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

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
Little is known of how linkage patterns between species change along environmental gradients. The small, spatially discrete food webs inhabiting tank-bromeliads provide an excellent opportunity to analyse patterns of community diversity and food-web topology (connectance, linkage density, nestedness) in relation to key environmental variables (habitat size, detrital resource, incident radiation) and predators: prey ratios. We sampled 365 bromeliads in a wide range of understorey environments in French Guiana and used gut contents of invertebrates to draw the corresponding 365 connectance webs. At the bromeliad scale, habitat size (water volume) determined the number of species that constitute food-web nodes, the proportion of predators, and food-web topology. The number of species as well as the proportion of predators within bromeliads declined from open to forested habitats, where the volume of water collected by bromeliads was generally lower because of rainfall interception by the canopy. A core group of microorganisms and generalist detritivores remained relatively constant across environments. This suggests that (i) a highly-connected core ensures food-web stability and key ecosystem functions across environments, and (ii) larger deviations in food-web structures can be expected following disturbance if detritivores share traits that determine responses to environmental changes. While linkage density and nestedness were lower in bromeliads in the forest than in open areas, experiments are needed to confirm a trend for lower food-web stability in the understorey of primary forests.
PLoS ONE

hal-00913931
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00913931
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00913931/document
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0071735
OATAO : 10204

Éditeur(s) : Montpellier SupAgro
Résumé : One of the main challenges in ecology is to understand how global changes affect biodiversity and what are the consequences on ecosystem functioning. In this perspective, the functional diversity of communities is a cornerstone since it allows linking environment, community structure and ecosystem properties. The aim of this thesis is thus to improve the understanding of functional diversity dynamic (i) in relation to natural variability of environmental conditions and (ii) under anthropogenic disturbances. As a first step we have developed a new methodological framework allowing to (1) describe fish functional niches based on functional traits, and (2) to quantify functional diversity within (α) and among (β) sites thanks to new indices. In a second step we have studied the spatiotemporal dynamic of the functional structure of fish and nektonic communities from the Terminos lagoon (Mexico). This tropical estuarine ecosystem is an appropriate ecological model for our problematic as it is characterized by a strong environmental variability, a high biological diversity and is under a strong human pressure. We have put in light the stability of the functional and trophic structures of communities along environmental gradients, despite a very strong species turnover. This stability is determined by the dominance of a couple of functional groups inside which species are replacing each others according to their environmental preferences. However, at a long-term scale, we have demonstrated a functional diversity loss in a part of the lagoon despite an increase of species richness. This paradox has to be related to the decrease of species associated to seagrass and the increase of more estuarine species.
Un des enjeux majeurs de l'écologie est de comprendre comment les changements globaux affectent la biodiversité et quelles en sont les conséquences sur le fonctionnement des écosystèmes. Dans cette perspective, la diversité fonctionnelle des communautés est un outil clé permettant de lier l'environnement, la structure des communautés et les propriétés écosystémiques. L'objectif de cette thèse est donc d'améliorer la compréhension de la dynamique de la diversité fonctionnelle (i) face à des conditions environnementales naturellement variables et (ii) face à des perturbations d'origine anthropique. Dans un premier temps nous avons mis en place un socle méthodologie nous permettant de (1) définir la niche fonctionnelle des poissons à partir de traits fonctionnels et (2) de quantifier les diversités fonctionnelles intra (α) et inter (β) échantillons avec de nouveaux indices. Dans un second temps nous avons étudié la dynamique spatio-temporelle de la structure fonctionnelle des communautés ichtyologiques et nectoniques peuplant la lagune de Terminos (Mexique). Cet écosystème estuarien tropical est un modèle d'étude adapté à notre problématique car il présente une forte variabilité environnementale, une forte diversité biologique et est sous forte pression anthropique. Nous avons mis en évidence une stabilité de la structure fonctionnelle et trophique des communautés face aux gradients environnementaux très marqués, et donc malgré un fort taux de remplacement des espèces entre les communautés. Cette stabilité est due à la dominance de quelques groupes fonctionnels à l'intérieur desquels les espèces se remplacent suivant leurs preferendums environnementaux. Néanmoins, à plus long terme, nous avons démontré qu'une portion de la lagune avait subi une perte de diversité fonctionnelle et ce malgré une augmentation de la richesse spécifique. Ce paradoxe est à relier au remplacement des espèces inféodées aux herbiers de phanérogames par des espèces plus estuariennes.

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2008/these-6178.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/6178/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : In habitat mosaics, plant populations face environmental heterogeneity over short geographical distances. Such steep environmental gradients can induce ecological divergence. Lowland rainforests of the Guiana Shield are characterized by sharp, short-distance environmental variations related to topography and soil characteristics (from waterlogged bottomlands on hydromorphic soils to well-drained terra firme on ferralitic soils). Continuous plant populations distributed along such gradients are an interesting system to study intrapopulation divergence at highly local scales. This study tested (1) whether conspecific populations growing in different habitats diverge at functional traits, and (2) whether they diverge in the same way as congeneric species having different habitat preferences. Phenotypic differentiation was studied within continuous populations occupying different habitats for two congeneric, sympatric, and ecologically divergent tree species (Eperua falcata and E. grandiflora, Fabaceae). Over 3000 seeds collected from three habitats were germinated and grown in a common garden experiment, and 23 morphological, biomass, resource allocation and physiological traits were measured. In both species, seedling populations native of different habitats displayed phenotypic divergence for several traits (including seedling growth, biomass allocation, leaf chemistry, photosynthesis and carbon isotope composition). This may occur through heritable genetic variation or other maternally inherited effects. For a sub-set of traits, the intraspecific divergence associated with environmental variation coincided with interspecific divergence. The results indicate that mother trees from different habitats transmit divergent trait values to their progeny, and suggest that local environmental variation selects for different trait optima even at a very local spatial scale. Traits for which differentiation within species follows the same pattern as differentiation between species indicate that the same ecological processes underlie intra- and interspecific variation.
ISSN: 0305-7364

hal-01032430
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032430
DOI : 10.1093/aob/mct176

Éditeur(s) : Université de Bretagne Occidentale
Résumé : The major objectives of this thesis were to study the structure, functioning and dynamics of different faunal assemblages associated with cold seep ecosystems in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. We focused our study on three main sites: the Marmara Sea, the Mediterranean ridge and the Nile deep sea fan. This thesis aims at determining the environmental signature of Mediterranean sites and the characteristics of the associated fauna at European and global scales. The specific objectives were to (1) determine the composition, diversity, density, biomass of invertebrate assemblages, (2) characterize biogeochemical conditions within different microhabitats in the vicinity of organisms, (3) to define the trophic relationships amongst seep fauna using stable isotope analyses (collaboration) and lastly, (4) to compare the spatial distribution and assemblage characteristics at different spatial scales (local, structure-scale, regional). The results show that (1) the Napoli mud volcano is the richest structure in terms of numbers of taxa while the Nile deep-sea fan sites need additional sampling, (2) a high variability is observed both between the different microhabitats but also within a single microhabitat, (3) the methane and oxygen gradients as well as substratum type are the main structuring factors explaining the distribution of the fauna and (4) the characteristics of the microhabitats, rather than the study area, influence the structure of benthic communities associated with Mediterranean cold seeps.
Les objectifs principaux de cette thèse sont d’étudier la structure, le fonctionnement et la dynamique de différents assemblages de faune associée aux émissions de fluides froids de Méditerranée orientale. Trois principaux sites ont été étudiés : la mer de Marmara, la ride méditerranéenne et le delta profond du Nil. Cette thèse tente de déterminer la « signature environnementale » des sites méditerranéens et les caractéristiques de la faune qui y est associée dans un contexte de marges européennes et mondiale. Les objectifs spécifiques sont (1) de déterminer la composition, la diversité, la densité et la biomasse des assemblages d'invertébrés ; (2) de caractériser les conditions biogéochimiques au sein des différents microhabitats à proximité des organismes; (3) de caractériser les relations trophiques sur les différents assemblages de faune par une approche isotopique (en collaboration) et finalement, (4) de comparer la distribution spatiale et les caractéristiques des assemblages à différentes échelles spatiales (locale, à l’échelle d’une structure géologique, régionale). Les résultats montrent que : (1) le volcan de boue Napoli est le site le plus riche en taxons alors que les sites du delta du Nil nécessiteraient un échantillonnage plus approfondi ; (2) il existe une grande variabilité entre les microhabitats ainsi qu’au sein d’un même microhabitat ; (3) les gradients en méthane, en oxygène ainsi que la nature du substrat sont les principaux facteurs abiotiques expliquant la distribution de la faune, (4) les caractéristiques des microhabitats, plutôt que la zone d’étude, influencent la structure des communautés benthiques associées aux écosystèmes de fluides froids méditerranéens.

Droits : 2010 The Author, UBO
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00020/13138/10178.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00020/13138/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
A detailed rock-magnetic and archeointensity study was carried out on materials baked by a western Mexican artisan following traditional techniques to produce faithful reproductions of archeological pieces of the Michoacan region (Western Mesoamerica). The field strength at the site (41.0 +/- 0.51 mu T) was measured with a fluxgate magnetometer and the temperature of the furnace during the baking process was monitored continually by means of a thermocouple placed in the middle of the baking cavity.;Rock-magnetic experiments performed on the raw material (clay and paste) and on in situ prepared baked ceramics and bricks included measurement of thermomagnetic curves (susceptibility and strong-field magnetization versus temperature), first-order reversal curves (FORC), anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and anisotropy of thermoremanent magnetization (A-TRM). Magnetite and probably hematite are present in the samples as carriers of the remanence. Hysteresis ratios suggest that the samples fall in the pseudo-single-domain grain size region, which may indicate a mixture of multidomain and a significant amount of single-domain grains.;Ceramic pieces and brick fragments were subjected to the Thellier-Coe archeointensity method and to an alternative paleointensity experiment, with a TRIAXE magnetometer, in order to check whether they are faithful recorders of the local geomagnetic field strength.;Mean raw-intensity of sample M1 (pottery) overestimates a 7% the expected site intensity, while those corresponding to the brick samples (LQ1 and LQ2) underestimate it 15%. Brick sample LNQ shows a slightly lower intensity (7%), but agrees with the expected site intensity within the experimental uncertainty. The intensity retrieved from the volcanic fragment also included closely reproduces the expected intensity. After A-TRM and cooling-rate corrections, all mean raw values move closer to the expected intensity.;Measurement of temperatures at different parts inside the kiln (bottom and upper parts of both central and peripheral parts) revealed the existence of significant thermal gradients, similar to those observed in ovens from other localities. Different cooling rates are then expected in a single oven.;The scatter in the intensity determinations observed in this study, retrieved from pieces elaborated together in the same oven, could arise from this differentiated cooling rate within the oven and thus, to an inappropriate cooling rate correction in the archeointensity protocol. As this situation was probably reproduced in the baking of ancient ceramic artifacts, a better knowledge of the temperature distribution inside these types of kiln would be desirable in order to choose the appropriate cooling rate correction.
ISSN: 0031-9201

hal-00644559
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00644559
DOI : 10.1016/j.pepi.2011.06.007

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : The consequences of biodiversity loss for ecosystem services largely depend on the functional identities of extirpated species. However, poor descriptions of spatial patterns of community functional composition across landscapes hamper accurate predictions, particularly in highly diverse tropical regions. Therefore, understanding how community functional composition varies across environmental gradients remains an important challenge. We sampled 15 functional traits in 800 Neotropical tree species across 13 forest plots representative of the broad climatic and soil gradients encompassed by three widespread lowland forest habitats (terra firme forests on clay-rich soils, seasonally flooded forests and white-sand forests) at opposite ends of Amazonia (Peru and French Guiana). We combined univariate and multivariate approaches to test the magnitude and predictability of environmental filtering on community leaf and wood functional composition. Directional shifts in community functional composition correlated with environmental changes across the 13 plots, with denser leaves, stems and roots in forests occurring in environments with limited water and soil-nutrient availability. Critically, these relationships allowed us to accurately predict the functional composition of 61 additional forest plots from environmental data alone.Synthesis. Environmental filtering consistently shapes the functional composition of highly diverse tropical forests at large scales across the terra firme, seasonally flooded and white-sand forests of lowland Amazonia. Environmental factors drive and allow the prediction of variation in community functional composition among habitat types in Amazonian forests.
ISSN: 0022-0477

hal-01204211
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01204211
DOI : 10.1111/1365-2745.12160
PRODINRA : 259900

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : International audience
Estimating how topography is maintained provides insights into the different factors responsible for surface deformations and their relative roles. Here, we develop a new and simple approach to assess the degree of isostatic compensation of continental topography at regional scale from GOCE gravity gradients. We calculate the ratio between the radial gradient observed by GOCE and that calculated from topography only. From analytical and statistical formulations, simple relationships between this ratio and the degree of compensation are obtained under the Airy–Heiskanen isostasy hypothesis. Then, a value of degree of compensation at each point of study area can be easily deduced. We apply our method to the Alaska-Canada Cordillera and validate our results by comparison with a standard isostatic gravity anomaly model and additional geophysical information for this area. Both our GOCE-based results and the isostatic anomaly show that Airy–Heiskanen isostasy prevails for the Yukon Plateau whereas additional mechanisms are required to support topography below the Northwest Territories Craton and the Yakutat collision zone.
ISSN: 0956-540X

hal-01467540
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01467540
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01467540/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01467540/file/cadioGJI2016.pdf
DOI : 10.1093/gji/ggw281

Résumé : Les mécanismes à l’origine du maintien de la forte diversité locale des arbres des forêts tropicales humides constituent encore une énigme pour les scientifiques. Cette thèse a pour but d’étudier et de comprendre certains facteurs biotiques et abiotiques qui influencent l’assemblage des communautés des forêts tropicales humides d’Amazonie. A l’aide d’une approche empirique conduite dans les forêts tropicales de Guyane française et du Loreto au Pérou, de nombreuses expériences de terrain ont été mises en place dans le but d’apporter des éléments de réponse sur les mécanismes impliqués dans le maintien de la diversité des communautés d’arbres et d’insectes des forêts amazoniennes. Dans un premier temps, cette thèse permet de souligner l’importance des pressions biotiques exercées sur les communautés d’arbres. En effet, les communautés d’insectes peuvent influencer la composition des communautés d’arbres le long d’un gradient environnemental conduisant à des compromis entre la défense et la croissance. Ces compromis ou tradeoff permettent de maintenir la coexistence des espèces de forêts tropicales humides en favorisant la spécialisation des arbres à leur habitat (Chapitre 1, Annexe 3). Cependant, de nombreux facteurs peuvent engendrer des variations dans les compromis d’allocation exhibés par les plantes, ce qui peut compliquer la validité de ces résultats. Dans ce sens, nous avons souligné l’influence du rôle de la cascade trophique et l’existence chez certaines espèces d’arbres de stratégies d’évitement des insectes (Chapitre 2). Dans un second temps, nous avons montré que les filtres environnementaux et les distances géographiques favorisent un fort turnover de la composition des arthropodes des forêts tropicales (chapitre 3, Annexe 2). Les résultats de cette étude ont des implications fondamentales sur les mécanismes qui expliquent la structuration des communautés d’insectes herbivores. Nous avons souligné l’importance de l’interaction des communautés des insectes herbivores et de leurs plantes associées. De plus, des prédictions sont présentées sur le degré de spécialisation des insectes à leur plante-hôte (Annexe 3), notamment sur les implications possibles dans les compromis d’allocation chez les plantes. Finalement, des perspectives de recherche sont proposées en vue de poursuivre ces travaux de recherche, et notamment des extensions de mes expériences vers d’autres régions tropicales et tempérées et l’intégration de la phylogénie pour comprendre des mécanismes de coévolution entre communautés d’arbres et insectes. Nous proposons également une intégration des résultats de cette thèse dans les stratégies locales et régionales de conservation des forêts tropicales du bassin amazonien.
The mechanisms underlying the maintenance of local diversity of trees in tropical rainforests remain under debate. This dissertation aims to study and understand some biotic and abiotic factors that may influence both tree and insect community assembly in lowland tropical forests of Amazonia. I used an empirical approach to study communities of trees and insects in tropical forests of French Guiana and Peru, to address the extent to which insect herbivores contribute to the turnover of tree species across strong environmental gradients. In Chapter 1, I studied how herbivorous insect communities can influence the composition of tree communities along an environmental gradient by reinforcing tradeoffs between defense and growth that promote habitat specialization (Chapter 1, Appendix 3). The complicated variation in the patterns of growth and defense from this study led me to pursue further observations of an alternative plant defense strategy of time-avoidance of herbivores, which I examined in detail in Chapter 2. I found evidence for coordinated leaf production in some tree species that was consistent with the satiation of herbivores, suggesting that multiple interactions between plants and their herbivores may be responsible for patterns of habitat specialization in trees. In the second part of the dissertation, I examined insect herbivore communities in detail to test for turnover in species composition across geographic and environmental gradients. In Chapter 3, I present evidence for substantial beta-diversity in arthropod communities throughout lowland Amazonian forests. In the discussion I propose research perspectives to complete this research, including the extension of observations to compare tropical and temperate regions and the integration of molecular phylogenetics information to study coevolution of plant lineages and their insect herbivores. I conclude with suggestions for the integration of the results of this thesis in local and regional strategies for the preservation and conservation of tropical forests in the Amazon basin.

http://www.theses.fr/2013AGUY0582/document

Éditeur(s) : Springer Berlin / Heidelberg
Résumé : The role of particles in the fate and speciation of trace metals in macrotidal estuaries was studied using a surface complexation model (MOCO). Cadmium was selected as the target metal contaminant due to its reactivity in estuaries: cadmium behavior is mainly controlled by heterogeneous processes (sorption/desorption) related to salinity and suspended matter gradients. Various scenarios of suspended matter distribution according to salinity were simulated. The impact of surface properties (specific surface area, density of surface sites, acido-basic properties, and complexation constant) was evaluated using data collected on particles from the Gironde, Loire, and Seine estuaries. Our results show that particle surface properties, evaluated on the basis of various parameters, are instrumental in "non-conservative" contaminant speciation in the estuarine environment. Their evaluation enables us to understand and simulate, to a large extent, the fate of "Cd-type" contaminants (whose behavior is controlled by competition between sorption and desorption processes). The natural variations of these properties can be responsible for significant modifications of the Cd speciation in the macrotidal estuaries where salinity and SM gradients are very strong.
The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry (1433-6839) (Springer Berlin / Heidelberg), 2006 , Vol. 5H , P. 265-301

Droits : 2006 Springer
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2006/publication-2005.pdf
DOI:10.1007/b89479
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/2005/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : International audience
Aim To examine variation in the phylogenetic diversity (PD) of tree communities across geographical and environmental gradients in Amazonia.Location Two hundred and eighty-three c.1ha forest inventory plots from across Amazonia.Methods We evaluated PD as the total phylogenetic branch length across species in each plot (PDss), the mean pairwise phylogenetic distance between species (MPD), the mean nearest taxon distance (MNTD) and their equivalents standardized for species richness (ses.PDss, ses.MPD, ses.MNTD). We compared PD of tree communities growing (1) on substrates of varying geological age; and (2) in environments with varying ecophysiological barriers to growth and survival.Results PDss is strongly positively correlated with species richness (SR), whereas MNTD has a negative correlation. Communities on geologically young- and intermediate-aged substrates (western and central Amazonia respectively) have the highest SR, and therefore the highest PDss and the lowest MNTD. We find that the youngest and oldest substrates (the latter on the Brazilian and Guiana Shields) have the highest ses.PDss and ses.MNTD. MPD and ses.MPD are strongly correlated with how evenly taxa are distributed among the three principal angiosperm clades and are both highest in western Amazonia. Meanwhile, seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF) and forests on white sands have low PD, as evaluated by any metric.Main conclusions High ses.PDss and ses.MNTD reflect greater lineage diversity in communities. We suggest that high ses.PDss and ses.MNTD in western Amazonia results from its favourable, easy-to-colonize environment, whereas high values in the Brazilian and Guianan Shields may be due to accumulation of lineages over a longer period of time. White-sand forests and SDTF are dominated by close relatives from fewer lineages, perhaps reflecting ecophysiological barriers that are difficult to surmount evolutionarily. Because MPD and ses.MPD do not reflect lineage diversity per se, we suggest that PDss, ses.PDss and ses.MNTD may be the most useful diversity metrics for setting large-scale conservation priorities.
ISSN: 1366-9516

hal-01557462
https://hal.univ-lorraine.fr/hal-01557462
DOI : 10.1111/ddi.12357

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : Wood specific gravity (WSG) is a strong predictor of tree performance across environmental gradients. Yet it remains unclear how anatomical elements linked to different wood functions contribute to variation in WSG in branches and roots across tropical forests. [br/][br/]We examined WSG and wood anatomy in white sand, clay terra firme and seasonally flooded forests in French Guiana, spanning broad environmental gradients found throughout Amazonia. We measured 15 traits relating to branches and small woody roots in 113 species representing the 15 most abundant species in each habitat and representative species from seven monophyletic lineages occurring in all habitats. [br/][br/]Fiber traits appear to be major determinants of WSG, independent of vessel traits, in branches and roots. Fiber traits and branch and root WSG increased from seasonally flooded species to clay terra firme species and lastly to white sand species. Branch and root wood traits were strongly phylogenetically constrained. Lineages differed in wood design, but exhibited similar variation in wood structure across habitats. [br/][br/]We conclude that tropical trees can invest differently in support and transport to respond to environmental conditions. Wind disturbance and drought stress represent significant filters driving tree distribution of Amazonian forests; hence we suggest that biophysical explanations should receive more attention.
ISSN: 0028-646X

hal-01195075
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01195075
PRODINRA : 269680
PUBMED : 24329812

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 : [b]1.[/b] Plant functional traits, in particular specific leaf area (SLA), wood density and seed mass, are often good predictors of individual tree growth rates within communities. Individuals and species with high SLA, low wood density and small seeds tend to have faster growth rates.[br/][br/][b]2.[/b] If community-level relationships between traits and growth have general predictive value, then similar relationships should also be observed in analyses that integrate across taxa, biogeographic regions and environments. Such global consistency would imply that traits could serve as valuable proxies for the complex suite of factors that determine growth rate, and, therefore, could underpin a new generation of robust dynamic vegetation models. Alternatively, growth rates may depend more strongly on the local environment or growth–trait relationships may vary along environmental gradients.[br/][br/][b]3.[/b] We tested these alternative hypotheses using data on 27 352 juvenile trees, representing 278 species from 27 sites on all forested continents, and extensive functional trait data, 38% of which were obtained at the same sites at which growth was assessed. Data on potential evapotranspiration (PET), which summarizes the joint ecological effects of temperature and precipitation, were obtained from a global data base.[br/][br/][b]4.[/b] We estimated size-standardized relative height growth rates (SGR) for all species, then related them to functional traits and PET using mixed-effect models for the fastest growing species and for all species together.[br/][br/][b]5.[/b] Both the mean and 95th percentile SGR were more strongly associated with functional traits than with PET. PET was unrelated to SGR at the global scale. SGR increased with increasing SLA and decreased with increasing wood density and seed mass, but these traits explained only 3.1% of the variation in SGR. SGR–trait relationships were consistently weak across families and biogeographic zones, and over a range of tree statures. Thus, the most widely studied functional traits in plant ecology were poor predictors of tree growth over large scales.[br/][br/][b]6.[/b] Synthesis. We conclude that these functional traits alone may be unsuitable for predicting growth of trees over broad scales. Determining the functional traits that predict vital rates under specific environmental conditions may generate more insight than a monolithic global relationship can offer.
ISSN: 0022-0477

hal-01204226
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01204226
DOI : 10.1111/1365-2745.12401
PRODINRA : 307144

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : The distribution, partition and speciation of mercury (Hg) were studied along the redox gradient of an anthropogenically perturbed tropical estuary, the Sinnamary Estuary in French Guiana. This system is a partially mixed estuary characterized by an anoxic freshwater end-member, while the marine end member consists of the Amazon Plume. The set up of an artificial oxygenation system in the anoxic freshwater end-member generates sharp gradients of major chemical species (iron, sulfides, etc.) coupled with intense organic matter (OM) turnover. The coexistence of oxygenated waters and dissolved sulfides in an organic rich environment depicts the Upper Sinnamary Estuary (USE: part of Sinnamary Estuary under the tidal influence but upstream of the salt intrusion) as a potential site for Hg methylation. The concentrations of all mercurial species (HgT) in the unfiltered samples (HgTUNF), in the dissolved (HgTD) and particulate (HgTP) phases of the USE average 11 ± 3, 6 ± 2 and 5 ± 3 (i.e. 600 ± 200 pmol g-1) pmol L-1 respectively. Average concentrations of monomethylmercury (MMHg) in the unfiltered (MMHgUNF), dissolved (MMHgD) and particulate (MMHgP) phases were 3.7 ± 1.0, 2.0 ± 0.9 and 1.8 ± 1.2 (i.e. 220 ± 130 pmol g-1) pmol L-1 respectively. Water oxygenation and sulfides concentrations emerged to play a critical role in controlling MMHg levels. Additionally, iron cycling, acid-base mechanisms, and edoxdependent processes were involved in the MMHg partitioning between phases. Overall, the USE constitutes a biogeochemical reactor that gathers partitioning and methylation processes. Thepermanent MMHg inputs from the anoxic freshwater end-member combined with the intense endogenous Hg methylation ensures high MMHg levels in both dissolved and particulate phases. To illustrate, the USE exports 60 ± 20 % more MMHgUNF than it imports: 5.5 ± 0.7 vs. 3.5 ± 1.2 kg y-1.
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (0016-7037) (Elsevier), 2008-07 , Vol. 72 , N. 22 , P. 5416-5430

Droits : 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2008/publication-4223.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.gca.2008.08.021
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/4223/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : Land-use changes have deep consequences on species diversity, community structure and ecosystem functioning. Consequently, many works have tried to understand the effects of such changes on the diversity and functional properties of organisms. It has been demonstrated that species traits are oftenly more important than the identity of species per se in order to account understand the ecological roles of species. Besides, while the majority of assessments about land-use change effects on ecosystem functioning have focused on primary producers, the contribution of other organisms is essential to maintain the functioning and resilience of ecosystems.Ants are interesting organisms to track land-use changes due to their abundance, ubiquity and ecological dominance. Ants are present in most of terrestrial biomes and participate in several ecosystem processes through their consumption of food resources. They are also easy to sample and standard methods exist to provide accurate comparisons between studies. While a number of studies have demonstrated abrupt changes in ant species composition along environmental gradients, only a reduced number of such studies have tried to understand how ant community changes affect ecosystem processes. Moreover, the traits responsible for the stability of ant communities in response to land-use changes are little known. It is therefore necessary to develop a methodology that enables a proper identification of ant participation to different ecosystem processes and their contribution to ecosystems’ resistance and resilience.In this thesis I aim to bring some light about i) how land-use changes affect ant community structure? ii) what traits are responsible of the ecological success of a species or it’s extinction from a given environment? iii) how changes in the species or trait composition affect the participation intensity of ants in different ecosystem processes ?
Les perturbations d’origine anthropique sont à l’origine de l’érosion de la biodiversité avec des conséquences sur la structure des communautés et pour le fonctionnement des écosystèmes. La vitesse de ces changements a stimulé de nombreuses recherches portant sur les effets de ces modifications sur la biodiversité des organismes et leurs propriétés fonctionnelles. En effet il a été montré que les traits des espèces sont plus importants que leur identité elle-même pour tenir compte de leurs rôles écologiques. Même si la majorité de ces travaux ont étudié la réponse des producteurs primaires sur les écosystèmes terrestres, la contribution d’autres organismes est toutefois essentielle pour maintenir un fonctionnement et une résilience des écosystèmes corrects.Les fourmis sont des organismes cibles intéressants pour étudier de telles modifications du fait de leur abondance et de leur dominance écologique. En effet elles ont une distribution cosmopolite et participent à de nombreuses fonctions dans l’écosystème terrestre. Elles sont également faciles à étudier et des méthodes d’échantillonnage standard existent. Bien que de nombreuses recherches aient démontré des modifications dans la composition spécifique des fourmis dans des gradients environnementaux, un nombre réduit d’entre elles ont étudié la contribution de ces organismes sur le fonctionnement des écosystèmes. De plus, les traits responsables de la stabilité des communautés de fourmis en réponse à ces modifications sont encore peu connus. Il est donc nécessaire de développer une méthodologie capable d‘identifier la participation des fourmis dans des processus écosystémiques permettant également de quantifier leur activité afin de comprendre comment ces organismes agissent sur les capacités de résistance et résilience des écosystèmes.Ainsi, cette thèse vise mettre en lumière i) en quoi la simplification des habitats liée aux activités humaines a des répercussions sur les communautés de fourmis, ii) quels sont les traits responsables du succès écologique d’une espèce ou de son déclin au sein d’un environnement donné, et iii) comment ces variations en composition spécifique impactent l’intensité de participation des fourmis aux processus écosystémiques.
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01389102

NNT : 2016YANE0004
tel-01389102
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01389102
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01389102v2/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01389102/file/these.pdf

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier Masson
Résumé : On the basis of an existing multiparameter borehole fluid sensor(p, T Cw, pH, Eh), a new downhole tool designed for 200 bars and 75 degrees C was developed to measure the spontaneous electrical potential in situ with great precision (better than a mu V). To this end, the new sensor is based on the use of unpolarizable Pb/PbCl2 electrodes either at the surface or downhole. In situ testing has demonstrated a capacity to identify several subsurface sources of natural electrical potential such as diffusion ones (membrane potential in the presence of clays, Fickian processes due to pore fluid salinity gradients), or else the electrokinetic mechanisms with gradients in pore fluid pressure. As a consequence, Multi-Sensors Electrical Tool (MuSET) might be used as an "electrical flow meter" sensitive to both horizontal and vertical fluid flow in a vertical borehole.
ISSN: 1631-0713

hal-00445251
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00445251
DOI : 10.1016/j.crte.2009.07.009

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Mineralogical Society of America
Résumé : International audience
In situ mineralization of CO2 in ultramafic rock-hosted aquifers is one of the promising solutions for decreasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Naturally altered ultramafic rocks suggest that carbonation processes are controlled by local heterogeneities in the structure of the rock and fluid transport at the water-rock interfaces. We studied the role of rock crystallographic anisotropy relative to the global fluid flow direction on the mineralization of CO2 by means of electron microscope analyses from the macro- to the micrometer scale (EBSD-FIB). The sample used for the measurements was a hot pressed olivine core percolated by water enriched in CO2 (pCO2 = 10 MPa) at 180 °C. During the percolation experiment, olivine was dissolved and two types of carbonates, dolomite, and magnesite, were precipitated on olivine surfaces. The results showed that the dissolution of olivine is controlled by its crystallographic properties as shown by the development of etch-pits only on the (010)ol planes and with elongated shapes parallel to the [010]ol axes. In contrast, the precipitation of carbonates is governed by hydrodynamic properties. Carbonates are heterogeneously distributed in the percolated rock. They are mainly located along the moderate (for dolomite) and the minor (for magnesite) flow paths, both oriented parallel to the principal fluid flow direction, which allow carbonates to be supplied with divalent cations (e.g., Ca2+, Mg2+, and Fe2+). In these flow paths, carbonate growth is systematically oriented normal to the flow that facilitates the development of chemical gradients with cationic supersaturation conditions for carbonate precipitation near the walls.In natural systems, the (010)ol planes are parallel to the Moho and the (100)ol planes are vertical; our study suggests that flow of CO2-rich fluids will induce precipitation of carbonates localized along, and preferentially clogging, vertical flow paths while favoring olivine dissolution along horizontal fluid pathways. This dual control of structure and fluid flow on carbonation mechanisms could be an important parameter allowing sustainable CO2 storage in peridotites, while limiting the risks of leakage toward the surface.
ISSN: 0003-004X

hal-01143393
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01143393
DOI : 10.2138/am-2015-4913

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
The lithospheric mantle is intrinsically heterogeneous and anisotropic. These two properties govern the repartition of deformation, controlling intraplate strain localization and development of new plate boundaries. Geophysical and geological observations provide clues on the types, ranges, and characteristic length scales of heterogeneity and anisotropy in the lithospheric mantle. Seismic tomography points to variations in geothermal gradient and hence in rheological behavior at scales of hundreds of km. Seismic anisotropy data substantiate anisotropic physical properties consistent at scales of tens to hundreds of km. Receiver functions imply lateral and vertical heterogeneity at scales < 10 km, which might record gradients in composition or anisotropy. Observations on naturally deformed peridotites establish that compositional heterogeneity and Crystal Preferred Orientations (CPOs) are ubiquitous from the mm to the km scales. These data allow discussing the processes that produce/destroy heterogeneity and anisotropy and constraining the time scales over which they are active. This analysis highlights: (i) the role of deformation and reactive percolation of melts and fluids in producing compositional and structural heterogeneity and the feedbacks between these processes, (ii) the weak mechanical effect of mineralogical variations, and (iii) the low volumes of fine-grained microstructures and difficulty to preserve them. In contrast, olivine CPO and the resulting anisotropy of mechanical and thermal properties are only modified by deformation. Based on this analysis, we propose that strain localization at the plate scale is, at first order, controlled by large-scale variations in thermal structure and in CPO-induced anisotropy. In cold parts of the lithospheric mantle , grain size reduction may contribute to strain localization, but the low volume of fine-grained domains limits this effect.
ISSN: 0040-1951

hal-01277174
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01277174
DOI : 10.1016/j.tecto.2015.07.026

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Résumé : International audience
This study provides a baseline describing natural small scale variability of Symbiodinium density in the sentinel coral Acropora globiceps during the summer, under non-bleaching conditions. Spatial scales investigated range from the colony scale (1-10 cm, i.e. among branches of the same colony) to the reef scale (1-10 km, i.e. among stations distributed over several locations and depths), at Moorea Island, French Polynesia. The coral-Symbiodinium symbiosis is a key process in scleractinian coral physiology, and Symbiodinium density provides an easy-to-measure and inexpensive biomarker of this symbiosis health. Spatial variability of three major environmental factors: light intensity, sedimentation and water motion was also assessed to evaluate their potential link with Symbiodinium density. Density of Symbiodinium did not significantly differ within colonies or among colonies within a station. However, a marked depth gradient was observed, showing increasing density with increasing depth and decreasing light intensity. These observations provide an interesting reference for forthcoming comparisons with disturbed conditions, such as bleaching events.
ISSN: 0025-3154

hal-00905942
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00905942
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00905942/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00905942/file/Ladriereetal2014.pdf
DOI : 10.1017/S0025315413001252