC. The relevant wood trait for that is maturation strain asymmetry. Maturation strains vary with cell wall characteristics such as MFA, rather than with wood density. Finally, the need for further studies about the ecological relevance of branching patterns, motricity traits and growth responses to mechanical loads is discussed.
ISSN: 0022-0957

hal-00909904
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00909904
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00909904/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00909904/file/Integrative_biomechanics_for_tree_Fournier_al.pdf
DOI : 10.1093/jxb/ert279

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : International audience
Ants figure prominently among the worst invasive species because of their enormous ecological and economic impacts. However, it remains to be investigated which species would be behaviourally dominant when confronted with another invasive ant species, should two species be introduced in the same area. In the future, many regions might have suitable environmental conditions for several invasive ant species, as predicted under climate change scenarios. Here, we explored interactions among several highly invasive ant species, which have been shown to have overlapping suitable areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance in interference competition of seven of the world's worst invasive ant species (Anoplolepis gracilipes, Paratrechina longicornis, Myrmica rubra, Linepithema humile, Lasius neglectus, Wasmannia auropunctata and Pheidole megacephala). We conducted pairwise confrontations, testing the behaviour of each species against each of the six other species (in total 21 dyadic confrontations). We used single worker confrontations and group interactions of 10 versus 10 individuals to establish a dominance hierarchy among these invasive ant species. We discovered two different behavioural strategies among these invasive ants: three species displayed evasive or indifferent behaviour when individuals or groups were confronted (A. gracilipes, Pa. longicornis, M. rubra), while the four remaining species were highly aggressive during encounters and formed a linear dominance hierarchy. These findings contrast with the widespread view that invasive ants form a homogeneous group of species displaying the `invasive syndrome', which includes generally aggressive behaviour. The dominance hierarchy among the four aggressive species may be used to predict the outcome of future competitive interactions under some circumstances. Yet, the existence of several behavioural strategies renders such a prediction less straightforward.
ISSN: 1387-3547

hal-01444816
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01444816
DOI : 10.1007/s10530-015-0892-5

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Nature Publishing Group
Résumé : International audience
Despite the unique nature of endemic species, their origin and population history remain poorly studied. We investigated the population history of 28 coral reef fish species, close related, from the Gambier and Marquesas Islands, from five families, with range size varying from widespread to small-range endemic. We analyzed both mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data using neutrality test and Bayesian analysis (EBSP and ABC). We found evidence for demographic expansions for most species (24 of 28), irrespective of range size, reproduction strategy or archipelago. The timing of the expansions varied greatly among species, from 8,000 to 2,000,000 years ago. The typical hypothesis for reef fish that links population expansions to the Last Glacial Maximum fit for 14 of the 24 demographic expansions. We propose two evolutionary processes that could lead to expansions older than the LGM: (a) we are retrieving the signature of an old colonization process for widespread, large-range endemic and paleoendemic species or (b) speciation; the expansion reflects the birth of the species for neoendemic species. We show for the first time that the demographic histories of endemic and widespread reef fish are not distinctly different and suggest that a number of processes drive endemism.
ISSN: 2045-2322

hal-01469339
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01469339
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01469339/document
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01469339/file/population%20expansions.pdf
DOI : 10.1038/srep40519

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
Local variation in the density of Anopheles mosquitoes and the risk of exposure to bites are essential to explain the spatial and temporal heterogeneities in the transmission of malaria. Vector distribution is driven by environmental factors. Based on variables derived from satellite imagery and meteorological observations, this study aimed to dynamically model and map the densities of Anopheles darlingi in the municipality of Saint-Georges de l’Oyapock (French Guiana). Longitudinal sampling sessions of An. darlingi densities were conducted between September 2012 and October 2014. Landscape and meteorological data were collected and processed to extract a panel of variables that were potentially related to An. darlingi ecology. Based on these data, a robust methodology was formed to estimate a statistical predictive model of the spatial-temporal variations in the densities of An. darlingi in Saint-Georges de l’Oyapock. The final cross-validated model integrated two landscape variables—dense forest surface and built surface—together with four meteorological variables related to rainfall, evapotranspiration, and the minimal and maximal temperatures. Extrapolation of the model allowed the generation of predictive weekly maps of An. darlingi densities at a resolution of 10-m. Our results supported the use of satellite imagery and meteorological data to predict malaria vector densities. Such fine-scale modeling approach might be a useful tool for health authorities to plan control strategies and social communication in a cost-effective, targeted, and timely manner.
ISSN: 1932-6203

hal-01383486
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01383486
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01383486/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01383486/file/Adde_et_al_PlosONE_2016.pdf
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0164685