Résumé : From the PNCR, GAP MPs free to vote conscience on gay rights bill By Johann Earle Stabroek News June 11, 2003 The PNCR will allow its members to vote their conscience on the controversial Constitution (Amendment) Act of 2001 which seeks to prevent discrimination against persons on the basis of their sexual orientation and other grounds. A number of religious organisations are opposed to the passage of the bill because it includes sexual orientation as one of the grounds. They are concerned that it could lead to a legalisation of homosexual relations and demands for recognition of gay marriages among other things. PNCR Member of Parliament (MP) Vincent Alexander told a forum at the National Library on Saturday, that the Bill did not seek to legalise homosexuality, but to ensure that persons would not be discriminated against based on their sexual preferences. He was one of two parliamentarians who showed up - the other being PNCR member, Myrna Peterkin. The forum was organised by Students Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), a group comprising fifteen students from the University of Guyana which was formed about two weeks ago. Alexander expects the vote on the bill to come up before the National Assembly in a matter of months. Paul Hardy, Leader of the Guyana Action Party (GAP), told Stabroek News that his party would not be using the so-called parliamentary whip. He added that GAP took a decision that every member should vote according to his or her own conscience. “We have no right to deny the rights of others based on sexual orientation. [The Bill] will guarantee rights to the homosexual.” GAP is in Parliament as part of an alliance with the Working People’s Alliance. GAP/WPA has two MPs. The bill was met with rejection from some members of the religious community in 2001 and as a result of this, the President did not assent to it. In a statement on Monday, the Central Islamic Organisa-tion of Guyana (CIOG) said that it stood in firm opposition to the Bill. The CIOG says the general purpose of the bill may be commendable and that the organisation’s objection is not based on a willingness to promote discrimination. Rather, the CIOG said, it was based on the fact that specific legal protection on the basis of sexual orientation without definition or qualification gives tacit legitimacy to practices which are considered criminal in Islam. “It is foreseeable that such a legal nod of approval (subtle as it may be) of these practices may pave the way for greater social (or even legal) acceptability in the future which, from the perspective of all Muslims including those in Guyana, is an undesirable and sinful outcome,” the CIOG statement said. At Saturday’s event, Muslim teacher Moulana Mohamed Ali Zenjibari spoke of instances of abuse, discrimination and harsh penalties meted out to gay and lesbian persons in countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia and noted that the Quran did not sanction such punishments for homosexual behaviour. President of the CIOG, Fazeel Ferouz told Stabroek News that a meeting to discuss a strategy with regards to the bill was planned for tomorrow with various religious groups. Stabroek News tried to get a comment on the issue from the PPP/C but to no avail. ROAR leader, Ravi Dev said that his party was now having discussions on the issue. ROAR feels that it is an important question which has to do with morality and should be discussed across the country. He added legislators had to be in tune with their constituents on the issue. SASOD is lobbying for the legislation through the sensitisation of MPs. Keimo Benjamin, a law student at UG, gave a presentation based on the jurisprudential aspects of the discussion on sexual orientation. He argued that morality should not be the only guiding principle on which to base the laws. Sexual activities between two consenting male adults in private could not be equated with a violation of a person’s rights, he said, making the point that the thrust of his presentation was not whether homosexuality was wrong, but whether it violated the rights of others. He said that the attitudes of some towards this subject were based on preconceived notions and prejudices. He cited studies to show that the suppression of certain perceived deviant sexual impulses in persons might do more harm than good. One Harvard University study of teens who said they were gay indicated that those teens were three times more likely to commit suicide. Vidyaratha Kissoon, of Help and Shelter, in his contribution on Saturday, expressed his displeasure at the low turnout at the forum and urged the parliamentarians who showed up to take the message to their colleagues. He noted that because of homophobia, the numerical minority was terrified of speaking out against instances of discrimination. Gays and lesbians in Guyana were subjected to ridicule and abuse, and walk the streets at night not looking for sex necessarily, but for the companionship of persons who empathise with them. During his presentation, Joel Simpson, another member of SASOD, outlined a number of changes made within national jurisdictions that had international implications. One such crucial change was South Africa’s 1996 adoption of a new constitution, making that country the first in the world to expressly include sexual orientation as a prohibited ground of discrimination. It was the first time a developing country had taken the lead with respect to the rights of sexual minorities. He also said that according to Douglas Sanders, a Canadian jurist, the rights of homosexual, bisexual or transsexual men and women had never been officially recognised by the United Nations, despite the fact that international laws on the issue began to emerge at the close of the Second World War. Simpson said that under Article 170 (5), as amended by Section 8 of the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 4) Act 2000, the President is required to assent to any bill which is returned by the National Assembly unaltered after a two-thirds majority within 90 days of its presentation to him. To the parliamentarians present, Simpson stressed that the onus was now on them to adequately represent their constituents which include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual Guyanese. http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/news301/ns306115.htm and Vote on sexual orientation should be a matter of conscience - MP Alexander By Esther Elijah Guyana Chronicle June 8, 2003 PEOPLE’S National Congress (PNC/R) Member of Parliament Mr. Vincent Alexander, said the Opposition will vote on “conscience” when the piece of legislation on sexual orientation is again brought before the National Assembly. “With specific reference to my party, when this Bill gets back to the Parliament in the spirit of the arguments here, we will not use the `whip’. Our party will not say we have to vote for the provision (in the Sexual Orientation Bill). We will allow our members to vote as a matter of conscience,” he told participants gathered in the Conference Room of the National Library. “We feel this is a matter of conscience. You may end up with a collective position but you have to deal with us individually,” Alexander said at a poorly attended public consultation aimed at gaining support for sexual orientation to be considered a fundamental right in Guyana. Alexander, one of the main persons who sat on the Constitutional Reform Commission that addressed this controversial clause, said the legislation was not meant to legalise homosexual activities in Guyana. “It was intended to ensure that persons who have an orientation - a way of thinking - which may or may not lead to a certain activity, to not be discriminated against, in terms of their rights,” he explained. Alexander noted that very often, discussions on the sexual orientation provision in the Bill have led to seepages into other areas where debates centre on the “right to be homosexual.” “I am saying the Bill does not comment on that… However, law is peculiar, especially in a Common Law system. Once you venture out and change the law, very often you open other windows which we cannot definitively say exist or does not exist in advance,” he said. “The fear of some people is that the legislators might say one thing and the Courts will eventually say something else. While some people can’t argue against the law, per say, they will say this has opened a window of opportunity not meant to be opened. So, it is better to stay without a window than open it and then have a possibility of something you didn’t intend to happen - happening sometime in the future.” Alexander added: “I want to say I’ve found this activity to have been rich from the perspective of the amount of research which was done by student (speakers). Without any comment as to whether I agree with the arguments, I would wish that much more research on other issues be done by students, and that at the University (of Guyana) students would find it convenient to have forums on other issues, with the same depth of research for their own intellectual development.” Alexander and other Opposition M.P, Lurlene Nestor were the only three Parliamentarians in attendance at the session organised by the recently formed `Students Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination’ (SASOD), a group that has a membership of 15 mostly University of Guyana (UG) students from various faculties. SASOD was established two weeks ago. With the exception of members of the press, the consultation only managed to attract 11 persons, a handful of who were SASOD members. While congratulating the students for an “insightful” presentation, Nestor pointed out that whether or not she chooses to agree with their position is “another issue” and she is entitled to her “own view”. “The issue of sexual orientation is very `toucheous’ …while we agree with the human rights provisions and all that as a society, we must also revert to our own society. Some of the very critical questions that I would want to ask is whether or not at the society (level) we are ready for that kind of thing,” she remarked. “We cannot, at (any) time, ignore the religious groups in our society. If we look at statistics going back to 1992 from a survey done by the Bureau of Statistics, we would see that a small section of the Guyanese population might be considered as people who do not subscribe to a religious view. While the laws are not necessarily based on moral values, we must acknowledge the fact that we might want to revert to many of the cases that (concern) laws that protect public morality.” Nestor told the speakers at the consultation these were some of the issues that they needed to deal with. She highlighted, too, that what must be examined is the effects of same-sex marriages on society and how this issue must be tackled. “These are some of the things we should consider and I don’t think you dealt with that in the presentations,” Nestor stated, adding that the issues must be addressed “frontally.” “Do we think that with the coming to being of this Bill that there might be quite a number of challenges to the Constitution in relation to the same issue of a man marrying a man? What do we do at the society (level)? Do we recognise that?” were the questions directed at the five speakers at the session. Nestor continued: “There is some argument that says, `Oh the Bill does not promote homosexuality or does not encourage a man to marry (another) man, but if you look at Section (15) that talks about `non-discrimination’ then how can we not, with the passage of this Bill, allow a man not to marry (another) man.” According to Nestor, matters of this nature constitute some of the “inconsistencies” of the Bill. On the argument raised by presenters at the session on who determines what is morality, Nestor said in the concept of democracy it is the people who are the determinants based on a “line of thinking.” She also rebutted on grounds that put the spotlight on teachers who may have been caught “interfering” with their young students and who may subsequently be dismissed from their jobs. “Could you imagine such a person interfering with a boy below age 10 - and by virtue of the fact that the Bill is there, the judges (in the case) will have to use their discretion in terms of what happens. We will have more Constitutional changes and problems (arising with the passage of the Bill).” SASOD member and law student, Joel Simpson, in reply, said he doesn’t think any homosexual in Guyana wants to “run into a church and ask that people marry them or anything of that sort.” At one point likening the church to a “club”, Simpson claimed the church has the right to exclude whomever it wants. He further stated that in accordance with the Constitution, people of the same sex do not currently have the right to marry, and will also not be able to do such an act with the passage of the Bill. However, Simpson said it is possible that the law, with the passage of the Bill, would have to recognise same-sex domestic partnerships in relation to employment benefits, sharing of properties, etc. Simpson said he believes there should be a realm of “public” and “private” morality between consenting adults, and implied that the Bill did not fully give “rights” to homosexuals. But, Nestor interjected: “I am informing you further…that the Sexual Orientation provision has, in fact, in some way recognised the rights of homosexuals and we must accept that.” Meanwhile, there was no vocal Christian representative(s) at the consultation and apart from the two Opposition representatives none other participant gave comments or directed questions at the presenters. Other speakers in support of the sexual orientation clause were: Moulana Mohammed Ali Zenjiban, Assistant Director of the International Islamic College; Denuka Radzik from Red Thread, Keimo Benjamin, UG law student and Vidyartha Kissoon from Help & Shelter. The Sunday Chronicle has been reliably informed that the Georgetown Ministers Fellowship, representing groups of Christian leaders staunchly against sexual orientation as a right in Guyana, have recently prepared a detailed 16-page document outlining issues arising from research to further boost their argument against the inclusion of the clause. The document is yet to be made public. http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/news301/nc306083.htm

Droits : All rights reserved by the source institution.
http://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00014700/00001

Résumé : Digitized with funding from the Digital Library of the Caribbean grant awarded by TICFIA.
South America -- Aruba -- Fundacion Salba Nos Burico
Caribbean

Droits : Copyright, Erich Kesse, 2008. May be used in accord with Creative Commons license allowing Attribution + Noncommercial + ShareAlike (by-nc-sa).

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : Publication Inra prise en compte dans l'analyse bibliométrique des publications scientifiques mondiales sur les Fruits, les Légumes et la Pomme de terre. Période 2000-2012. http://prodinra.inra.fr/record/256699
Background and Aims Plastic tree-shelters are increasingly used to protect tree seedlings against browsing animals and herbicide drifts. The biomass allocation in young seedlings of deciduous trees is highly disturbed by common plastic tree-shelters, resulting in poor root systems and reduced diameter growth of the trunk. The shelters have been improved by creating chimney-effect ventilation with holes drilled at the bottom, resulting in stimulated trunk diameter growth, but the root deficit has remained unchanged. An experiment was set up to elucidate the mechanisms behind the poor root growth of sheltered Prunus avium trees. Methods Tree seedlings were grown either in natural windy conditions or in tree-shelters. Mechanical wind stimuli were suppressed in ten unsheltered trees by staking. Mechanical stimuli (bending) of the stem were applied in ten sheltered trees using an original mechanical device. Key Results Sheltered trees suffered from poor root growth, but sheltered bent trees largely recovered, showing that mechano-sensing is an important mechanism governing C allocation and the shoot-root balance. The use of a few artificial mechanical stimuli increased the biomass allocation towards the roots, as did natural wind sway. It was demonstrated that there was an acclimation of plants to the imposed strain. Conclusions This study suggests that if mechanical stimuli are used to control plant growth, they should be applied at low frequency in order to be most effective. The impact on the functional equilibrium hypothesis that is used in many tree growth models is discussed. The consequence of the lack of mechanical stimuli should be incorporated in tree growth models when applied to environments protected from the wind (e.g. greenhouses, dense forests).
ISSN: 0305-7364

hal-01032056
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032056
DOI : 10.1093/aob/mcn054

Éditeur(s) : s.n. s.n. ( S.l )
Résumé : (Bibliography) Includes bibliographical references (p. 213-239).
(Statement of Responsibility) prepared under the aegis of the Caribbean Conservation Association on behalf of the government of the Commonwealth of Domininca, Forestry and Wildlife Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries, Trade, Industry and Tourism with the technical support of the Island Resources Foundation, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and the Dominica YES Committee (Years of Environment and Shelter, 1989-1990) ; funding provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development, Regional Office/Caribbean.
"Draft prepared 1990."
Dominica
Dominica
Dominica
Dominica

24917598

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
In mutualisms, each interacting species obtains resources from its partner that it would obtain less efficiently if alone, and so derives a net fitness benefit. In exchange for shelter (domatia) and food, mutualistic plant-ants protect their host myrmecophytes from herbivores, encroaching vines and fungal pathogens. Although selective filters enable myrmecophytes to host those ant species most favorable to their fitness, some insects can by-pass these filters, exploiting the rewards supplied whilst providing nothing in return. This is the case in French Guiana for Cecropia obtusa (Cecropiaceae) as Pseudocabima guianalis caterpillars (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) can colonize saplings before the installation of their mutualistic Azteca ants. The caterpillars shelter in the domatia and feed on food bodies (FBs) whose production increases as a result. They delay colonization by ants by weaving a silk shield above the youngest trichilium, where the FBs are produced, blocking access to them. This probable temporal priority effect also allows female moths to lay new eggs on trees that already shelter caterpillars, and so to occupy the niche longer and exploit Cecropia resources before colonization by ants. However, once incipient ant colonies are able to develop, they prevent further colonization by the caterpillars. Although no higher herbivory rates were noted, these caterpillars are ineffective in protecting their host trees from a pathogenic fungus, Fusarium moniliforme (Deuteromycetes), that develops on the trichilium in the absence of mutualistic ants. Therefore, the Cecropia treelets can be parasitized by two often overlooked species: the caterpillars that shelter in the domatia and feed on FBs, delaying colonization by mutualistic ants, and the fungal pathogen that develops on old trichilia. The cost of greater FB production plus the presence of the pathogenic fungus likely affect tree growth.
PLoS ONE

hal-00912399
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00912399
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00912399/document
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0020538
OATAO : 10156

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
Chelonanthus alatus is a bat-pollinated, pioneer Gentianaceae that clusters in patches where still-standing, dried-out stems are interspersed among live individuals. Flowers bear circum-floral nectaries (CFNs) that are attractive to ants, and seed dispersal is both barochorous and anemochorous. Although, in this study, live individuals never sheltered ant colonies, dried-out hollow stems--that can remain standing for 2 years--did. Workers from species nesting in dried-out stems as well as from ground-nesting species exploited the CFNs of live C. alatus individuals in the same patches during the daytime, but were absent at night (when bat pollination occurs) on 60.5% of the plants. By visiting the CFNs, the ants indirectly protect the flowers--but not the plant foliage--from herbivorous insects. We show that this protection is provided mostly by species nesting in dried-out stems, predominantly Pseudomyrmex gracilis. That dried-out stems remain standing for years and are regularly replaced results in an opportunistic, but stable association where colonies are sheltered by one generation of dead C. alatus while the live individuals nearby, belonging to the next generation, provide them with nectar; in turn, the ants protect their flowers from herbivores. We suggest that the investment in wood by C. alatus individuals permitting still-standing, dried-out stems to shelter ant colonies constitutes an extended phenotype because foraging workers protect the flowers of live individuals in the same patch. Also, through this process these dried-out stems indirectly favor the reproduction (and so the fitness) of the next generation including both their own offspring and that of their siblings, all adding up to a potential case of inclusive fitness in plants.
ISSN: 1932-6203

hal-00825845
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00825845
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00825845/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00825845/file/Dejean2011_Inherited.pdf
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0018071

Éditeur(s) : University of Chicago Press
Résumé : In hypoxia, gray mullet surface to ventilate well-oxygenated water in contact with air, an adaptive response known as aquatic surface respiration (ASR). Reflex control of ASR and its behavioral modulation by perceived threat of aerial predation and turbid water were studied on mullet in a partly sheltered aquarium with free surface access. Injections of sodium cyanide (NaCN) into either the bloodstream ( internal) or ventilatory water stream ( external) revealed that ASR, hypoxic bradycardia, and branchial hyperventilation were stimulated by chemoreceptors sensitive to both systemic and water O-2 levels. Sight of a model avian predator elicited bradycardia and hypoventilation, a fear response that inhibited reflex hyperventilation following external NaCN. The time lag to initiation of ASR following NaCN increased, but response intensity ( number of events, time at the surface) was unchanged. Mullet, however, modified their behavior to surface under shelter or near the aquarium edges. Turbid water abolished the fear response and effects of the predator on gill ventilation and timing of ASR following external NaCN, presumably because of reduced visibility. However, in turbidity, mullet consistently performed ASR under shelter or near the aquarium edges. These adaptive modulations of ASR behavior would allow mullet to retain advantages of the chemoreflex when threatened by avian predators or when unable to perceive potential threats in turbidity.
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology (1522-2152) (University of Chicago Press), 2005-09 , Vol. 78 , N. 5 , P. 744-755

Droits : 2005, The University of Chicago
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2005/publication-637.pdf
DOI:10.1086/432143
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/637/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
Tropical plants frequently live in association with ants that protect their foliage from defoliators. Among them, myrmecophytes have evolved mutualisms with a limited number of plant-ants that they shelter and feed, and, in return, benefit from some protection. Hirtella physophora (Chrysobalanaceae), for example, houses Allomerus decemarticulatus (Myrmicinae) that build gallery-shaped traps to catch large prey. In French Guiana, we frequently observed the assassin bug Zelus annulosus (Reduviidae, Harpactorinae) on the leaves of H. physophora. Here, we studied the distribution of Zelus annulosus among understory plants in the Guianese rainforest and found it only on pubescent plants, including H. Physophora, whether or not it was sheltering an A. decemarticulatus colony, but only rarely on other myrmecophytes. The relationship between Z. annulosus and its host plants is, then, also mutualistic, as the plant trichomes act as an enemy-free space protecting the nymphs from large predatory ants, while the nymphs protect their host-plants from herbivorous insects. Through their relationship with A. decemarticulatus colonies, Z. annulosus individuals are protected from army ants, while furnishing nothing in return. In those cases where H. physophora sheltered both an A. decemarticulatus colony and Z. annulosus nymphs, certain plant individuals repeatedly sheltered nymphs, indicating that female bugs may select not only pubescent plants but also particular H. physophora treelets having characteristics more favourable to the development of their progeny.
PLoS ONE

hal-00911249
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00911249
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00911249/document
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0013110
OATAO : 10144

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
Regeneration of artificially induced lesions was monitored in nubbins of the branching coral Acropora muricata at two reef-flat sites representing contrasting environments at Réunion Island (21u079S, 55u329E). Growth of these injured nubbins was examined in parallel, and compared to controls. Biochemical compositions of the holobiont and the zooxanthellae density were determined at the onset of the experiment, and the photosynthetic efficiency (F v /F m) of zooxanthellae was monitored during the experiment. Acropora muricata rapidly regenerated small lesions, but regeneration rates significantly differed between sites. At the sheltered site characterized by high temperatures, temperature variations, and irradiance levels, regeneration took 192 days on average. At the exposed site, characterized by steadier temperatures and lower irradiation, nubbins demonstrated fast lesion repair (81 days), slower growth, lower zooxanthellae density, chlorophyll a concentration and lipid content than at the former site. A trade-off between growth and regeneration rates was evident here. High growth rates seem to impair regeneration capacity. We show that environmental conditions conducive to high zooxanthellae densities in corals are related to fast skeletal growth but also to reduced lesion regeneration rates. We hypothesize that a lowered regenerative capacity may be related to limited availability of energetic and cellular resources, consequences of coral holobionts operating at high levels of photosynthesis and associated growth.
ISSN: 1932-6203

hal-01369712
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01369712
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01369712/document
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01369712/file/journal.pone.0072618.PDF
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0072618

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD MDPI
Résumé : International audience
Marine ecosystems cover about 70% of the planet surface and are still an underexploited source of useful metabolites. Among microbes, filamentous fungi are captivating organisms used for the production of many chemical classes of secondary metabolites bound to be used in various fields of industrial application. The present study was focused on the collection, isolation, screening and genotyping of pigmented filamentous fungi isolated from tropical marine environments around La Réunion Island, Indian Ocean. About 150 micromycetes were revived and isolated from 14 marine samples (sediments, living corals, coral rubble, sea water and hard substrates) collected in four different locations. Forty-two colored fungal isolates belonging to 16 families, 25 genera and 31 species were further studied depending on their ability to produce pigments and thus subjected to molecular identification. From gene sequence analysis, the most frequently identified colored fungi belong to the widespread Penicillium, Talaromyces and Aspergillus genera in the family Trichocomaceae (11 species), then followed by the family Hypocreaceae (three species). This study demonstrates that marine biotopes in La Réunion Island, Indian Ocean, from coral reefs to underwater slopes of this volcanic island, shelter numerous species of micromycetes, from common or uncommon genera. This unstudied biodiversity comes along with the ability for some fungal marine inhabitants, to produce a range of pigments and hues.
ISSN: 2309-608X

hal-01657071
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01657071
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01657071/document
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01657071/file/14-%20Fouillaud%20et%20al.%2C%20J.%20of%20Fungi%202017.pdf
DOI : 10.3390/jof3030036

Éditeur(s) : Communication, ICES Conference and Meeting (CM), 2010, Nantes
Résumé : Chlordecone is a very persistent insecticide used in banana plantations of the French West Indies between 1972 and 1993. Chlordecone residues were found in inland water, in agricultural and freshwater products, and in marine organisms. This pollution has become of great concern in 2007. Therefore, a governmental action Plan was launched to better assess the pollution and to improve the consumer’s protection. Within this plan, 1048 samples from 69 different species of marine fishes and crustaceans were collected all around both the Guadeloupe and the Martinique Islands and analyzed. The results confirm the presence of chlordecone in marine organisms, with highly variable concentrations (from the detection limit to 1000 μg.kg-1). In 17.9 % of the samples, concentrations exceeded 20 μg.kg-1, the maximum acceptable level in fish according to the French regulation (Anon, 2008). Two main features of this contamination were characterized. 1) Because of the sedimentation of contaminated suspended soil particles, the sheltered bays are more exposed to chlordecone than the open coast where terrigenous flux are dispersed. 2) Species biology, particularly their lifestyle and diet, appear to influence contamination levels. Thus, the more contaminated species live in relation with sediment or are at high trophic level. These results have directly supported political decisions in order to prevent too high exposure of consumers to chlordecone. Fishing activities in sheltered bays have been forbidden for potentially highly contaminated species like benthic crustaceans and top predators. Further studies are under way to assess the importance of the trophic transport of chlordecone within the foodweb, and to evaluate the historical deposition of this insecticide in sediment and its further bioavailability.

Droits : 2010 ICES/CIEM ; Ifremer
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00014/12511/9361.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00014/12511/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : International audience
Zelus annulosus is an assassin bug species mostly noted on Hirtella physophora, a myrmecophyte specifically associated with the ant Allomerus decemarticulatus known to build traps on host tree twigs to ambush insect preys. The Z. annulosus females lay egg clutches protected by a sticky substance. To avoid being trapped, the first three instars of nymphs remain grouped in a clutch beneath the leaves on which they hatched, yet from time to time, they climb onto the upper side to group ambush preys. Long-distance prey detection permits these bugs to capture flying or jumping insects that alight on their leaves. Like some other Zelus species, the sticky substance of the sundew setae on their forelegs aids in prey capture. Group ambushing permits early instars to capture insects that they then share or not depending on prey size and the hunger of the successful nymphs. Fourth and fifth instars, with greater needs, rather ambush solitarily on different host tree leaves, but attract siblings to share large preys. Communal feeding permits faster prey consumption, enabling small nymphs to return sooner to the shelter of their leaves. By improving the regularity of feeding for each nymph, it likely regulates nymphal development, synchronizing molting and subsequently limiting cannibalism.
ISSN: 0028-1042

hal-01091981
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01091981
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01091981/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01091981/file/Dejean_11543.pdf
DOI : 10.1007/s00114-013-1091-9

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé :  
In studying the ant genus Azteca, a Neotropical group of arboreal species, we aimed to determine the extent to which the ants use predation and/or aggressiveness to protect their host plants from defoliating insects. We compared a territorially dominant, carton-nester, Azteca chartifex, and three plant-ant species. Azteca alfari and Azteca ovaticeps are associated with the myrmecophyte Cecropia (Cecropiaceae) and their colonies shelter in its hollow branches; whereas Azteca bequaerti is associated with Tococa guianensis (Melastomataceae) and its colonies shelter in leaf pouches situated at the base of the laminas. Whereas A. bequaerti workers react to the vibrations transmitted by the lamina when an alien insect lands on a leaf making it unnecessary for them to patrol their plant, the workers of the three other species rather discover prey by contact. The workers of all four species use a predatory behaviour involving spread-eagling alien insects after recruiting nestmates at short range, and, in some cases, at long range. Because A. alfari and A. ovaticeps discard part of the insects they kill, we deduced that the workers' predatory behaviour and territorial aggressiveness combine in the biotic defence of their host tree.
ISSN: 0028-1042

hal-01032079
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032079
DOI : 10.1007/s00114-008-0448-y

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Lead in homes is a well-known source of childhood lead exposure,which is still of concern due to the health effects of low lead doses. This study aims to describe lead contamination in the homes of children aged 6 months to 6 years in France (without overseas). Between October 2008 and August 2009 ,484 housing units were investigated. Lead in tap water and total and leachable lead levels from floor dust, outdoor soils and paint chips were measured. X-ray fluorescence measurements were carried out on non-metallic and metallic substrates. Nationwide results are provided. The indoor floor dust lead (PbD) geometric mean (GM) was 8.8 microg/m2 (0.8 microg/ft2) and 6.8 mmicrog/m2 (0.6 mg/ft2) for total and leachable lead respectively; 0.21% of homes had an indoor PbD loading above 430.5 microg/m2 (40 microg/ft2). The outdoor play area concentration GM was 33.5microg/kg and 21.7microgkg in total and leachable lead respectively; 1.4% of concentrations were higher than or equal to 400microg/kg. Outdoor floor PbD GM was 44.4 mg/m2 (4.1 mg/ft2) that was approximately 3.2 times higher than the GM of indoor PbD. Lead-based paint (LBP) was present in 25% of dwellings, LBP on only non-metallic substrates was present in 19% of homes and on metallic substrates in 10% of dwellings. The GM of lead concentrations in tap water was below 1 microg/L; 58% of concentrations were lower than 1 microg/L and 2.9% were higher than or equal to 10 mg/L. The age cut-off for homes with lead would be 1974 for paint and 1993 for indoor floor dust. This study provides, for the first time, a look at the state of lead contamination to which children are exposed in French housing. Moreover, it provides policy makers an estimate of the number of French dwellings sheltering children where abatement should be conducted.
Environmental Research

hal-00714516
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00714516

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : The ecological quality status (EcoQ) of intertidal mudflats constrained by Pacific oyster farming was assessed by single (H', AMBI, BENTIX and BOPA) and multimetric (M-AMBI and average score) index approaches in the Pertuis Charentais (SW France). Fifteen sampling stations were monitored seasonally for sedimentological features and macrozoobenthos in 2004. Sediments affected by oyster biodeposits showed organic matter enrichment, and sediments from off-bottom culture sites had higher organic matter contents and lower redox potentials than sediments from on-bottom culture sites. Biotic indices consistently registered responses of macrozoobenthos to organic enrichment but there was only partial agreement between single index-derived EcoQs. The average score was better than M-AMBI and single indices for determining EcoQs. Accordingly, oyster farming alters intertidal macrozoobenthic assemblages moderately, and off-bottom cultures cause more disturbance than on-bottom cultures. Hydrodynamics and seasons may interact with culture practices in smothering/strengthening biodeposition-mediated effects through dispersal/accumulation of biodeposits.
Marine Pollution Bulletin (0025-326X) (Elsevier), 2008-11 , Vol. 56 , N. 11 , P. 1898-1912

Droits : 2008 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2008/publication-4650.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2008.07.010
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/4650/

Éditeur(s) : ISTPM
Résumé : The Atlantic coast of Martinique shows the typical characteristics of the tropical regions with a coral facies, and especially: a) a wide variety of sedentary animal species, especially coral fishes, of smaller sizes and numbers, thus forming smaller populations than those living under other latitudes ; b) the presence, between the shore and the reef barrier, of a shallow strip of soft bottoms, without any natural shelter, well protected, but with difficult access for off-shore species, and with a poor fauna. It is the major explanation for the weakness of the performances on this restricted continental shelf where, in addition, the fishing effort keeps growing. The complex relief of the reef makes the use of the trawl nets impossible and very difficult that of filtering nets, like bottom gillnets, which proved difficult to handle on the reef areas, as observed through this campaign. For these reasons, the Atlantic coast of Martinique is bound to an artisanal exploitation, whose expansion is very limited by the natural ecologic conditions. [...]
La côte atlantique martiniquaise présente les caractéristiques typiques des régions tropicales à faciès corallien et essentiellement: a) une grande variété d'espèces animales sédentaires, et en particulier de poissons récifaux, de tailles généralement réduites et de faible abondance numérique, constituant des populations bien moins denses que celles qui existent sous d'autres latitudes; b) la présence, entre le rivage et la barrière corallienne, d'une bande peu profonde de fonds doux, dépourvue d'abris naturels, bien protégée, mais peu accessible aux espèces du large et où le règne animal est pauvre. C'est là l'explication majeure de la faiblesse des rendements obtenus sur ce plateau continental restreint sur lequel, en outre, l'effort de pêche ne cesse d'augmenter. Le relief complexe du récif y rend impossible l'utilisation des arts traînants et très difficile celle des engins filtrants comme les filets calés, dont cette campagne nous a montré le peu de maniabilité sur les secteurs coralliens. Pour ces raisons, la zone littorale atlantique martiniquaise est vouée exclusivement à une exploitation de type artisanal, dont les possibilités d'expansion sont très limitées par les conditions écologiques naturelles. D'après l'examen des données recueillies, l'état des stocks halieutiques littoraux, tant en poissons qu'en crustacés semble encore assez satisfaisant dans l'ensemble. Cependant, il faut souligner le fait que l'accroissement de l'effort et du nombre des pêcheurs « occasionnels », et l'exploitation en général encore très anarchique des ressources, auxquels on assiste à l'heure actuelle en dépit de la législation existante, risquent, si l'on n'y prend garde, de conduire à brève échéance à une surexploitation des fonds côtiers. Il est facile, pour les professionnels, d'éviter l'appauvrissement qui menace ces lieux de pêche, s'ils prennent conscience, dès à présent, de la nécessité d'appliquer spontanément et sans contraintes un certain nombre de mesures de protection indispensables. Enfin, de premières observations nous laissent supposer que les conditions de milieu, existant au-delà de la barrière corallienne, sont favorables à la prolifération d'une faune benthique, mais surtout pélagique, abondante et de bonne qualité. C'est donc vers le large, ou, dans un premier temps, le semi-large qu'il convient d'orienter les actions en vue d'assurer l'essor de la pêche atlantique martiniquaise.
Science et Pêche (0036-8350) (ISTPM), 1975-10 , Vol. 251 , P. 1-17

Droits : Ifremer
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/1975/publication-6668.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/6668/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : International audience
Here we show that trying to rob prey (cleptobiosis) from a highly specialized predatory ant species is risky. To capture prey, Allomerus decemarticulatus workers build gallery-shaped traps on the stems of their associated myrmecophyte, Hirtella physophora. We wondered whether the frequent presence of immobilized prey on the trap attracted flying cleptoparasites. Nine social wasp species nest in the H. physophora foliage; of the six species studied, only Angiopolybia pallens rob prey from Allomerus colonies. For those H. physophora not sheltering wasps, we noted cleptobiosis by stingless bees (Trigona), social wasps (A. pallens and five Agelaia species), assassin bugs (Reduviidae), and flies. A relationship between the size of the robbers and their rate of capture by ambushing Allomerus workers was established for social wasps; small wasps were easily captured, while the largest never were. Reduviids, which are slow to extract their rostrum from prey, were always captured, while Trigona and flies often escaped. The balance sheet for the ants was positive vis-à-vis the reduviids and four out of the six social wasp species. For the latter, wasps began by cutting up parts of the prey's abdomen and were captured (or abandoned the prey) before the entire abdomen was retrieved so that the total weight of the captured wasps exceeded that of the prey abdomens. For A. pallens, we show that the number of individuals captured during attempts at cleptobiosis increases with the size of the Allomerus' prey.
ISSN: 0028-1042

hal-00825725
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00825725
DOI : 10.1007/s00114-012-0895-3
PUBMED : 22361902

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
We have discovered in a marine core, located 20 km east of the Coastal Range of Taiwan at the top of a 1200 m deep submarine high, sheltered from rivers discharges and gravitational flows, a 23 cm-thick anomalous sequence topped with broken bivalves and wood fragments. Based on radiocarbon dating, we distinguish five sub-events within ∼ 100 yrs, about 3000 years ago. The oldest four sub-events are interpreted as the record of local submarine landslides, likely triggered by clustered earthquakes that are common in this tectonically active area. The last event including shells and wood has a different origin. Despite the high level of climatic and tectonic recent activity, no comparable event has been observed at the same site since that time, making it unique during the last 3.75 ka. Hydrodynamical modeling stimulated with a set of submarine landslide-triggered tsunami sources and combined with the regional oceanic circulation dominated by the Kuroshio Current, allow us to better constrain the transport paths of the suspended material, the expected run-up at the coast, and ultimately the trigger and source that best fit our observations. The Kuroshio Current appears as a strong constraint that generally prevents cross-shore transport of suspended material even during a major tsunami. Since the largest aerial debris flow observed along the east coast of Taiwan during the last 4 ka was synchronous with the marine deposit, our preferred scenario starts with the occurrence of four distinct large earthquakes within less than a century, triggering both submarine and aerial landslides in the study area. Then, a giant typhoon reworked the nearshore material as well as the slided material stored upstream resulting in a debris flow. It deeply modified the surface current, allowing the wood debris and shells to fastly reach the core site.
ISSN: 0040-1951

hal-01467640
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01467640
DOI : 10.1016/j.tecto.2015.11.001

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : Neotropical forests shelter an astonishing and underrated biodiversity. The integrity and stability of these natural ecosystems are threatened by human-induced environmental changes. Therefore, highlighting the determinants of ecosystem functioning, be they natural or anthropogenic, is a daunting but paramount scientific challenge. The intrinsic complexity of highly diversified ecosystems arouses both conceptual and logistical difficulties, which we handle, by manipulating tiny ecosystems, the tank bromeliads. The leaves of tank bromeliads form wells that hold rainwater and intercept leaf litter, allowing for a simple invertebrate aquatic community to thrive. These plants can be exhaustively sampled, are naturally replicated, and widely distributed.From local to biogeographic scales, this thesis aims at understanding how these communities respond to the natural heterogeneity of Amazonian forests, and at predicting the impacts of human-induced disturbances on the structure and functioning of these communities, using in situ and lab experiments. Particular focus is attributed to the influence of some aspects of climate changes (e.g., warming, and various precipitations scenarios) on individual physiology, behavior, and trophic interactions.
Les forêts néotropicales accueillent une importante biodiversité encore méconnue. L’intégrité des écosystèmes naturels est menacée par les changements environnementaux (e.g., réchauffement climatique, destruction des habitats), par conséquent, identifier les facteurs structurants, naturels et anthropiques, du fonctionnement des écosystèmes, représente un défi scientifique crucial. L’inhérente complexité de ces milieux diversifiés pose de nombreux problèmes conceptuels et logistiques comme un échantillonnage exhaustif et/ou l’identification des espèces. Les broméliacées à réservoirs sont des écosystèmes miniatures adéquats pour pallier ces difficultés, car elles retiennent de l’eau de pluie et accumulent de la matière organique au creux de leurs feuilles, permettant ainsi de supporter des réseaux trophiques simples d’invertébrés aquatiques. Elles peuvent être échantillonnées exhaustivement, ont une forte abondance locale, et une large aire de répartition. De l’échelle locale à biogéographique, les travaux de cette thèse visent d’abord à comprendre comment ces communautés se structurent en réponse à l’hétérogénéité naturelle des forêts amazoniennes (e.g., ouverture de la canopée, fluctuations climatiques saisonnières), puis tente de prédire, par le biais d’expérimentations in situ et au laboratoire les réponses structurelles et fonctionnelles de ces communautés à divers scénarios de changement climatique. Une attention particulière a été portée sur l’impact de la température et des précipitations sur la physiologie et le comportement d’espèces clefs, et sur les interactions trophiques au sein des communautés.
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01405025

NNT : 2015YANE0003
tel-01405025
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01405025
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01405025/document
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01405025/file/These-DEZERALD-Diffusion.pdf

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Royal Society of Chemistry
Résumé : International audience
Chemical mediation regulates behavioral interactions between species and thus affects population structure,community organization and ecosystem function. Among marine taxa that have developed chemicalmediation strategies, gastropods belong to a diverse group of molluscs found worldwide, including specieswith a coiled, reduced or absent shell. Most gastropods use natural products to mediate a wide range ofbehaviors such as defense, prey location or interactions with con- and hetero-geners. Their chemicallydefended diet, such as cyanobacteria, algae, sponges, bryozoans and tunicates, provides them witha considerable opportunity either as shelter from predators, or as a means to enhance their own chemicaldefense. In addition to improving their defenses, molluscs also use prey secondary metabolites in complexchemical communication including settlement induction, prey detection and feeding preferences. Theassimilation of prey secondary metabolites further provides the opportunity for interactions withconspecifics via diet-derived chemical cues or signals. This review intends to provide an overview on thesequestration, detoxification, and biotransformation of diet-derived natural products, as well as the role ofthese compounds as chemical mediators in gastropod-prey interactions.
ISSN: 0265-0568

hal-01563402
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01563402
DOI : 10.1039/c6np00097e