Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
The results from recent studies show that some benzophenones (BPs) and their hydroxylated metabolites can function as weak estrogens (E2) in the environment. However, little is known about the structure-activity relationship of these molecules. We have examined the effects of exposure to ten different BPs on the proliferation of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer cells and on the transcriptional activity of E2-target genes. We analyzed two genes that are tightly linked with estrogen-mediated proliferation, the CXCL12 and amphiregulin genes and two classical estrogen-responsive genes, the pS2 and progesterone receptor. Significant differences in the BPs efficiency to induce cell proliferation and endogenous E2-target gene expressions were observed. Using ERE-, Sp1-, AP1- and C3-reporter genes that contain different ER-binding sites in their promoter, we also showed significant differences in the BPs efficiency in activation of the ER transactivation. Together, our analyzes showed that the most active molecule is 4-hydroxy-BP. Docking analysis of the interaction of BPs in the ligand-binding pocket of ERα suggests that the minimum structural requirement for the estrogenic activity of BPs is a hydroxyl (OH) group in the phenyl A-ring that allows interaction with Glu-353, Arg-394 or Phe-404, which enhances the stability between BPs and ERα. Our modeling also indicates a loss of interaction between the OH groups of the phenyl B-ring and His-524. In addition, the presence of some OH groups in the phenyl B-ring can create repulsion forces, which may constrain helix 12 in an unfavorable position, explaining the differential estrogenic effects of BPs. These results, together with our analysis of BPs for their potency in activation of cell proliferation and ER-mediated transcription, report an improved understanding of the mechanism and structure-activity relationship of BPs.
ISSN: 1932-6203

inserm-00838323
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00838323
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00838323/document
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00838323/file/journal.pone.0060567.pdf
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0060567

Éditeur(s) : Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd
Résumé : Shrimp farming in New Caledonia typically uses a flow-through system with water exchange rates as a tool to maintain optimum hydrological and biological parameters for the crop. Moreover, the effluent shows hydrobiological characteristics (minerals, phytoplankton biomass and organic matter) significantly higher than that of the receiving environment. Separate surveys were carried out in a bay (CH Bay) with a medium-size intensive farm (30 ha) (PO) and in a mangrove-lined creek (TE Creek) near a larger semi-intensive farm (133 ha) (SO). Net loads of nitrogen exported from the semi-intensive farm and the intensive farm amounted to 0.68 and 1.36 kg ha(-1) day(-1), respectively. At CH Bay, discharge effects were spatially limited and clearly restricted to periods of effluent release. The high residence time at site TE favoured the installation of a feedback system in which organic matter was not exported. Mineralization of organic matter led to the release of nutrients, which in turn, caused in an increased eutrophication of this ecosystem. The study of the pico- and nanophytoplankton assemblages showed (i) a shift in composition from picophytoplankton to nanophytoplankton from offshore towards the coast and (ii) a shift within the picophytoplankton with the disappearance of Prochlorococcus and the increase of picoeucaryotes towards the shoreline. These community changes may partially be related to a nitrogen enrichment of the environment by shrimp farm discharges. Thus, in view of the recent addition of the New Caledonian lagoon to the UNESCO World Heritage list, the data presented here could be a first approach to quantify farm discharges and evaluate their impact on the lagoon. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Marine Pollution Bulletin (0025-326X) (Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd), 2010 , Vol. 61 , N. 7-12 , P. 387-398

Droits : 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00014/12527/9882.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.07.005
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00014/12527/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Nature Publishing Group
Résumé : International audience
Seabirds concentrate nutrients from large marine areas on their nesting islands playing an important ecological role in nutrient transfer between marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Here we investigate the role of guano on corals reefs across scales by analyzing the stable nitrogen isotopic (delta N-15) values of the scleractinian coral Pocillopora damicornis on fringing reefs around two Pacific remote islets with large seabird colonies. Marine stations closest to the seabird colonies had higher nitrate + nitrite concentrations compared to more distant stations. Coral and zooxanthellae delta N-15 values were also higher at these sites, suggesting that guano-derived nitrogen is assimilated into corals and contributes to their nitrogen requirements. The spatial extent of guano influence was however restricted to a local scale. Our results demonstrate that seabird-derived nutrients not only spread across the terrestrial ecosystem, but also affect components of the adjacent marine ecosystem. Further studies are now needed to assess if this nutrient input has a positive or negative effect for corals. Such studies on remote islets also open fresh perspectives to understand how nutrients affect coral reefs isolated from other anthropogenic stressors.
ISSN: 2045-2322

hal-01681575
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01681575
DOI : 10.1038/s41598-017-03781-y

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Université des Antilles
Résumé : International audience
In the past the Caribbean was restricted to offering elitist tourist activities, but over the last three decades it has to a large extent opened its doors to international tourism. The advent of mass tourism has been accompanied by a redistribution of the tourism functions and flows within the region. The significant growth in tourism, although essential to the economies of the Caribbean islands, has given rise to a number of issues, the first being the necessity to examine the multiplier effect from tourism revenue within these externally-dependent economies. Next there is both the question of access to resources and the closing of tourist sites in a context where local communities are focusing on coastlines to develop their own numerous tourism and recreational activities. These developments will inevitably require us to consider environmental issues and the sustainability of today’s predominant tourism activities.
Longtemps limité à des pratiques touristiques élitistes, l’espace caribéen s’est largement ouvert au tourisme international au cours des trois dernières décennies. L’avènement du tourisme de masse s’est accompagné d’une redistribution des flux et de fonctions touristiques dans cette région. Les enjeux, qui accompagnent l’importance croissante du fait touristique, essentiel pour les économies des îles caribéennes, sont de plusieurs ordres : tout d’abord, il convient de s’interroger sur les effets d’entraînement des revenus du tourisme dans le cadre de ces économies extraverties. Se pose également la question de l’accès aux ressources et de la fermeture des lieux touristiques, dans un contexte où les sociétés locales développent aussi leurs propres pratiques touristiques et récréatives ; autant d’usages qui se polarisent sur des ressources littorales et doivent nous interpeller sur les enjeux environnementaux et la durabilité des pratiques touristiques qui prévalent aujourd’hui.
ISSN: 1779-0980

hal-01624750
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01624750
DOI : 10.4000/etudescaribeennes.4713

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Résumé : Tectonics, v. 27, p. TC5011, 2008. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2007TC002232
International audience
The seismic activity of the Ligurian Basin, the northeastern termination of the western Mediterranean basin, is larger than in surrounding regions, even though recent geodetic studies attest that this area is subject to very low levels of deformation. This basin is an example of a type of passive margins that cannot be considered solely as inert sites of sedimentation and of progressive subsidence and that are reactivated in a compressive pattern; other examples include the Kwanza basin (Angola) and the Brazil margin. We investigated, by means of 2-D thermomechanical modeling, the structural and rheological heterogeneities that can lead to concentration of strain in this marginal basin. We deduced that the deformation of the basin is due to its particular geometric features, narrow and with a thick surrounding continental crust, related to its position at the southern termination of the Alps. This sharp transition, in terms of both geometry and rheological contrast, is a main factor in explaining the weakness of the margin. We discuss the importance of buoyancy forces versus tectonic forces, as well as thermal effects, on the observed reactivation. Influence of contrast in rheology between an oceanic-type crust and continental crust is also studied. Geodynamical implications are proposed for the region. The good agreement between the predicted localized deformation and the observed seismicity distribution should help improve seismic hazard assessment in the region.
ISSN: 0278-7407

hal-00407859
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00407859
DOI : 10.1029/2007TC002232

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
New inclinometers devoted to hydrological studies were set up in the Vosges Mountains (France). Two orthogonal 100-meter base hydrostatic inclinometers were installed in December 2004 as well as a hydrometeorological monitoring system for the 100-km² hydrological unit around the inclinometer. As inclinometers are very sensitive to environmental influences, this observatory is a test site to confront hydrological modelling and geodetic observations. Physical modelling to remove hydrological effects without calibrating on geodetic data is tested on these instruments. Specifically, two deformation processes are most important: fluid pressure variations in nearby hydraulically active fractures and surface loading at regional scale.
International Association of Geodesy Symposia
Perugia, Italy

hal-00710442
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00710442
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00710442/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00710442/file/2007IUGG_proceedingsIAG.pdf
DOI : 10.1007/978-3-540-85426-5_63

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : Diffusion du document : INRA Documentation de Centre, Domaine de Duclos, 97170 Petitt-Bourg (Guadeloupe, France) Diplôme : DEA
il s'agit d'un type de produit dont les métadonnées ne correspondent pas aux métadonnées attendues dans les autres types de produit : DISSERTATION
Because soil respiration representes 80% of ecosystem respiration, it is a major flux between biosphere and atmosphere. We examined the effects of root and litter exclusion on soil CO! efflux (Rsu1) using trenching and litter exclusion in a tropical plantation constituted of trees seedlings installed in 16 mono-specific stands 20 years ago near Kourou, French Guyana. Soil CO2 efflux was measured using an infra red gas analyser (PP System,EGM4 ) at 16 randomly distributed plot in each treatment: control, root exclusion, litter exclusion and both root and litter exclusion. in the plantation. We measured R'1l1during four periods, and we have collected soil samples, litter biomass and measured moisture at 5 cm depth in the soil. Soil CO, efflux varied significantly among species from 2,8±O,7f1mo l. m''. s' (mean ± standard deviation) to 7.4± 1.7fLmol. n'-' . s ' for Qualea rosea and Vochys ia tomentosa, respectively. 1'0 significant correlation was found between RSIlI variability and soil moisture, which is mostly related to soil texture in the experimental site. Soil CO2 efflux was significantly reduced in litter exclusion treatment and root exclusion plots (6 months litter and/or root exclusion) during ail measurements period and for ail species, compared to control plots. The reduction of soil CO, efflux was higher in plot without root than in plot without litter of control plot (42% and 25%, respectively). There was an import ant specific diversity in these reductions . We estimated the contribution of roof respiration (Rr) to total Rso1 by calculating the difference between Rso1 control and Rsn l root exclusion plot corrected for the decomposition of root that were killed following t re n e h in ~. Thus the heterotrophic component of soil carbon efflux accounts for 46% of total carbon efflux (1,9f1 mol. rn" . s•') while root respiration accounts for 54% of soil carbon release (2,3 ~t mo l. m-2 S-I) . Because there was a negative and significant correlation between microbial respiration (Rrn) and C/N of mature leaves it seemed to be possible to predict Rm if we known the mature leaves quality. In addition a good estimate theorical R ~, values from R~, measured in different treatments.
La respiration du sol en représentant une part de 80% de la respiration de l'écosystème apparaît être un flux majeur entre la biosphère et l'atmosphère. Nous avons étudié les effets de l'exclusion racinaire et de la litière sur le flux de CO, du sol (R ~ , ) en utilisant la méthode de " Trench-plots" et de suppression de litière dans une plantation d'arbres tropicaux. Ces arbres, âgés de 20 ans ont été plantés sur un sol uniforme, près de Kourou en Guyane française, en 16 placeaux mono-spécifiques. Pour mesurer les flux de CO2 provenant du sol, nous avons utilisé un analyseur différentiel de gaz infrarouge portable muni d'une chambre. Les mesures ont été faites sur 4 traitements différents tels que : le contrôle, l'exclusion racinaire, l'exclusion de litière et l'exclusion de litière et de racine et ce, répétés sur chacune des 16 placettes mono-spécifiques. Cette étude comporte 4 campagnes de mesures. Nous avons également effectué des prélèvements de sol de litière et nous avons fait des mesures d’humidité de sol à une profondeur de 5 cm. Les flux de C01 du sol varient fortement entre espèces de 2.8±O.7 ~t m o 1. m-2. sol à 7 A± 1. 7 ~t m o l. m•1 sol pour Qua/ev rosea ct Vochysto tomentasa, respectivement. Il n'existe pas de corrélation significative entre les variations de Rw l ct celles de l'humidité du sol (indication sur la texture du sol de la plantation ). Nous avons observé que Rso1 était significativement plus faible dans les placeaux sans racines et/ou sans litière (6 mois après la mise en place de l'expérimentation) pour toutes les campagnes de mesures et pour toutes les espèces que dans les placeaux contrôlés. Cette réduction du flux de CO2 du sol est plus forte dans les "trench-plots " que dans les traitement s d'exclusion de litière avec 42 et 25% respectivement. Un effet "traitement " et un effet "espèce" important expliquent 3 1"/.. ct 13% de la variabilité totale de R~. Nous avons cherché à connaître la contribution des racines dans les valeurs de R""I. en comparant le flux de CO2 provenant du sol sur des "trench -plot s'' au flux de COl provenant du sol dans les placeaux contrôlés . Cette estimation a été corrigée pour prendre en compte la décomposition des racines tuées par les tranchées. Ainsi, la composante appartenant aux micro -organismes représente 46% du flux total de carbone provenant du sol (1.9Jlmo l. m-2 S•I ) alors que la respiration des racines représente 54% du dégagement de carbone (2 ,3~lmol. m ol . 5-La respiration des micro-organismes pourrait être estimée en mesurant le C/N des feuilles matures puisqu'il existe une corrélation significative et négative entre les deux. Enfin les résultats obtenus sur les différents traitements permettent d'obtenir une bonne estimation de la respiration du sol avec un RSIlI théorique corrélé à 66% avec les valeurs réelles mesurées.
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01189239

hal-01189239
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01189239
PRODINRA : 18212

Résumé : Cette these etudie les effets de la conversion de la foret tropicale en parcelles agricoles, sur les emissions de n2o par les sols. Ce travail est realise a l’echelle du cycle cultural sur le dispositif experimental de combi (littoral guyanais), a l’aide de mesures in situ et de simulations (modele noe) des flux de n2o. La foret tropicale a ete comparee a des parcelles de foret converties en terres agricoles par la methode ‘chop-and-mulch’. La methode de deforestation ‘chop-and-mulch’ associe coupe mecanique de la vegetation, broyage puis enfouissement des residus forestiers dans le sol. Les terres agricoles etaient soient des parcelles de prairie non paturee soient des parcelles cultivees (maïs fertilise/soja) conduites en semis conventionnel (semis apres travail du sol, sans plante de couverture) ou en semis direct (sans travail du sol, avec plantes de couverture).Les principaux resultats de cette etude sont : le sol de la foret tropicale de combi est un faible emetteur de n2o ; la conversion par la methode ‘chop-and-mulch’ de cette foret en prairie ne conduit pas a une augmentation significative des emissions de n2o entre le 19eme et le 31eme mois suivant la conversion ; la conversion de la foret en parcelles cultivees induit une augmentation significative des emissions de n2o due a la fertilisation et a la modification des parametres edaphiques (densite apparente, temperature, humidite volumique) ; la technique sans travail du sol n’engendre pas de flux de n2o significativement plus eleves que la technique avec travail du sol ; l’introduction du phenomene d’hysterese hydrique dans le modele noe presente un reel potentiel pour l’estimation des emissions de n2o in situ.
This study investigates the effects of the conversion of tropical forest to cultivation on soil n2o emissions. The study was carried out over a complete crop cycle at the experimental site combi (french guianese coast). Nitrous oxide fluxes were obtained in the field and by conducting simulations with the noe model. Undisturbed tropical rainforest was compared to rainforest that had been converted to agricultural land using the ‘chop-and-mulch’ method. The ‘chop-and-mulch’ method is a fire-free method used for vegetation clearing combining the mechanical felling of trees with the mulching of small vegetation. Agricultural land included either mowed grassland or soybean/fertilised maize crop rotation. For croplands the two cultivation practices employed were: conventional seeding (using an offset disc harrow, without cover plants) or direct seeding (no till, with cover plants).The main results of this study are: rainforest soil at combi produced low n2o emissions; rainforest converted to mowed grassland using the 'chop-and-mulch’ method did not lead to a significant increase in n2o emissions between the 19th and 31st months after conversion; the conversion of rainforest to croplands induced a significant increase in soil n2o emissions due to the application of fertiliser and the modification of soil parameters (bulk density, temperature, volumetric moisture); n2o emissions from agricultural practices with no-till were no higher than those produced by conventional agricultural practices using an offset disc harrow; and, the introduction of an hydric hysteresis into the noe model constitutes a promising improvement to estimate in situ n2o emissions.

http://www.theses.fr/2013AGUY0610/document

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD BioMed Central
Résumé : International audience
UNLABELLED: ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Malaria remains a major health problem in French Guiana, with a mean of 3800 cases each year. A previous study in Camopi, an Amerindian village on the Oyapock River, highlighted the major contribution of environmental features to the incidence of malaria attacks. We propose a method for the objective selection of the best multivariate peridomestic landscape characterisation that maximises the chances of identifying relationships between environmental features and malaria incidence, statistically significant and meaningful from an epidemiological point of view. METHODS: A land-cover map, the hydrological network and the geolocalised inhabited houses were used to characterise the peridomestic landscape in eleven discoid buffers with radii of 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 and 1000 metres. Buffer-based landscape characterisations were first compared in terms of their capacity to discriminate between sites within the geographic space and of their effective multidimensionality in variable space. The Akaike information criterion (AIC) was then used to select the landscape model best explaining the incidences of P. vivax and P. falciparum malaria. Finally, we calculated Pearson correlation coefficients for the relationships between environmental variables and malaria incidence, by species, for the more relevant buffers. RESULTS: The optimal buffers for environmental characterisation had radii of 100 m around houses for P. vivax and 400 m around houses for P. falciparum. The incidence of P. falciparum malaria seemed to be more strongly linked to environmental features than that of P. vivax malaria, within these buffers. The incidence of P. falciparum malaria in children was strongly correlated with proportions of bare soil (r = -0.69), land under high vegetation (r = 0.68) and primary forest (r = 0.54), landscape division (r = 0.48) and the number of inhabited houses (r = -0.60). The incidence of P. vivax malaria was associated only with landscape division (r = 0.49). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed methodology provides a simple and general framework for objective characterisation of the landscape to account for field observations. The use of this method enabled us to identify different optimal observation horizons around houses, depending on the Plasmodium species considered, and to demonstrate significant correlations between environmental features and the incidence of malaria.
ISSN: 1476-072X

inserm-00674075
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00674075
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00674075/document
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-00674075/file/1476-072X-10-65.pdf
DOI : 10.1186/1476-072X-10-65

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Portland Press
Résumé : International audience
CP12 is a small chloroplastic protein involved in the Calvin cycle that was shown to bind copper, a metal ion involved in modulation of its transition from reduced to oxidized state. In order to describe CP12 copper binding properties, copper-IMAC experiments and site-directed mutagenesis based on computational modeling, were coupled to top-down mass spectrometry (ESI-MS and MSMS). Copper-IMAC experiments allowed the primary characterization of mutation effects upon copper binding. Top-down MSMS experiments carried out under non-denaturing conditions on wild-type and mutant CP12/Cu2+ complexes then allowed fragment ions specifically liganding the copper ion to be determined. Comparison of MSMS datasets defined three regions involved in metal ion binding: residues D16 to D23, D38 to K50 and D70 to E76, with the two first regions containing selected residues for mutation. These data confirmed that copper ligands involved glutamic and aspartic residues in contrast to typical protein copper chelators. We propose that copper might play a role in regulation of CP12 biological activity.
ISSN: 0264-6021

hal-00479106
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00479106
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00479106/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00479106/file/PEER_stage2_10.1042%252FBJ20082004.pdf
DOI : 10.1042/BJ20082004

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : 1. Resource control over abundance, structure and functional diversity of soil microbial communities is a key determinant of soil processes and related ecosystem functioning. Copiotrophic organisms tend to be found in environments which are rich in nutrients, particularly carbon, in contrast to oligotrophs, which survive in much lower carbon concentrations. We hypothesized that microbial biomass, activity and community structure in nutrient-poor soils of an Amazonian rain forest are limited by multiple elements in interaction. We tested this hypothesis with a fertilization experiment by adding C (as cellulose), N (as urea) and P (as phosphate) in all possible combinations to a total of 40 plots of an undisturbed tropical forest in French Guiana. After 2years of fertilization, we measured a 47% higher biomass, a 21% increase in substrate-induced respiration rate and a 5-fold higher rate of decomposition of cellulose paper discs of soil microbial communities that grew in P-fertilized plots compared to plots without P fertilization. These responses were amplified with a simultaneous C fertilization suggesting P and C colimitation of soil micro-organisms at our study site. Moreover, P fertilization modified microbial community structure (PLFAs) to a more copiotrophic bacterial community indicated by a significant decrease in the Gram-positive:Gram-negative ratio. The Fungi:Bacteria ratio increased in N fertilized plots, suggesting that fungi are relatively more limited by N than bacteria. Changes in microbial community structure did not affect rates of general processes such as glucose mineralization and cellulose paper decomposition. In contrast, community level physiological profiles under P fertilization combined with either C or N fertilization or both differed strongly from all other treatments, indicating functionally different microbial communities. While P appears to be the most critical from the three major elements we manipulated, the strongest effects were observed in combination with either supplementary C or N addition in support of multiple element control on soil microbial functioning and community structure. We conclude that the soil microbial community in the studied tropical rain forest and the processes it drives is finely tuned by the relative availability in C, N and P. Any shifts in the relative abundance of these key elements may affect spatial and temporal heterogeneity in microbial community structure, their associated functions and the dynamics of C and nutrients in tropical ecosystems.
ISSN: 0269-8463

hal-01204229
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01204229
DOI : 10.1111/1365-2435.12329
PRODINRA : 311389

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : In this paper we report a study of the mating system and gene flow of Sextonia rubra, a hermaphroditic, insect pollinated tropical tree species with a geographic distribution in the Guyana Plateau and the Amazon. Using five microsatellites we analysed 428 seeds of 27 open pollinated families at the experimental site "Paracou" in French Guiana. We observed, compared to other tropical tree species, a high level of genetic diversity. We estimated parameters of the mating system and gene flow by using the mixed mating model and the TwoGenerapproach. The estimated multilocus outcrossing rate, tm, was 0.992 indicating nearly complete outcrossing. A significant level of biparental inbreeding and a small proportion of full-sibs were estimated for the 27 seed arrays. The differentiation of allelic frequencies among the pollen pools was ΦFT = 0.061. We estimated mean pollen dispersal distances between 65 m and 89 m according to the dispersal models used. The joint estimation of pollen dispersal and density of reproductive trees gave an effective density estimate of 2.1-2.2 trees/ha
Silvae genetica

hal-01031483
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01031483

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : Anopheles darlingi, one of the main malaria vectors in the Neotropics, is widely distributed in French Guiana, where malaria remains a major public-health problem. Elucidation of the relationships between the population dynamics of An. darlingi and local environmental factors would appear to be an essential factor in the epidemiology of human malaria in French Guiana and the design of effective vector-control strategies. In a recent investigation, longitudinal entomological surveys were carried out for 2-4 years in one village in each of three distinct endemic areas of French Guiana. Anopheles darlingi was always the anopheline mosquito that was most frequently caught on human bait, although its relative abundance (as a proportion of all the anophelines collected) and human biting rate (in bites/person-year) differed with the study site. Seasonality in the abundance of human-landing An. darlingi (with peaks at the end of the rainy season) was observed in only two of the three study sites. Just three An. darlingi were found positive for Plasmodium (either P. falciparum or P. vivax) circumsporozoite protein, giving entomological inoculation rates of 0*0-8*7 infectious bites/person-year. Curiously, no infected An. darlingi were collected in the village with the highest incidence of human malaria. Relationships between malaria incidence, An. darlingi densities, rainfall and water levels in the nearest rivers were found to be variable and apparently dependent on land-cover specificities that reflected the diversity and availability of habitats suitable for the development and reproduction of An. darlingi.
Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology / Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology

pasteur-00583507
https://hal-riip.archives-ouvertes.fr/pasteur-00583507
DOI : 10.1179/136485911X12899838683322
PUBMED : 21396247

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
The extent to which Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) benefit corals is contentious. On one hand, MPAs could enhance coral growth and survival through increases in herbivory within their borders; on the other, they are unlikely to prevent disturbances, such as terrestrial runoff , that originate outside their boundaries. We examined the effect of spatial protection and terrestrial sediment on the benthic composition of coral reefs in Saint Lucia. In 2011 (10 to 16 years after MPAs were created), we resurveyed 21 reefs that had been surveyed in 2001 and analyzed current benthic assemblages as well as changes in benthic cover over that decade in relation to protection status, terrestrial sediment influence (measured as the proportion of terrigenous material in reef-associated sediment) and depth. The cover of all ben-thic biotic components has changed significantly over the decade, including a decline in coral and increase in macroalgae. Protection status was not a significant predictor of either current benthic composition or changes in composition, but current cover and change in cover of several components were related to terrigenous content of sediment deposited recently. Sites with a higher proportion of terrigenous sediment had lower current coral cover, higher macroalgal cover and greater coral declines. Our results suggest that terrestrial sediment is an important factor in the recent degradation of coral reefs in Saint Lucia and that the current MPA network should be complemented by measures to reduce runoff from land.
ISSN: 1932-6203

hal-01281152
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01281152
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01281152/document
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01281152/file/journal.pone.0146855.PDF
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0146855

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : TAG LITHO
In this study we attempt to understand the water storage variations in a karst aquifer on the Larzac Plateau (South of France) using absolute gravimetry. On this karst system, water input is exclusively rainfall and draining occurs at the Durzon perennial spring in a karstic valley. Our basis assumption is that water storage in the vadose zone (epikarst and infiltration zone) has a significant effect on surface gravity through Newtonian attraction. The karst aquifer is hence being monitored since January 2006 with monthly absolute gravity measurements at three sites. The gravity measurements are corrected for regional scale gravity using water storage models in order to obtain gravity variations related exclusively to the local water storage variations. The gravity variations exhibit an important seasonal component (10-15 mu gal corresponding to a variation of equivalent water stab thickness of similar to 24-36 cm). Water storage variation seen by gravimetry is not spatially uniform on the studied karst system, corroborating current geomorphologic observations and interpretations. Finally, we use a global mass balance consideration linking rainfall, evapotranspiration and spring discharge to provide a conceptual framework for the understanding of observed gravity variations.
ISSN: 0022-1694

hal-00411884
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00411884
DOI : 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2008.06.020

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : International audience
We investigate the deformation induced by water pressure variations in hydrologically active natural fractures, and recorded by tiltmeters and strainmeters. The deformation associated with a single fracture is derived using finite-element modelling (FEM). A range in fracture geometries is explored, first to highlight the sensitivity of each geometrical parameter to the deformation, and secondly to allow transfer to observation sites. Water level variations in the fracture are then derived from a hydrological model, driven by observed rainfall, and calibrated on fracture water flow measurements. The modelling results are explicitly applied to constrain the local hydrological contribution to observations with the 100-m-long hydrostatic tiltmeter installed at Sainte-Croix-aux-Mines (France). Our study shows that well-founded physical modelling of local hydrological effect allows a substantial correction of records in observatories.
ISSN: 0956-540X

hal-00708093
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00708093
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00708093/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00708093/file/fracture_v72.pdf
BIBCODE : 2009GeoJI.178..667L

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Chemical Society
Résumé : 8 pages
International audience
In the protected area of the Cévennes National Park (Southern France), 114 wild brown trout (Salmo trutta fario) were captured at six locations affected to different extents by historical mining and metallurgy dating from the Iron Age to Modern Times. Cadmium and lead in trout livers and muscles reflect high sediment contamination, although an age-related effect was also detected for hepatic metal concentrations. Lead isotope signatures confirm exposure to drainage from mining and metallurgical waste. Developmental instability, assessed by fluctuating asymmetry, is significantly correlated with cadmium and lead concentrations in trout tissues, suggesting that local contamination may have affected fish development. Nowadays, the area is among the least industrialized in France. However, our results show that 60% of the specimens at one site exceed EU maximum allowed cadmium or lead concentration in foodstuffs. The mining heritage should not be neglected when establishing strategies for long-term environmental management.
ISSN: 0013-936X

hal-00621255
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00621255
DOI : 10.1021/es200755n
PUBMED : 21739978

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : While attention on logging in the tropics has been increasing, studies on the long-term effects of silviculture on forest dynamics and ecology remain scare and spatially limited. Indeed, most of our knowledge on tropical forests arises from studies carried out in undisturbed tropical forests. This bias is problematic given that logged and disturbed tropical forests are now covering a larger area than the so-called primary forests. A new network of permanent sample plots in logged forests, the Tropical managed Forests Observatory (TmFO), aims to fill this gap by providing unprecedented opportunities to examine long-term data on the resilience of logged tropical forests at regional and global scales. TmFO currently includes 24 experimental sites distributed across three tropical regions, with a total of 490 permanent plots and 921ha of forest inventories.
ISSN: 1402-2001

hal-01204230
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01204230
DOI : 10.1111/avsc.12125
PRODINRA : 323838

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that reproductive abnormalities are increasing in frequency in both human population and among wild fauna. This increase is probably related to exposure to toxic contaminants in the environment. The use of sentinel species to raise alarms relating to human reproductive health has been strongly recommended. However, no simultaneous studies at the same site have been carried out in recent decades to evaluate the utility of wild animals for monitoring human reproductive disorders. We carried out a joint study in Guadeloupe assessing the reproductive function of workers exposed to pesticides in banana plantations and of male wild rats living in these plantations. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed to assess semen quality and reproductive hormones in banana workers and in men working in non-agricultural sectors. These reproductive parameters were also assessed in wild rats captured in the plantations and were compared with those in rats from areas not directly polluted by humans. RESULTS: No significant difference in sperm characteristics and/or hormones was found between workers exposed and not exposed to pesticide. By contrast, rats captured in the banana plantations had lower testosterone levels and gonadosomatic indices than control rats. CONCLUSION: Wild rats seem to be more sensitive than humans to the effects of pesticide exposure on reproductive health. We conclude that the concept of sentinel species must be carefully validated as the actual nature of exposure may varies between human and wild species as well as the vulnerable time period of exposure and various ecological factors.
Environmental health : a global access science source [electronic resource]

hal-00669505
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00669505
DOI : 10.1186/1476-069X-7-40
PUBMED : 18667078