Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Ecological Society of America
Résumé : We investigated performance trade-offs among seedlings of nine tropical tree species during a five-year field experiment. Seedlings were grown in eight microhabitat types composed of paired gap and shaded understory sites in each of four soil types. We defined performance trade-offs relevant to coexistence as significant pairwise rank reversals for species performance between contrasting situations, of which we characterize three types: microhabitat, fitness component, and ontogenetic. Only 2 of 36 species pairs exhibited microhabitat trade-offs or reversed rankings for survival or relative growth rate (RGR) among microhabitats, and only one species pair reversed performance ranks among soil types. We found stronger evidence for rank reversals between fitness components (survival and RGR), particularly in gap vs. understory environments, suggesting a general trade-off between shade tolerance (survival in shade) and gap establishment (RGR in gaps). Third, the most frequent rank reversals between species pairs occurred between early and later ontogenetic stages, especially between fitness components in contrasting microhabitats. Overall, 15 of 36 pairs of potentially competing species exhibited some type of seedling performance trade-off, two species pairs never outperformed one another, and for 19 species pairs one species was a consistent better performer. We suggest that ontogenetic trade-offs, in concert with microhabitat and fitness component trade-offs, may contribute to species coexistence of long-lived organisms such as tropical trees.
ISSN: 0012-9658

hal-01031914
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01031914

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
Many countries are legally obliged to embrace ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management. Reductions in bycatch and physical habitat damage are now commonplace, but mitigating more sophisticated impacts associated with the ecological functions of target fisheries species are in their infancy. Here we model the impacts of a parrotfish fishery on the future state and resilience of Caribbean coral reefs, enabling us to view the tradeoff between harvest and ecosystem health. We find that the implementation of a simple and enforceable size restriction of >30 cm provides a win:win outcome in the short term, delivering both ecological and fisheries benefits and leading to increased yield and greater coral recovery rate for a given harvest rate. However, maintaining resilient coral reefs even until 2030 requires the addition of harvest limitations (<10% of virgin fishable biomass) to cope with a changing climate and induced coral disturbances, even in reefs that are relatively healthy today. Managing parrotfish is not a panacea for protecting coral reefs but can play a role in sustaining the health of reefs and high-quality habitat for reef fisheries.
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01369752

hal-01369752
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01369752
DOI : 10.1073/pnas.1601529113

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD BioMed Central
Résumé : International audience
BACKGROUND: Sampling design is a key issue when establishing species inventories and characterizing habitats within highly heterogeneous landscapes. Sampling efforts in such environments may be constrained and many field studies only rely on subjective and/or qualitative approaches to design collection strategy. The region of Cacao, in French Guiana, provides an excellent study site to understand the presence and abundance of Anopheles mosquitoes, their species dynamics and the transmission risk of malaria across various environments. We propose an objective methodology to define a stratified sampling design. Following thorough environmental characterization, a factorial analysis of mixed groups allows the data to be reduced and non-collinear principal components to be identified while balancing the influences of the different environmental factors. Such components defined new variables which could then be used in a robust k-means clustering procedure. Then, we identified five clusters that corresponded to our sampling strata and selected sampling sites in each stratum. RESULTS: We validated our method by comparing the species overlap of entomological collections from selected sites and the environmental similarities of the same sites. The Morisita index was significantly correlated (Pearson linear correlation) with environmental similarity based on i) the balanced environmental variable groups considered jointly (p = 0.001) and ii) land cover/use (p-value<0.001). The Jaccard index was significantly correlated with land cover/use-based environmental similarity (p-value = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results validate our sampling approach. Land cover/use maps (based on high spatial resolution satellite images) were shown to be particularly useful when studying the presence, density and diversity of Anopheles mosquitoes at local scales and in very heterogeneous landscapes.
BMC Ecology

pasteur-00914104
https://hal-riip.archives-ouvertes.fr/pasteur-00914104
https://hal-riip.archives-ouvertes.fr/pasteur-00914104/document
DOI : 10.1186/1472-6785-13-45
PUBMED : 24289184

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Royal Society, The
Résumé : There is broad consensus that the diversity of functional traits within species assemblages drives several ecological processes. It is also widely recognized that rare species are the first to become extinct following human-induced disturbances. Surprisingly, however, the functional importance of rare species is still poorly understood, particularly in tropical species-rich assemblages where the majority of species are rare, and the rate of species extinction can be high. Here, we investigated the consequences of local and regional extinctions on the functional structure of species assemblages. We used three extensive datasets (stream fish from the Brazilian Amazon, rainforest trees from French Guiana, and birds from the Australian Wet Tropics) and built an integrative measure of species rarity versus commonness, combining local abundance, geographical range, and habitat breadth. Using different scenarios of species loss, we found a disproportionate impact of rare species extinction for the three groups, with significant reductions in levels of functional richness, specialization, and originality of assemblages, which may severely undermine the integrity of ecological processes. The whole breadth of functional abilities within species assemblages, which is disproportionately supported by rare species, is certainly critical in maintaining ecosystems particularly under the ongoing rapid environmental transitions.
ISSN: 0962-8452

hal-01532639
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01532639
DOI : 10.1098/rspb.2016.0084
PRODINRA : 384617

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
Over the past decade, much attention has been devoted to the development of forest biomass estimation methods at a stand scale, leading to the establishment of allometric models (Chave et al., 2014). These allometric equations use a unique wood specific gravity value (WSG) per species, but neglect the within tree variations of WSG found by others (Wiemann & Williamson, 1989).The main objectives of this study are (1) to illustrate the diversity of radial (from pith to bark) and longitudinal (from bottom to top) patterns of WSG variation within and between species, (2) to highlight different trends of WSG radial variations and the possible misinterpretations of these trends due to the effect of heartwood and (3) to link these variations and patterns to the successional status of the species (from pioneer to sciaphilic species).We sampled 33 small trees (10 Wood sciences underpinning tropical ecology and management. International closing symposium of the XYLAREDD project.
Tervuren, Belgium

hal-01188894
https://hal-sde.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01188894

Éditeur(s) : Copernicus Gesellschaft Mbh
Résumé : Deep-sea bivalves found at hydrothermal vents, cold seeps and organic falls are sustained by chemosynthetic bacteria which ensure part or all of their carbon nutrition. These symbioses are of prime importance for the functioning of the ecosystems. Similar symbioses occur in other bivalve species living in shallow and coastal reduced habitats worldwide. In recent years, several deep-sea species have been investigated from continental margins around Europe, West Africa, East America, the Gulf of Mexico, and from hydrothermal vents on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In parallel, numerous more easily accessible shallow marine species were studied. We here provide a summary of the current knowledge available on chemosymbiotic bivalves in the area ranging west-to-east from the Gulf of Mexico to Marmara Sea, and north-to-south from the Arctic to the Gulf of Guinea. Characteristics of symbioses in 51 species from the area are summarized for each of the five bivalve families documented to harbor chemosynthetic symbionts (Mytilidae, Vesicomyidae, Solemyidae, Thyasiridae and Lucinidae), and compared among families with special emphasis on ecology, life cycle, and connectivity. Chemosynthetic symbioses are a major adaptation to ecosystems and habitats exposed to reducing conditions, yet relatively little is known regarding their diversity and functioning apart from a few "model species" on which effort has focused over the last 30 yr. In the context of increasing concern about biodiversity and ecosystems, and increasing anthropogenic pressure on Oceans, we advocate for a better assessment of bivalve symbioses diversity in order to evaluate the capacities of these remarkable ecological and evolutionary units to withstand environmental change
Biogeosciences (1726-4170) (Copernicus Gesellschaft Mbh), 2013 , Vol. 10 , N. 5 , P. 3241-3267

Droits : Author(s) 2012. CC Attribution 3.0 License.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00133/24417/22431.pdf
DOI:10.5194/bg-10-3241-2013
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00133/24417/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : International audience
Well-designed and effectively managed networks of marine reserves can be effective tools for both fisheries management and biodiversity conservation. Connectivity, the demographic linking of local populations through the dispersal of individuals as larvae, juveniles or adults, is a key ecological factor to consider in marine reserve design, since it has important implications for the persistence of metapopulations and their recovery from disturbance. For marine reserves to protect biodiversity and enhance populations of species in fished areas, they must be able to sustain focal species (particularly fishery species) within their boundaries, and be spaced such that they can function as mutually replenishing networks whilst providing recruitment subsidies to fished areas. Thus the configuration (size, spacing and location) of individual reserves within a network should be informed by larval dispersal and movement patterns of the species for which protection is required. In the past, empirical data regarding larval dispersal and movement patterns of adults and juveniles of many tropical marine species have been unavailable or inaccessible to practitioners responsible for marine reserve design. Recent empirical studies using new technologies have also provided fresh insights into movement patterns of many species and redefined our understanding of connectivity among populations through larval dispersal. Our review of movement patterns of 34 families (210 species) of coral reef fishes demonstrates that movement patterns (home ranges, ontogenetic shifts and spawning migrations) vary among and within species, and are influenced by a range of factors (e.g. size, sex, behaviour, density, habitat characteristics, season, tide and time of day). Some species move <0.1–0.5 km (e.g. damselfishes, butterflyfishes and angelfishes), <0.5–3 km (e.g. most parrotfishes, goatfishes and surgeonfishes) or 3–10 km (e.g. large parrotfishes and wrasses), while others move tens to hundreds (e.g. some groupers, emperors, snappers and jacks) or thousands of kilometres (e.g. some sharks and tuna). Larval dispersal distances tend to be <5–15 km, and self-recruitment is common. Synthesising this information allows us, for the first time, to provide species, specific advice on the size, spacing and location of marine reserves in tropical marine ecosystems to maximise benefits for conservation and fisheries management for a range of taxa. We recommend that: (i) marine reserves should be more than twice the size of the home range of focal species (in all directions), thus marine reserves of various sizes will be required depending on which species require protection, how far they move, and if other effective protection is in place outside reserves; (ii) reserve spacing should be <15 km, with smaller reserves spaced more closely; and (iii) marine reserves should include habitats that are critical to the life history of focal species (e.g. home ranges, nursery grounds, migration corridors and spawning aggregations), and be located to accommodate movement patterns among these. We also provide practical advice for practitioners on how to use this information to design, evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of marine reserve networks within broader ecological, socioeconomic and management contexts.
ISSN: 1464-7931

Droits : http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/
hal-01334353
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01334353
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01334353/document
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01334353/file/Green_et_al-2015-Biological_Reviews.pdf
DOI : 10.1111/brv.12155

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Nordic Ecological Society
Résumé : Niche differentiation and ecological filtering are primary ecological processes that shape community assembly, but their relative importance remains poorly understood. Analyses of the distributions of functional traits can provide insight into the community structure generated by these processes. We predicted the trait distributions expected under the ecological processes of niche differentiation and environmental filtering, then tested these predictions with a dataset of 4672 trees located in nine 1-ha plots of tropical rain forest in French Guiana. Five traits related to leaf function (foliar N concentration, chlorophyll content, toughness, tissue density and specific leaf area), and three traits related to stem function (trunk sapwood density, branch sapwood density, and trunk bark thickness), as well as laminar surface area, were measured on every individual tree. There was far more evidence for environmental filtering than for niche differentiation in these forests. Furthermore, we contrasted results from species-mean and individual-level trait values. Analyses that took within-species trait variation into account were far more sensitive indicators of niche differentiation and ecological filtering. Species-mean analyses, by contrast, may underestimate the effects of ecological processes on community assembly. Environmental filtering appeared somewhat more intense on leaf traits than on stem traits, whereas niche differentiation affected neither strongly. By accounting for within-species trait variation, we were able to more properly consider the ecological interactions among individual trees and between individual trees and their environment. In so doing, our results suggest that the ecological processes of niche differentiation and environmental filtering may be more pervasive than previously believed.
ISSN: 0030-1299

hal-01032397
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032397
DOI : 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.19110.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
With only a narrow opening through the Gibraltar and Suez Canals, the Mediterranean Sea is one of thelargest semi-enclosed seas. The marine flora and fauna are some of the richest in the world, relative to itssize, particularly in the coastal habitats, which are also characterized by numerous endemic speciesalthough the introduction of non-indigenous species threatens its rich and unique biodiversity. Followingthe opening of the Suez Canal, and in combination with shipping and aquaculture activities, nonindigenousspecies (NIS) introduction has had measurable impacts on the Mediterranean. Lagoon ecosystemsalong the French coastline, with approx. 100 NIS identified, are considered hot-spot areas forthese species. Rapid assessment sampling for sessile benthic species together with DNA barcoding is arapid, easy and cheap method to detect non-indigenous species. Two nearby and different ecosystemswere sampled for invertebrate species: Saint-Nazaire lagoon, a Special Protection Area within the Natura2000 Network and Canet port, a marina in a small village. The DNA barcoding tool for species identificationwas used for confirming the taxonomy. This showed that, despite the Saint-Nazaire Lagoonclassification within the Natura 2000 network, it is already contaminated with a single NIS that wasfound in high densities and is clearly beginning to dominate the system. It is proposed that a rapidassessment of the sampled environment and the DNA barcode approach are efficient and can providesufficient information on the new target species to be used in conservation planning and ongoingmanagement efforts.
ISSN: 0272-7714

hal-01488926
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01488926
DOI : 10.1016/j.ecss.2017.02.004

Éditeur(s) : Gauthier-Villars
Résumé : This review addresses the problem of recently introduced plants in the Mediterranean in order to analyse their vectors, the dispersal processes and the possible ecological and economic consequences. Ninety-five cases (94 macroscopic algae and one seagrass) are listed and discussed. Three major routes of access into the Mediterranean are indicated: shipping, the Suez canal and aqua-culture. The recent introduction of Caulerpa taxifolia along our coasts has called attention to a new potential source: aquaria. Among the successful acclimatizations, cold-temperate Pacific and Atlantic species remain confined to the north of the Mediterranean (Gulf of Lions, Adriatic), whereas some tropical or sub-tropical plants colonize large areas. Some introduced algae proliferate to the detriment of the indigenous Mediterranean vegetation. In contrast with some terrestrial introductions, no population crash has been observed in the Mediterranean, although some notable fluctuations seem to occur in coastal lagoons. From an economic point of view, the two activities most affected by this phenomenon are aquaculture and fishing. With the gradual disappearance of European frontiers, the worldwide development of marine cultures and the multiplication of giant Seaworlds, the transfer of live marine organisms will become routine and the risk of new introductions will considerably increase in the Mediterranean. Only international legislation, established by the countries of the littoral, will be able to control these problems.
Oceanologica Acta (0399-1784) (Gauthier-Villars), 1994 , Vol. 17 , N. 1 , P. 1-23

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00098/20879/18493.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00098/20879/

Éditeur(s) : Kluwer
Résumé : We reviewed the literature concerning fish aggregation devices (FADs) to determine areas of relative research deficiency. Using specific searches of the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts ( ASFA) database from 1978 to December 2003 and a classical search of the pre-1978 literature, we collected 407 references on FADs. Publications before 1980 were predominantly peer-reviewed, although non-peer reviewed literature has dominated since 1980, due to the numerous technical reports produced as FADs became more widely used in artisinal and large-scale industrial. sheries in the 1980s. Most studies of the ecology of FAD-associated fish were descriptive, with few mensurative experimental studies and even fewer manipulative experimental studies that tested specific hypotheses, due to inherent difficulties in working in the open ocean on objects that are temporary in space and time. Research on the ecology of FAD-associated fish has focused on moored FADs, despite the major FAD-based. sheries being around drifting FADs. Publications presenting information on moored FADs outnumbered papers on drifting FADs by a ratio of 3.5: 1. We recommend that greater emphasis be placed by. sheries scientists and funding agencies on researching drifting FADs to provide better information for management of large-scale FAD-based industrial. sheries. Future research should focus on determining the patterns of use of drifting FADs by pelagic species, the underlying sensory processes of attraction and the ecological consequences for individual fish stocks and the wider pelagic ecosystem of the use of FADs as. sheries enhancement tools.
Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries (0960-3166) (Kluwer), 2004-03 , Vol. 14 , N. 1 , P. 21-42

Droits : 2004 Springer
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2004/publication-721.pdf
DOI:10.1007/s11160-004-3151-x
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/721/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Inter-Research
Résumé : International audience
The effects of global change are particularly serious in areas where range shiftsof species are physically constrained such as the Ligurian Sea, which is one ofthe coldest sectors of the Mediterranean. In this basin, historical informationon water temperature (from the sea surface down to 75 m depth) dates backto the 1950s. Early studies also recorded warm-water species occurrence.Thanks to these data we provide the first detailed characterization of watertemperature variation from 1958 up to 2010 in the layer 0–75 m depth. Wecoupled this analysis with the available information on rocky reef epibenthiccommunities (literature review from 1955 to 1964 and field data from 1980 to2010). The analysis of water temperature revealed several patterns of variation:a cooling phase from 1958 to 1980, a phase of rapid warming from 1980 to1990 and a phase of slower warming from 1990 to 2010. Inter-annual variationin temperature increased over the entire period for the water layer down to20 m. Warm-water native and alien species richness increased during thewarming phases. Literature estimates suggest a decrease in warm-water nativespecies richness during the cooling phase. The analysis of quantitative data collectedin the early 1990s and late 2000s indicated a decrease in the cover ofwarm-water native species on shallow rocky reefs and an increase in deeperwaters. We argue that increased inter-annual variation in water temperaturemay disadvantage native warm-water species in shallow waters. Our resultsindicate that the effect of temperature rises in cold, constrained basins may bemore complex than the simple prediction of species changing their geographicalrange according to their thermal limits.
Marine Ecology Progress Series

hal-01239259
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01239259
DOI : 10.1111/maec.12277

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
The effects of biodiversity on the transmission of infectious diseases now stand as a cornerstone of many public health policies. The upper Amazonia and Guyana shield are hot-spots of biodiversity that offer genuine opportunities to explore the relationship between the risk of transmission of Chagas disease and the diversity of its triatomine vectors. Over 730 triato-mines were light-trapped in four geomorphological landscapes shaping French-Guiana, and we determined their taxonomic status and infection by Trypanosoma cruzi. We used a model selection approach to unravel the spatial and temporal variations in species abundance , diversity and infection. The vector community in French-Guiana is typically made of one key species (Panstrongylus geniculatus) that is more abundant than three secondary species combined (Rhodnius pictipes, Panstrongylus lignarius and Eratyrus mucronatus), and four other species that complete the assemblage. Although the overall abundance of adult triatomines does not vary across French-Guiana, their diversity increases along a coastal-inland gradient. These variations unravelled a non-monotonic relationship between vector biodiversity and the risk of transmission of Chagas disease, so that intermediate biodiversity levels are associated with the lowest risks. We also observed biannual variations in triatomine abundance, representing the first report of a biannual pattern in the risk of Cha-gas disease transmission. Those variations were highly and negatively correlated with the average monthly rainfall. We discuss the implications of these patterns for the transmission of T. cruzi by assemblages of triatomine species, and for the dual challenge of controlling Amazonian vector communities that are made of both highly diverse and mostly intrusive species.
ISSN: 1935-2727

Droits : http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
hal-01298091
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01298091
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01298091/document
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01298091/file/journal.pntd.0004427.PDF
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004427

Éditeur(s) : Inter-research
Résumé : Chemical tracers (e. g. stable isotopes or trace metals) are increasingly used to study trophic ecology and feeding habits of marine organisms and various factors can affect their values. The aim of the present study was to provide information on ontogenic effects on stable carbon and nitrogen values (delta C-13 and delta N-15) and on cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) concentrations in 5 cephalopod species from the Bay of Biscay (North-East Atlantic Ocean). To this end, individuals belonging to 3 species showing the widest range of sizes were analysed for muscle delta C-13 and delta N-15 values and muscle Hg, and digestive gland Cd concentrations. Results showed that stable isotope ratios allowed discrimination of specific feeding strategies during ontogenesis. Segregation between 5 cephalopod species in terms of trophic ecology was also evidenced (different isotopic niches). In contrast, Hg concentrations varied over the same order of magnitude in these 5 cephalopod species, despite higher levels in the benthic octopus Eledone cirrhosa. Consistently, Hg concentrations followed the same ontogenic pattern and increased with increasing body size/age of cephalopods. Finally, Cd concentrations varied over 3 orders of magnitude among the 5 species. Despite possible effects of physiology in terms of metal bioaccumulation, Cd concentrations were likely to reflect specific feeding preferences or feeding zones and ontogenic variability within a single species. Thus, ontogenic effects have to be taken into account when stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen or trace metals are used as ecological tracers; the best recommendation being to focus on a given class age.
Marine Ecology Progress Series (0171-8630) (Inter-research), 2011 , Vol. 433 , P. 107-120

Droits : Inter-Research 2011 · www.int-res.com
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00166/27761/25938.pdf
DOI:10.3354/meps09159
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00166/27761/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : International audience
AimBiological invasions are major contributors to global change and native biodiversity decline. However, they are overlooked in marine conservation plans. Here, we examine for the first time the extent to which marine conservation planning research has addressed (or ignored) biological invasions. Furthermore, we explore the change of spatial priorities in conservation plans when different approaches are used to incorporate the presence and impacts of invasive species.LocationGlobal analysis with a focus on the Mediterranean Sea region.MethodsWe conducted a systematic literature review consisting of three steps: (1) article selection using a search engine, (2) abstract screening and (3) review of pertinent articles, which were identified in the second step. The information extracted included the scale and geographical location of each case study as well as the approach followed regarding invasive species. We also applied the software Marxan to produce and compare conservation plans for the Mediterranean Sea that either protect, or avoid areas impacted by invasives, or ignore the issue. One case study focused on the protection of critical habitats, and the other on endemic fish species.ResultsWe found that of 119 papers on marine spatial plans in specific biogeographic regions, only three (2.5%) explicitly took into account invasive species. When comparing the different conservation plans for each case study, we found that the majority of selected sites for protection (ca. 80%) changed in the critical habitat case study, while this proportion was lower but substantial (27%) in the endemic fish species case study.Main conclusionsBiological invasions are being widely disregarded when planning for conservation in the marine environment across local to global scales. More explicit consideration of biological invasions can significantly alter spatial conservation priorities. Future conservation plans should explicitly account for biological invasions to optimize the selection of marine protected areas.
ISSN: 1366-9516

hal-01431351
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01431351
DOI : 10.1111/ddi.12491

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : 1. Functional traits are posited to explain interspecific differences in performance, but these relationships are difficult to describe for long-lived organisms such as trees, which exhibit strong ontogenetic changes in demographic rates. Here, we use a size-dependent model of tree growth to test the extent to which of 17 functional traits related to leaf and stem economics, adult stature and seed size predict the ontogenetic trajectory of tree growth.[br/] 2. We used a Bayesian modelling framework to parameterize and contrast three size-dependent diameter growth models using 16 years of census data from 5524 individuals of 50 rain forest tree species: a size-dependent model, a size-dependent model with species-specific parameters and a size-dependent model based on functional traits.[br/] 3. Most species showed clear hump-shaped ontogenetic growth trajectories and, across species, maximum growth rate varied nearly tenfold, from 0.58 to 5.51 mm year(-1). Most species attained their maximum growth at 60% of their maximum size, whereas the magnitude of ontogenetic changes in growth rate varied widely among species.[br/] 4. The Trait-Model provided the best compromise between explained variance and model parsimony and needed considerably fewer parameters than the model with species terms.[br/] 5. Stem economics and adult stature largely explained interspecific differences in growth strategy. Maximum absolute diameter growth rates increased with increasing adult stature and leaf delta(13)C and decreased with increasing wood density. Species with light wood had the greatest potential to modulate their growth, resulting in hump-shaped ontogenetic growth curves. Seed size and leaf economics, generally thought to be of paramount importance for plant performance, had no significant relationships with the growth parameters.[br/] 6. Synthesis. Our modelling approach offers a promising way to link demographic parameters to their functional determinants and hence to predict growth trajectories in species-rich communities with little parameter inflation, bridging the gap between functional ecology and population demography.
ISSN: 0022-0477

hal-01032387
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032387
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2011.01883.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
We conducted a survey along three belt transects located at increasing distances from the coast to determine whether a non-random arboreal ant assemblage, such as an ant mosaic, exists in the rainforest on the Masoala Peninsula, Madagascar. In most tropical rainforests, very populous colonies of territorially dominant arboreal ant species defend absolute territories distributed in a mosaic pattern. Among the 29 ant species recorded, only nine had colonies large enough to be considered potentially territorially dominant; the remaining species had smaller colonies and were considered non-dominant. Nevertheless, the null-model analyses used to examine the spatial structure of their assemblages did not reveal the existence of an ant mosaic. Inland, up to 44% of the trees were devoid of dominant arboreal ants, something not reported in other studies. While two Crematogaster species were not associated with one another, Brachymyrmex cordemoyi was positively associated with Technomyrmex albipes, which is considered an invasive species-a non-indigenous species that has an adverse ecological effect on the habitats it invades. The latter two species and Crematogaster ranavalonae were mutually exclusive. On the other hand, all of the trees in the coastal transect and at least 4 km of coast were occupied by T. albipes, and were interconnected by columns of workers. Technomyrmex albipes workers collected from different trees did not attack each other during confrontation tests, indicating that this species has formed a supercolony along the coast. Yet interspecific aggressiveness did occur between T. albipes and Crematogaster ranavalonae, a native species which is likely territorially dominant based on our intraspecific confrontation tests. These results suggest that the Masoala rainforest is threatened by a potential invasion by T. albipes, and that the penetration of this species further inland might be facilitated by the low density of native, territorially dominant arboreal ants normally able to limit its progression.
ISSN: 1932-6203

hal-00817444
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00817444
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00817444/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00817444/file/Dejean2010_Spatial.pdf
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0009319

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 Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Despite the importance of invertebrate resources for Pacific coral reef islands, few studies have specifically addressed the effects of harvesting on invertebrate assemblages including targeted and non-targeted species. The impacts of recreational harvesting on reef and seagrass invertebrate assemblages in New Caledonia (South Pacific) are investigated by comparing communities in non-MPA and MPA areas. Sampling was done using a standard core method on seagrasses and by visual survey along belt transects on reefs. A total of 371 species were recorded, 174 on seagrasses and 254 on reefs, with 57 common species. Reef and seagrass invertebrate communities were very different in MPA and non-MPA areas. On both habitats, MPAs were identified as undisturbed areas while non-MPAs were defined as moderately disturbed with a predominance of small-sized and opportunistic species. Fishing not only affects target species but also non-target species through secondary effects. These results highlight the necessity of a community based approach for the conservation of resources in tropical poorly known environments.
ISSN: 0165-7836

hal-01311486
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01311486
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01311486/document
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01311486/file/Harvesting%20effects%20on%20tropical%20invertebrate%20assemblages%20in%20New_hal.pdf
DOI : 10.1016/j.fishres.2015.02.001

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : Unveiling the genetic basis of local adaptation to environmental variation is a major goal in molecular ecology. In rugged landscapes characterized by environmental mosaics, living populations and communities can experience steep ecological gradients over very short geographical distances. In lowland tropical forests, interspecific divergence in edaphic specialization (for seasonally flooded bottomlands and seasonally dry terra firme soils) has been proven by ecological studies on adaptive traits. Some species are nevertheless capable of covering the entire span of the gradient; intraspecific variation for adaptation to contrasting conditions may explain the distribution of such ecological generalists. We investigated whether local divergence happens at small spatial scales in two stands of Eperua falcata (Fabaceae), a widespread tree species of the Guiana Shield. We investigated Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP) and sequence divergence as well as spatial genetic structure (SGS) at four genes putatively involved in stress response and three genes with unknown function. Significant genetic differentiation was observed among sub-populations within stands, and eight SNP loci showed patterns compatible with disruptive selection. SGS analysis showed genetic turnover along the gradients at three loci, and at least one haplotype was found to be in repulsion with one habitat. Taken together, these results suggest genetic differentiation at small spatial scale in spite of gene flow. We hypothesize that heterogeneous environments may cause molecular divergence, possibly associated to local adaptation in E. falcata.
ISSN: 1010-061X

hal-01032412
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032412
DOI : 10.1111/jeb.12069