Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Résumé :  
Large seasonal variation in the rate of change in girth of tropical rain-forest tree species has been described, but its origin is still under debate. We tested whether this variation might be related to variation in atmospheric relative humidity through its influence on bark water content and thickness. Variation in trunk circumference of 182 adult trees was measured about twice a month in an undisturbed tropical rain forest over 18mo using dendrometers. Furthermore, a laboratory experiment was conducted to test the direct influence of relative air humidity on bark water content and thickness. In the field, most trees displayed highly positive rates of change in girth at the onset of the wet season, while a quarter of the trees displayed negative changes during long dry seasons, whatever their total annual growth. This variation was correlated with environmental conditions, particularly with atmospheric relative humidity. Trees with high bark water content and thickness displayed a stronger decrease in girth during the dry season. In the chamber experiment, desiccation induced a decrease in the diameter of the trunk sections in tandem with a decrease in bark water content. As a result, seasonal variation in the rate of change in girth of tropical rain-forest trees reflects variation in trunk biophysical properties, through the influence of relative humidity on bark properties, but not directly variation in secondary growth.
ISSN: 0266-4674

hal-01032186
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032186
DOI : 10.1017/S0266467410000155

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
European Geosciences Union General Assembly April-2013
Vienne, Austria

hal-01134025
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01134025

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : Seasonal variations in environmental conditions influence the functioning of the whole ecosystem of tropical rain forests, but as yet little is known about how such variations directly influence the leaf gas exchange and transpiration of individual canopy tree species. We examined the influence of seasonal variations in relative extractable water in the upper soil layers on predawn leaf water potential, saturated net photosynthesis, leaf dark respiration, stomatal conductance, and tree transpiration of 13 tropical rain forest canopy trees (eight species) over 2yr in French Guiana. The canopies were accessed by climbing ropes attached to the trees and to a tower. Our results indicate that a small proportion of the studied trees were unaffected by soil water depletion during seasonal dry periods, probably thanks to efficient deep root systems. The trees showing decreased tree water status (i.e., predawn leaf water potential) displayed a wide range of leaf gas exchange responses. Some trees strongly regulated photosynthesis and transpiration when relative extractable water decreased drastically. In contrast, other trees showed little variation, thus indicating good adaptation to soil drought conditions. These results have important applications to modeling approaches: indeed, precise evaluation and grouping of these response patterns are required before any tree-based functional models can efficiently describe the response of tropical rain forest ecosystems to future changes in environmental conditions.
ISSN: 0006-3606

hal-01032411
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032411
DOI : 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2012.00902.x

Résumé : Les forêts côtières inondables (FCI) des régions tropicales et subtropicales remplissent des fonctions écologiques nécessaires aux écosystèmes marins côtiers situés en aval et aux populations humaines vivant à proximité Aux Antilles, les mangroves et les forêts marécageuses à Pterocarpus officinalis sont structurés par des espèces ligneuses qui ont développé des adaptations particulières à la salinité, à l’inondation et aux substrats meubles sur lesquels elles reposent. Dans des contextes climatiques à forte saisonnalité, les saisons sèches prolongées entraînent de fortes variations de la salinité et du niveau de la nappe, que le changement climatique devrait amplifier. Les modèles climatiques de la région Caraïbe prévoient des saisons sèches plus sèches liées à une baisse des précipitations de 20 à 50 %. Or, la question des capacités de résistance et d’acclimatation des espèces ligneuses des FCI à des variations saisonnières marquées de leur environnement édaphique a été peu traitée dans la littérature scientifique.L’objectif de ce travail de thèse a été double. Il s’est agi, d'une part, de caractériser la structure et la croissance de faciès de végétation représentatifs des FCI antillaises et de mettre en évidence leurs déterminants. A cet effet, des individus adultes, des espèces ligneuses dominantes des FCI, (Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa, Pterocarpus officinalis, Rhizophora mangle), dans cinq faciès de végétation sur le gradient terre-mer, ont été suivis sur l'île de Grande-Terre (Guadeloupe). D’autre part, les effets de variations salines extrêmes sur la croissance et l’écophysiologie de ces quatre espèces ont été évalués au stade plantule par une expérience en conditions contrôlées.A travers cette étude, il a été montré que les différences de salinité et de fertilité entre les stationspermettent d’expliquer la composition et la structure des peuplements de FCI. Cette étude a égalementmontré que P. officinalis peut se maintenir dans une gamme de salinité plus large que ne l'indiquait lalittérature.Dans le contexte des Antilles où les marnages sont faibles, la saisonnalité du climat entraine des variations saisonnières importantes d’un ensemble de descripteurs édaphiques tels que le niveau de la nappe, la salinité du sol, le pH et le potentiel RedOx. L’inondation et la salinité des sols sont fortement corrélées aux variations mensuelles des précipitations. Les périodes sèches sont accompagnées de salinités élevées et d’une baisse du niveau de la nappe allant jusqu’à l’exondation des sols dans toutes les stations suivies. Les stress environnementaux liés à la saisonnalité entrainent une baisse de la production primaire. L’accroissement cambial mensuel des individus est fortement corrélé avec les précipitations et l’intensité du vent. Dans les stations de mangrove, la sècheresse édaphique régule la production primaire des palétuviers. En forêt marécageuse, la part de la sècheresse atmosphérique semble plus importante pour expliquer la production de P. officinalis. Aussi, les sècheresses édaphique et atmosphérique doivent être prises en compte toutes deux pour modéliser efficacement la croissance des peuplements des FCI.Lors de la saison sèche, le stress le plus important est le stress hydrique, lié à la diminution de la teneur en eau du sol et à l’augmentation de la salinité, qui entraine des contraintes physiologiques sur les palétuviers (ajustements stomatiques, pertes de surface foliaire et de conductivité hydraulique). Le stress ionique, lié à la toxicité des ions Na+ et Cl-, permet aussi d’expliquer une partie de la contrainte sur l’assimilation en carbone. En saison sèche, l’aération des sols ne se traduit pas par une amélioration des performances de croissance chez toutes les espèces. Aussi, la croissance cambiale maximale de toutes les espèces de FCI est réalisée en saison des pluies lorsque la salinité est faible et les niveaux d’inondation élevés.
In tropical and subtropical regions, flooded coastal forests provide essentials goods and services to local communities. In the Antilles, mangrove forests and the Pterocarpus officinalis swamp forest host tree species that are adapted to salinity, flooding and loose substrates. In areas were climatic seasonality is strong, dry seasons lead to strong fluctuations of soil salinity and water table level ; that climate change is likely to make stronger again. Climate model for the Caribbean project drier dry seasons with a decease of 20 to 50 % in annual rainfall amounts. However, resistance and acclimation ability of flooded coastal forest’s species to strong environmental fluctuations still remain poorly studied.This thesis aims two objectives. On the one hand, it aims to characterize the forest structure and monthly growth of vegetation structures representative of the Antillean flooded coastal forests and to highlight their determinants. In this respect, adult trees of the four dominant species of local flooded coastal forest (Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa, Pterocarpus officinalis, Rhizophora mangle), in five stations along a sea – land gradient were monitored on the Grande-Terre island (Guadeloupe). On the other hand, the effects of salinity variation patterns and salinity levels on growth performances and physiology of seedlings from the four same species were investigated through a greenhouse experiment.This study shows that differences among average salinity and soil fertility explain the vegetation structure of flooded coastal forest. It also extents, in the literature, the range of salinity in which P. officinalis can stand at the tree stage.In the Antilles were tidal range is small, climate seasonality lead to strong edaphic seasonal variations in water table level, soil salinity, pH and RedOx potential. Flooding and soil salinity are strongly correlated to monthly rainfall amounts: dry periods lead to high salinity and to a decrease in water table level under the soil surface. Seasonal environmental stresses lead to a decrease of primary production. Cambial growth was strongly correlated to monthly precipitation and average wind speed. In mangrove stations, edaphic drought determines primary production of mangrove trees, when, in swamp forest stations, atmospheric drought determines an important part of P. officinalis’ primary production.During the dry season, water stress is the more important environmental stress, both by the decrease in soil humidity and the increase in soil salinity, and leads to physiological strains (stomatal adjustment, loss of leaf area and hydraulic conductivity) for mangrove trees. Ionic toxicity of ions Na+ and Cl- also explains a part of the strain on carbon assimilation. During the dry season, re oxygenation of soils via low water table level does not lead to an increase of physiological traits. Thus, maximum cambial growth of all species is observed during the rainy season, when salinity is low and water table level is high.Flooded coastal forest’s species do not have the same ability to recover after a dry episode. In all the studied stations, A. germinans’ cambial growth rises back as soon as the rainy season starts, when, for one station, cambial growth of L. racemosa and R. mangle stay null during the three first month of the rainy season. This low ability to recover after a dry episode is correlated to a stronger impact of the dry season on the physiological traits of these two species.The greenhouse experiment shows that salinity variation patterns are to be taken into consideration for explaining seedlings’ growth and salinity tolerance. A stronger salinity increase impacts the growth of all the studied species; a punctual drop of salinity highlights that flooded coastal forest’s species differ in ability to take advantage of a low salinity episode. These results are coherent with field observations as cambial growth was fairly explained by monthly precipitation.

http://www.theses.fr/2013AGUY0674/document