Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé :  
The present chapter first provides a general overview of Paracou experimental site within the ecological context of French Guiana and describes the original design of Silvicultural Project and the main data collected on the plots. It then review the main characteristics and potential differences between these plots, as a basis for further discussion and interpretation of the results reported in some of the following chapters.
Ecology and management of a neotropical rainforest: lessons drawn from Paracou, a long-term experimental research site in French Guiana

ISBN : 2-84299-455-8
hal-01189542
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01189542
PRODINRA : 46424

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
Evoluzione 2013. 5th congress of the Italian Society for Evolutionary Biology, Italie, 28-30 août
Trento, Italy

hal-01627541
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01627541

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Ecole nationale du génie rural
Résumé :  
Les sols forestiers de Guyane septentrionale permettent d'illustrer un grand nombre de processus pédogénétiques typiques des milieux tropicaux humides. En profondeur, la roche est transformée en saprolite par la nappe, qui sature toute la porosité. Plus haut, les alternances d'humectation et de dessiccation redistribuent le fer et conduisent à la formation d'un ensemble tacheté aux faciès multiples. Dans les horizons supérieurs, un régime hydrique encore plus contrasté, l'apport de matière organique et l'activité biologique poursuivent l'altération des constituants et remanient considérablement leur organisation ; un mécanisme majeur est l'appauvrissement en fer plus ou moins marqué selon la topographie, allant jusqu'à son élimination totale par podzolisation.
ISSN: 0035-2829

hal-01032210
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032210

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé :  
1. Relationships between tropical rain forest biomass and environmental factors have been determined at regional scales, e.g. the Amazon Basin, but the reasons for the high variability in forest biomass at local scales are poorly understood. Interactions between topography, soil properties, tree growth and mortality rates, and treefalls are a likely reason for this variability. 2. We used repeated measurements of permanent plots in lowland rain forest in French Guiana to evaluate these relationships. The plots sampled topographic gradients from hilltops to slopes to bottomlands, with accompanying variation in soil waterlogging along these gradients. Biomass was calculated for >175 tree species in the plots, along with biomass productivity and recruitment rates. Mortality was determined as standing dead and treefalls. 3. Treefall rates were twice as high in bottomlands as on hilltops, and tree recruitment rates, radial growth rates and the abundance of light-demanding tree species were also higher. 4. In the bottomlands, the mean wood density was 10% lower than on hilltops, the basal area 29% lower and the height:diameter ratio of trees was lower, collectively resulting in a total woody biomass that was 43% lower in bottomlands than on hilltops. 5. Biomass productivity was 9% lower in bottomlands than on hilltops, even though soil Olsen P concentrations were higher in bottomlands. 6. Synthesis. Along a topographic gradient from hilltops to bottomlands there were higher rates of treefall, which decreased the stand basal area and favoured lower allocation to height growth and recruitment of light-demanding species with low wood density. The resultant large variation in tree biomass along the gradient shows the importance of determining site characteristics and including these characteristics when scaling up biomass estimates from stand to local or regional scales.
ISSN: 0022-0477

hal-01032100
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032100

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : 1. A recent article published by Toledo (2011b) investigates the effects of spatial variations in climate and soil, and of logging disturbance, on tree and forest growth in Bolivia. It concludes that climate is the strongest driver of tree and forest growth and that climate change may therefore have large consequences for forest productivity and carbon sequestration. However, serious methodological and conceptual discrepancies have been found that challenge these conclusions.[br/] 2. Because of an errant coding of time after logging in the regression analysis, and because floristic changes induced by logging could not be incorporated into the analysis, the effect of logging on the average diameter growth is likely to have been strongly underestimated.[br/] 3. Basal area growth was improperly calculated as basal area change, and it displayed surprisingly high values, even among unlogged plots. We hypothesize that either these plots may be actually located in secondary forests recovering from past logging, or measurement biases may have hampered the data set.[br/] 4. Regardless of climategrowth relationships established across these plots, any inference concerning the potential effects of climate change on forest growth would require a specific quantitative assessment.[br/] 5. Synthesis. It is critical to re-assess the relative weight of climate and logging disturbance as driving factors of tree and forest growth, and to find an explanation for the very high basal area increment reported among the unlogged plots. We provide specific recommendations for further analyses of this and similar data sets.
ISSN: 0022-0477

hal-01032432
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032432
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2011.01895.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé :  
Previous studies in lowland tropical rainforests of French Guiana showed that, among non-N2-fixing trees, two groups of late successional species contrasting in their leaf 15N natural abundance coexist, suggesting two different main ways of nitrogen acquisition. Two abundant late-successional species typically co-occurring in rainforests in French Guiana, namely Eperua falcata and Dicorynia guianensis, were chosen as representative of each group. Stable isotope techniques and measurements of potentials of microbial N transformation were performed to assess to what extent leaf 15N natural abundance of these species could be related to (i) d15N signatures of soil mineral N sources and (ii) the capacity of soil to express nitrification and denitrification (both processes being directly involved in the balance between NH4 + and NO3 - ). Soil d15N-NH4 + was roughly similar to leaf d15N of D. guianensis (around 3.5%), suggesting a preferential use of NH4 +, whereas in E. falcata, leaf d15N values were closer to root d15N-NO3 _ values (0.2 and _2.0%, respectively), suggesting a preferential use of NO3 _. These differences in N source utilization were not accompanied by differences in availability in soil NO3 _ or in intensity of microbial functions responsible for soil N mineral evolution. However, (i) under both tree species, these functions showed clear spatial partitioning, with denitrification occurring potentially in soil and nitrification in the litter layer, and (ii) E. falcata fine roots colonized the litter layer much more strongly than D. guianensis fine roots. This strongly suggests that (i) the contrasted leaf d15N values found in the two late-successional species reveal distinct N acquisition strategies and (ii) the ability of roots to predominantly exploit the litter layer (E. falcata) or the soil (D. guianensis) may constitute an important explanation of the observed differences. A complementarity between tree species, based on mineral N resource partitioning (itself resulting from a spatially structured location of the microbial functions responsible for the balance between NH4 + and NO3 - ), can thus be supposed.
ISSN: 0038-0717

hal-01032035
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032035
DOI : 10.1016/j.soilbio.2007.09.011

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Ecological Society of America
Résumé : We investigated the relationship between habitat association and physiological performance in four congeneric species pairs exhibiting contrasting distributions between seasonally flooded and terra firme habitats in lowland tropical rain forests of French Guiana, including Virola and Iryanthera (Myristicaceae), Symphonia (Clusiaceae), and Eperua (Caesalpiniaceae). We analyzed 10-year data sets of mapped and measured saplings (stems 150 cm in height and <10 cm diameter at breast height [dbh]) and trees (stems 10 cm dbh) across 37.5 ha of permanent plots covering a 300-ha zone, within which seasonally flooded areas (where the water table never descends below 1 m) have been mapped. Additionally, we tested the response of growth, survival, and leaf functional traits of these species to drought and flood stress in a controlled experiment. We tested for habitat preference using a modification of the torus translation method. Strong contrasting associations of the species pairs of Iryanthera, Virola, and Symphonia were observed at the sapling stage, and these associations strengthened for the tree stage. Neither species of Eperua was significantly associated with flooded habitats at the sapling stage, but E. falcata was significantly and positively associated with flooded forests at the tree stage, and trees of E. grandiflora were found almost exclusively in nonflooded habitats. Differential performance provided limited explanatory support for the observed habitat associations, with only congeners of Iryanthera exhibiting divergent sapling survival and tree growth. Seedlings of species associated with flooded forest tended to have higher photosynthetic capacity than their congeners at field capacity. In addition, they tended to have the largest reductions in leaf gas exchange and growth rate in response to experimental drought stress and the least reductions in response to experimental inundation. The corroboration of habitat association with differences in functional traits and, to a lesser extent, measures of performance provides an explanation for the regional coexistence of these species pairs. We suggest that specialization to seasonally flooded habitats may explain patterns of adaptive radiation in many tropical tree genera and thereby provide a substantial contribution to regional tree diversity.
ISSN: 0012-9658

hal-01031746
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01031746

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé :   Diffusion du document : INRA Antilles-Guyane, UMR ECOFOG, F97387 Kourou, Guyane (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
This work on tropic al humid forest of Paracou includes 16 permanent sample plots covering a total surface of 119 hectares. Ten hectares of them are taken up by floodplains which characteristic is a continuous no-deep underground water level with phases of strong surface water logging. Three items have been studied : (i) Checking that during dry season the maps of the underground water level including its limits are reliable, (ii) Characterising the most suitable ecological niches for certain species, (iii) Additional updating the floodplains characterisation by precisely analysing the chemical soil content as well as the physiological reaction of the Symphonia Globulifera . Checking the underground water level in dry season enabled to put down to a quite good measurement reliability by GIS. The classification ecological of species proposed in this work is based on the relative density in floodplain and drain soil very similar to that which concerns a surface located ten or more kilometres further. This lets us assess that this classification is of a good reliability as long as the climate conditions are quite similar to ours in Paracou. Furthermore the presence of pneumatophores in the Symphonia Globulifera is a good biological criterion as long as it shows a long time ground moisture saturation. By analysing the life litter and the soil we mentioned that the leaf content and the soil content indicate a better nutritional value (phosphorus, calcium and potassium) in the floodplains. For phosphorus the relation between the life litter and the soil results put forward that the Olsen method gives a better explanation of the real phosphorus availability for the trees.
Le dispositif de recherche sur la forêt tropicale humide de Paracou est composé de 16 parcelles permanentes couvrant au total 119 ha, dont 10 ha sont occupés par des bas-fonds, caractérisés par l'existence permanente d'une nappe peu profonde et par des périodes de fort engorgement en surface. Notre étude avait trois objectifs : (i) vérifier la fiabilité des cartes de la profondeur de nappe en saison sèche, qui délimitent ces bas-fonds, (ii) caractériser les préférences écologiques de quelques espèces et (iii) compléter la caractérisation des bas-fonds par l'analyse de la richesse chimique du sol et l'étude de la réaction physiologique du Symphonia globulifera. La vérification sur la profondeur de nappe en saison sèche a montré que les imprécisions des cartes étaient d'ampleur limitée, sans incidence forte par rapport à l'ensemble des données. Le classement écologique des espèces proposé dans cette étude, basé sur leurs densités relatives dans les bas-fonds et hors des bas-fonds, est très similaire à celui présenté par une autre étude, dans un dispositif situé à plusieurs dizaines de kilomètres. Cela suggère que ce classement a une bonne validité, tant que les conditions climatiques ne diffèrent pas trop de celles rencontrées à Paracou. Par ailleurs, la présence des pneumatophores du Symphonia globulifera est un bon critère biologique signalant un engorgement hydrique prolongé du sol. Au niveau des analyses de la litière et du sol, les teneurs foliaires et les teneurs dans le sol semblent indiquer que la nutrition en phosphore, calcium et potassium est meilleure en bas-fonds. Au niveau de la méthode de mesure du phosphore assimilable, les relations entre les résultats de la litière et celles du sol suggèrent que la méthode d'Olsen rend mieux compte de la disponibilité effective du phosphore pour les arbres de la forêt tropicale humide que la méthode de Duchaufour.
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01189229

hal-01189229
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01189229
PRODINRA : 17050

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : Diffusion du document : INRA Documentation de Centre, Domaine de Duclos, 97170 Petit-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
absent
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01189242

hal-01189242
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01189242
PRODINRA : 18466

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Ecole nationale du génie rural
Résumé :  
A l'échelle de l'arbre, la fertilité chimique des sols semble expliquer la localisation majoritairement superficielle du système racinaire, alors que le type de drainage explique la forte variabilité de sa répartition verticale. Les racines profondes, malgré leur faible proportion, jouent un rôle important pour extraire l'eau en saison sèche. A l'échelle du peuplement, les variations latérales du sol influent sur des processus tels que la compétition inter-individuelle et la sylvigénèse. Pour les sols de terre ferme, plus les conditions édaphiques sont contraignantes, plus les gros arbres sont rares dans le peuplement forestier. Celui-ci est dense lorsque le sol est très aminci, moins dense en situation hydromorphe. Le sol influence nettement la composition floristique des peuplements. Mais d'autres facteurs tels la dynamique sylvigénétique ou la dynamique propre à chaque population ont un poids très important. Des résultats divergents conduisent à formuler de nouvelles hypothèses, parmi celles-ci l'influence majeure de l'épaisseur du profil d'altération.
ISSN: 0035-2829

hal-01031882
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01031882

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Nature Publishing Group
Résumé : Tropical forests store large amounts of biomass despite they generally grow in nutrient-poor soils, suggesting that the role of soil characteristics in the structure and dynamics of tropical forests is complex. We used data for >34 000 trees from several permanent plots in French Guiana to investigate if soil characteristics could predict the structure (tree diameter, density and aboveground biomass), and dynamics (growth, mortality, aboveground wood productivity) of nutrient-poor tropical forests. Most variables did not covary with site-level changes in soil nutrient content, indicating that nutrient-cycling mechanisms other than the direct absorption from soil (e.g. the nutrient uptake from litter, the resorption, or the storage of nutrients in the biomass), may strongly control forest structure and dynamics. Ecosystem-level adaptations to low soil nutrient availability and long-term low levels of disturbance may help to account for the lower productivity and higher accumulation of biomass in nutrient-poor forests compared to nutrient-richer forests.
ISSN: 2045-2322

hal-01606170
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01606170
DOI : 10.1038/srep45017
PRODINRA : 389876