Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
It is becoming clear that the female brain has an inherent plasticity that is expressed during reproduction. The changes that occur benefit the offspring, which in turn secures the survival of the mother’s genetic legacy. Thus, the onset of maternal motivation involves basic mechanisms from genetic expression profiles, to hormone release, to hormone-neuron interactions, all of which fundamentally change the neural architecture – and for a period of time that extends, interestingly, beyond the reproductive life of the female. Although multiple brain areas involved in maternal responses are discussed, this review focuses primarily on plasticity in the maternal hippocampus during pregnancy, the postpartum period and well into aging as it pertains to changes in cognition. In addition, the effects of prolonged and repeated stress on these dynamic responses are considered. The maternal brain is a marvel of directed change, extending into behaviors both obvious (infant-directed) and less obvious (predation, cognition). In sum, the far-reaching effects of reproduction on the female nervous system provide an opportunity to investigate neuroplasticity and behavioral flexibility in a natural mammalian model.
ISSN: 0018-506X

hal-01169791
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01169791
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01169791/document
https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01169791/file/Neuroplasticity%20In%20The%20Maternal%20Hippocampus_accepted.pdf
DOI : 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.06.004

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier Sci Ltd
Résumé : Time-series studies have reported trophic cascades in land, freshwater and marine environments in many geographic areas. However, the spatial extent of habitats, a key metric of ecosystem structure, has not been mapped in these studies. Marine reserves can provide experimental, before-after and inside-outside (control-impacted), situations for assessing the impact of fishing on ecosystems. We mapped seabed habitats and their associated communities (biotopes) in New Zealand's oldest marine reserve for comparison with pre-reserve maps created about 30 years previously. Areas grazed bare by sea urchins were entirely replaced in the centre of the reserve by kelp, or alga turf, an intermediate biotope between heavily grazed encrusting algae and lightly grazed kelp. Urchins declined following increased abundance and body size of spiny (rock) lobsters and fish (especially snapper) in the reserve but maintained bare rock outside. While this gradient in habitat change matched the gradient of predator abundance, it also matched the extent of reef habitat area. Thus the trophic cascade may be influenced by the effect of habitat on the abundance and behavioural interactions of urchins and their predators. Further ecosystem changes may arise should the abundance of mega-predators, such as seals, cetaceans and large sharks, increase in the region; if parasites become pathogenic; and/or when invasive species reach the reserve. No-take marine reserves provide real-world experiments that show the importance of species in food webs, and the consequences of fishing for ecosystems. Because these changes in ecosystem structure may continue, and will vary with environment, climate and species distributions, reserves need to be permanent and replicated geographically. Habitat maps should be produced for all reserves to enable ecological changes in the ecosystem to be spatially quantified. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Biological Conservation (0006-3207) (Elsevier Sci Ltd), 2012-10 , Vol. 155 , P. 193-201

Droits : 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00107/21842/20067.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.biocon.2012.05.009
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00107/21842/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé :  
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are produced by a broad range of organisms, from bacteria to mammals, and they represent a vast chemical diversity. In plants, one of the preeminent roles of VOCs is their repellent or cytotoxic activity, which helps the plant deter its predators. Most studies on VOCs emitted by vegetative parts have been conducted in model plant species, and little is known about patterns of VOC emissions in diverse plant communities. We conducted a survey of the VOCs released immediately after mechanical damage of the bark and the leaves of 195 individual trees belonging to 55 tropical tree species in a lowland rainforest of French Guiana. We discovered a remarkably high chemical diversity, with 264 distinct VOCs and a mean of 37 compounds per species. Two monoterpenes (α-pinene and limonene) and two sesquiterpenes (β-caryophyllene and α-copaene), which are known to have cytotoxic and deterrent effects, were the most frequent compounds in the sampled species. As has been established for floral scents, the blend of VOCs is largely species-specific and could be used to discriminate among 43 of the 55 sampled species. The species with the most diverse blends were found in the Sapindales, Laurales, and Magnoliales, indicating that VOC diversity is not uniformly distributed among tropical species. Interspecific variation in chemical diversity was caused mostly by variation in sesquiterpenes. This study emphasizes three aspects of VOC emission by tropical tree species: the species-specificity of the mixtures, the importance of sesquiterpenes, and the wide-ranging complexity of the mixtures.
ISSN: 0098-0331

hal-01032119
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032119
DOI : 10.1007/s10886-009-9718-1