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Highlights: [•] Offsetting development impacts could help achieve no net loss of biodiversity. [•] France recently geared its legislation on offsetting towards no net loss. [•] New guidance promises improved offset design and implementation. [•] Institutional arrangements for delivering offsets are either poor or lacking. [•] Appropriate institutional arrangements are necessary to avoid paper offsets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Passeriformes is the most diverse bird order. Nevertheless, passerines have a remarkably poor early fossil record. In addition, high osteological homoplasy across passerines makes partial specimens difficult to systematically assign precisely. Here we describe one of the few earliest fossil passerines, from the early Oligocene (ca 30 Ma) of southern France, and one of the best preserved and most complete. This fossil can be conservatively assigned to Tyrannida, a subclade of the New World Tyranni (Suboscines), i.e. of the Tyrannides. A most probably stem-representative of Tyrannida, the new fossil bears strong resemblance with some manakins (Pipridae), possibly due to plesiomorphy. Furthermore, it yields a new point of calibration for molecular phylogenies, already consistent with the age of the fossil. Tyrannida, and the more inclusive Tyrannides, are today confined to the New World. Therefore, the new fossil calls for scenarios of transatlantic crossing during or near the Oligocene. Later, the European part of the distribution of the Tyrannida disappeared, leading to a relictual modern New World distribution of this clade, a pattern known in other avian clades. The history of Tyrannida somehow mirrors that of the enigmatic Sapayoa aenigma, sole New World representative of the Eurylaimides (Old World Tyranni), with transatlantic crossing probably caused by similar events.

Extending the network of strict forest reserves is one of the conservation measures promoted by the French National Strategy for Biodiversity. However, there is a lack of evidence concerning the efficiency of setting aside strict forest reserves to preserve biodiversity in the case of temperate forests. Moreover, there are potentially unexplored underlying ecological mechanisms that forest management could usefully mimic. In order to disentangle the respective roles of management abandonment, stand structural attributes and climatic and topographic variables in determining forest biodiversity, we conducted the first national-scale study in France comparing biodiversity in managed and in unmanaged forests. Here we focus on bryophytes (all species combined and forest specialists separately). We analyzed data from 127 plots in ten lowland forests in France. Our aim was to disentangle the relationships between bryophyte richness and (i) management abandonment per se, (ii) associated forest-structure variables like deadwood volume, and (iii) macroclimatic variables important for bryophytes (temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, solar radiation and vapor pressure deficit). For each studied combination of variables (univariate, additive or interactive models), we compared hierarchical models of several types: linear with a fixed slope, linear with a random slope, quadratic, sigmoid or threshold models. We found that deadwood variables were the main drivers of bryophyte richness in managed as well as in unmanaged stands. We observed a sigmoid relationship of total deadwood volume to overall richness, and a threshold effect of large and very large deadwood volume on forest specialist richness. The effect of management abandonment was globally non-significant, though impact varied strongly among the different forest sites. A combination of deadwood and macroclimatic variables best predicted bryophyte richness, through non-linear relationships: 1) higher solar radiation reinforced the positive effects of large deadwood on forest-specialist bryophyte richness; and 2) higher mean annual temperatures counteracted the positive effects of total deadwood amount on total bryophyte species richness. Maintaining high amounts of deadwood in both managed and unmanaged forests is likely to improve bryophyte richness and will be particularly important under ongoing climate change., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

In a period of agricultural decline in the uplands of Europe, agriculture is ceasing to provide the primary rationale for the organisation, utilisation and functioning of rural space. Policy reform, market trends and changes to the way citizens and consumers think about the countryside all suggest a need for thinking strategically about the future development of these areas. However, without a broad involvement of stakeholders, land use conflicts, and social and cultural conflicts in general, may increase. Involving stakeholders in upland areas can be facilitated by using scenario technique and by discussing alternative futures in local stakeholder panels. In this paper we present four scenarios of land-use change for the year 2030, and their assessments by stakeholder panels in Scotland, France, Norway, Switzerland, Slovakia and Greece. The aim of the paper is to explore the ways in which stakeholders in these locations advocate and assess these scenarios. We also explore how stakeholders in different countries weight the visual landscape impacts, the livelihood and biodiversity aspects of the scenarios in their assessment, and the reasons for their prioritising. The cross-country analysis shows that stakeholders across the study areas are united in their overall rejection of agricultural liberalisation, advocating a production-oriented, but multifunctional and environmentally-friendly agriculture that maintains landscapes and biodiversity.

Background This data paper describes the results of a 10-year scientific investigation of a biodiversity- rich private golf estate in south-eastern France in partnership with PatriNat (Office français de la biodiversité/Centre national de la recherche scientifique/Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement). In total, 3,160 species and subspecies, including 1,796 arthropods and 1,049 flora, were inventoried and 65 habitat types were surveyed and mapped. This project is the first All taxa biodiversity inventory (ATBI) in a private property in France with all information available in open data. New information The 20 datasets of fauna, flora, lichens and habitat types from the Bois de Bouis estate are now publicly available. Between 2012 and 2022, more than 22,000 occurrences were recorded, checked and published in the INPN information system. All this information is available in open access in the French portal OpenObs, operated by PatriNat and in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). This data paper provides an overview of the project, its main results and its contribution to the French National Inventory of Natural Heritage (INPN). This data paper presents a list eight species never previously recorded to France; three Hymenoptera: Charitopes leucobasis Townes, 1983 (Ichneumonidae), Dryinus tussaci Olmi, 1989 (Dryinidae) and Sparasion munitus Kozlov & Kononova, 1990 (Sparasionidae) and five Diptera: Clusiodes apicalis (Zetterstedt, 1848) (Clusiidae), Dicraeus vagans (Meigen, 1838) (Chloropidae), Stilpon intermedius Raffone, 1994, Stilpon subnubilus Chvala, 1988 and Tachydromia undulata (Strobl, 1906) (Hybotidae). It also includes a table comparing the project to 18 All-taxa biodiversity inventories in France and Belgium and published for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a data set resulting from the first round of a national monitoring program of forest reserves. It contains 9538 permanent plots, distributed across 111 study sites in mainland France (including Corsica). Notably focusing on dead wood measurement, this protocol has primarily been applied in strict forest reserves and special nature reserves (sensu Bollmann & Braunisch 2013), with 68% (6494) of the plots being currently located in strict forest reserves (unmanaged) and 24.7% (2363 plots) in forests unmanaged for at least 50 years. Sites cover a large variety of ecological conditions, from lowland to subalpine forests, but with an underrepresentation of Mediterranean forests (Table 1). The protocol assesses all the stages of a tree's life cycle, from seedling to decomposed lying dead wood. On each plot, a combination of three sampling techniques was used: (1) fixed‐area inventory for regeneration, standing dead trees, living trees, and coarse woody debris (CWD) with diameter over 30 cm; (2) transect lines for CWD with diameter <30 cm; and (3) fixed‐angle plot method for living trees with diameter at breast height (DBH) >30 cm (using a relascopic angle of 3%). Measurements include exact tree location (azimuth, distance), species, diameter(s), tree‐related microhabitats, decay stage and bark cover, and seedling cover. With ongoing climate change, the program network can also provide important information to monitor changes in forest ecosystems. It can also be used as forest management monitoring or conservation status assessment. These data are freely available for noncommercial scientific use (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 CC BY SA 4.0) with attribution, and this paper must be cited if this material is reused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species of the family Phytoseiidae are predators of pest mites and small insects. Their biodiversity is not equally known according to regions and supporting plants. This paper focuses on Phytoseiidae species on plants of the family Solanaceae. The Solanaceae contain many cultivated plants, for example tomato on which leaf characteristics hinder Phytoseiidae settlement and dispersal. This study presents (i) results of surveys carried out on Solanaceae in the south of France, and (ii) Phytoseiidae biodiversity on Solanaceae worldwide. Eleven species were retrieved on 20 solanaceous plants in the south of France with four main species: Euseius gallicus, Euseius stipulatus, Phytoseiulus persimilis and Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) recki. The global analysis suggests that much more species might be found enhancing sampling efforts, whatever the biogeographic region considered. Five Phytoseiidae genera concentrate the highest number of reports and species [Amblyseius, Neoseiulus, Euseius, Phytoseius and Typhlodromus (Anthoseius)]. These genera are not evolutionarily related; adaptation on Solanaceae seems to be recent, except in the Neotropical region. The latter region represents the highest number of reports, species and Solanaceae plants sampled, probably as the centre of origin of this plant family. Occurrence probabilities in biogeographic regions and plant genera are provided as a baseline for searching for new predators adapted to Solanaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a first step to assess the financial risks associated with biodiversity loss, this paper develops a method to evaluate the exposure of the financial system to biodiversity-related - physical or transition - shocks. We apply it to the security portfolio held by French financial institutions at the end of 2019. Employing the ENCORE database, we assess physical risks by examining how the firms that issued the securities in the portfolio depend on ecosystem services to produce. Our results indicate that they significantly depend on water-related ecosystem services and that 42% of the value of securities held by French financial institutions were issued by firms highly or very highly dependent on at least one ecosystem service. Using the Global Biodiversity Score tool, we assess transition risks by quantifying the biodiversity footprint of the security portfolio and of the firms that issued the securities. We find that the portfolio footprint is equivalent to the loss of 130,000km2 of pristine nature and that 38.5% of the portfolio value comes from firms belonging to sectors in the top 10% of biodiversity footprints. This offers new methodological tools to address the relationship between finance and biodiversity from a financial stability perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was carried out in a waste sorting plant (WSP) located in France, treating dry recyclable household waste (DRHW) as well as dry recyclable commercial and industrial waste (DRCIW). Stationary and personal inhalable samples were collected in the WSP in order to investigate bioaerosols (sampling on a filter; 2 L/min and 10 L/min) and airborne dust (CIP; 10 L/min). The aim of the study was to assess the extent to which the measurement of concentration, species composition, and particle size distribution contributes to a better assessment of the biological risks associated with exposure. The results confirmed that waste and waste sorting activities are sources of airborne fungi. Indeed, ambient concentrations ranged from 7.3 × 103 to 8.5 × 105 colony-forming units (CFU)/m3 for culturable fungi and up to 4 mg/m3 for dust. Personal exposure to inhalable dust was found up to 3 mg/m3 for dust and ranged from 8.6 × 103 to 1.5 × 106 CFU/m3 for fungi. Airborne fungal communities were found to be dominated by the Penicillium genera in both bioaerosols and settled dust samples, followed by the Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Wallemia, Mucor, and Rhizopus genera. Fungi were carried by particles of aerodynamic diameters, mainly between around 2.0 and 10.0 µm. The findings dealing with size distribution and biodiversity of bioaerosols suggest that employees are exposed to complex bioaerosols during their work and help to make a finer diagnosis of the risks involved, which is often difficult in the absence of any occupational exposure limit (OEL) value for bioaerosols in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is already having impacts on biodiversity within Europe, with habitats and species needing to change and adapt to rising global temperatures and shifts in bio-climatic zones. Spatial planning represents an important intervention to further European, national and local biodiversity objectives for climate change adaptation. Drawing on case-studies of plans for inland and coastal areas, and involving stakeholder workshops, this paper reports on a trans-national study examining the scope of spatial plans in the Netherlands, England and France in addressing the impact of climate change. It concludes that spatial planning is making provision for biodiversity and dynamic natural processes. However, while good practice in planning for biodiversity under conditions of climate change is developing, systematic use is not being made of available procedures. The paper examines some of the barriers to implementation of this new policy commitment to climate change adaptation. Recommendations are made covering policy development to include climate change impacts upon biodiversity, modified procedures for plan-making and the appraisal of plans and projects. Amongst the specific measures recommended are the climate-proofing of projects and plans through the use of EIA and SEA; the integration of plans through adoption of common objectives and review of time horizons and boundaries; and an ecosystem-based planning approach. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South of France is a biodiversity hotspot within Europe. Here, we present a comprehensive review of surveys conducted in the Cent Fonts aquifer, an overlooked subterranean biodiversity hotspot embedded in a region rich in stygobiotic species and threatened by climate change and water abstraction projects. Key studies, spanning from 1950 to 2006, show a progression in survey methods and results, although troglobiotic species remain poorly documented. With 43 stygobiotic species recorded, the Cent Fonts is the richest stygobiont hotspot in France. Most species are regional endemics, a quarter of which are considered vulnerable by the IUCN. The Cent Fonts also hosts several relict species and is the type locality of four species. Such a high biological value clearly deserves to be preserved. Our analysis warns of a possible decline in biodiversity, as eight of the species recorded in the 20th century were absent from the 2006 survey, suggesting potential threats of unknown origin. The capture of the Cent Font springs for water abstraction is discussed as a potential threat to this ecosystem and its unique biodiversity. Three new species of stygobiotic molluscs are described, one of which was collected in the Cent Fonts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the effects of policy scale for land conservation schemes based on global objectives but implemented at local levels. They are explored in the classical reserve site selection framework for policy efficiency, to which we add the common social objective of equity between spatial units. We first analyze the role of the biophysical attributes of land available for conservation. These natural endowments are then combined with different implementation scales to improve a particular land-based social function: natural habitats for biodiversity. An empirical illustration, based on data from the Provence region of France, is used to explore what we identify as a policy scale trade-off between administrative units. This shows the importance of land availability in predicting the distribution of the costs and benefits of conservation schemes. In terms of equity, we find an interior solution that minimizes an inequality metric (the Gini coefficient) along policy scales. Our approach should lead to more socially acceptable conservation objectives, between the usual two extreme cases of autarky and specialization., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

• Many operators and academics in the field of environmental science stress the key role played by indicators at the interface between science and policy. • We put a priority focus on the perspective and action situations of the operators who design and use the indicators to promote better biodiversity outcomes. We replace those tools in the context of the wider strategy of these operators in favour of biodiversity. • Through the exemple of red lists of threatened species, we show that indicators with the potential to connect and disconnect science and policy are the most useful ones, strategically. • The double-edge purpose of indicators, at the same time informative and evaluative, enables operators to lean towards the informative, or towards the evaluative, following strategic intent. Although thousands of biodiversity indicators have already been designed, scientists and decision-makers are still asking for new versions. Why are we still not satisfied? Our argument is that, if biodiversity indicators aim to improve the effectiveness of science-policy interfaces, it is essential to assess their actual contribution to biodiversity conservation. How? Through an analysis of current uses of indicators in the strategic interactions among a set of actors placed in a given field of biodiversity organized actions This paper presents our investigations into the use of French national and regional red lists of threatened species as a strategic resource for scientists and policy-makers. The manner the red lists are designed, discussed and used is essential so that they can be adapted to suit the way biodiversity is managed in France. The lists systematise information on threatened species in ways that allow users to strategically connect or disconnect knowledge and action, according to the needs of environmental operators in different situations. Their contribution to effective biodiversity actions lies in what we call their potential to act as 'circuit breakers' between science and policy. This research suggests new perspectives both for analysing environmental management situations including indicator design and for operators who want to design new indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agri-environment schemes (AES) have been implemented to cope with the loss of farmland biodiversity due to agricultural intensification over the last decades. In France, grassland measures (more closely linked to extensive grazing) are the most widely implemented within the French AES, and are presumably those whose effectiveness can be better assessed. In this paper, we have evaluated the effectiveness of French grassland agri-environmental measures (gAES) to enhance farmland bird diversity on a national scale, using local abundances of 19 farmland breeding birds within 463 Small Agricultural Regions (SAR) covering France during 2001-2008. We modeled responses of species abundances and estimated species richness to five categories of grassland AES, accounting for the characteristics of local production systems. Extensive management of grasslands had a positive effect on species richness. Despite mixed results on the effectiveness of the different grassland AES categories, our results are optimistic in terms of the ability of some French AES to provide benefits to birds. It seems that some grassland AES have achieved their objectives while meeting species ecological requirements. Moreover, this study highlights the fact that some of these grassland AES have the potential to enhance the population dynamics of declining species. Finally, although they all aim at benefitting biodiversity, it cannot be assumed that grassland measures lead to uniform conservation benefits., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper presents the results of a 14-year study about the diet of the Sacred ibis in its main introduction area in France and its impact on native bird species, and compares the data to literature from its native area. During an initial period (1993-2004), the diet was essentially composed of invertebrates such as common aquatic insects (correlated with flooding) or Eristalis larvae picked from the mud (a vacant food niche in France), while scraps of meat taken from rubbish dumps were minor. These traditional preys taken from the same ecosystems as in its native area did not result in an exponential increase of the number of breeding Sacred ibises. Invasive Red swamp crayfish recently replaced other foods in its diet with a resulting sharp increase in breeding pair numbers (R(2)=0.48). As in other parts of the world, vertebrates constituted very accidental preys, and no bird species were really threatened by such predation. Conversely, the Sacred ibis can have a positive effect as a predator of invasive crayfish. Adding the species to the DAISIE list of the 100 most invasive alien species in Europe therefore appears debatable., (Copyright © 2013 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.)

Significant decline of biodiversity in farmlands has been reported for several decades. To limit the negative impact of agriculture, many agro-environmental schemes have been implemented, but their effectiveness remains controversial. In this context, the study of economic drivers is helpful to understand the role played by farming on biodiversity. The present paper analyzes the impact of risk aversion on farmland biodiversity. Here "risk aversion" means a cautious behavior of farmers facing uncertainty. We develop a bio-economic model that articulates bird community dynamics and representative farmers selecting land uses within an uncertain macro-economic context. It is specialized and calibrated at a regional scale for France through national databases. The influence of risk aversion is assessed on ecological, agricultural, and economic outputs through projections at the 2050 horizon. A high enough risk aversion appears sufficient to both manage economic risk and promote ecological performance. This occurs through a diversification mechanism on regional land uses. However, economic calibration leads to a weak risk-aversion parameter, which is consistent with the current decline of farmland birds. Spatial disparities however suggest that public incentives could be necessary to reinforce the diversification and bio-economic effectiveness.

Ecological networks (ENs) aim to accommodate production and conservation within landscapes by shaping the spatial scope of conservation policies based on ecological criteria. The environmental effectiveness of these networks has been extensively studied; however, it has rarely been linked to their economic cost. This paper investigates whether EN-based spatial targeting relaxes the production-conservation trade-off and, if so, what the processes underlying its performance may be. We design an EN at the national level (France), with common farmland birds defined as a conservation goal and grassland expansion defined as a conservation lever. A dynamic, mechanistic, ecological-economic model simulates policy scenarios up to 2050 with alternative targeting strategies, including the EN. The results reveal that EN targeting is almost twice as cost-effective as a nationally homogeneous policy and about as cost-effective as focusing on biodiversity reservoirs, but with higher biodiversity gains. These outcomes rely on higher initial bird abundance in targeted regions, as well as positive feedback and spillover supported by bird dispersal. However, the EN's superiority only appears in the medium term because of ecological inertia. These interdisciplinary insights on a tool from ecology and conservation biology echo policy needs for the design and implementation of sustainable landscape management strategies. • Joint economic and ecological impacts of ecological networks (ENs) are poorly known • Ecological-economic modeling to evaluate EN-based conservation policies ex-ante • Spatiotemporally explicit simulations for bird conservation in France • EN doubles cost-effectiveness in the middle term compared to homogeneous policy • Dispersal generates benefits beyond intervention perimeter (biodiversity spillover) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture and forestry cover more than 75% of Europe, and invertebrate pests are a costly challenge for these two economic sectors. Landscape management is increasingly promoted as a solution to enhance biological pest control, but little is known on its effects on adjacent crop fields and woodlands. This study aims to explore the effect of the proportion of woodlands and permanent grasslands as well as crop diversity on biological pest control simultaneously in cereals fields and woodland patches, in south-western France. We used different types of sentinel prey as well as bird and carabid community metrics to assess biological pest control potential in these two ecosystems. We first show that land cover variables influence biological pest control both in cereal fields and woodland patches, but have antagonistic effects in the two ecosystems. Although results vary according to the biological control indicator considered, we show that increasing landscape heterogeneity represents a valuable solution to manage trade-offs and promote higher average predation rates across forests and cereal fields. Our study therefore calls for more integrative studies to identify landscape management strategies that enable nature-based solutions across ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eelgrass supports diverse benthic communities that ensure a variety of ecosystem functions. To better understand the ecological processes that shape community composition in eelgrass at local and regional scales, taxonomic and functional α‐ and β‐diversity were quantified for communities inhabiting five meadows in France. The extent to which environmental factors affected local and regional benthic communities was quantified by considering their direct and indirect effects (through morphological traits of eelgrass) using piecewise structural equation modeling (pSEM). Communities supported by eelgrass had higher species abundances, as well as taxonomic and functional diversity compared to nearby bare sediments. No significant differences were found between communities from the center relative to the edges of meadows, indicating that both habitats provide similar benefits to biodiversity. The presence of a few abundant species and traits suggests moderate levels of habitat filtering and close associations of certain species with eelgrass. Nevertheless, high turnover of a large number of rare species and traits was observed among meadows, resulting in meadows being characterized by their own distinct communities. High turnover indicates that much of the community is not specific to eelgrass, but rather reflects local species pools. pSEM showed that spatial variation in community composition (β‐diversity) was primarily affected by environmental conditions, with temperature, current velocity, and tidal amplitude being the most significant explanatory variables. Local richness and abundance (α‐diversity) were affected by both environment and morphological traits. Importantly, morphological traits of Zostera marina were also influenced by environmental conditions, revealing cascading effects of the environment on assemblages. In sum, the environment exerted large effects on community structure at both regional and local scales, while plant traits were only pertinent in explaining local diversity. This complex interplay of processes acting at multiple scales with indirect effects should be accounted for in conservation efforts that target the protection of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological diversity in the marine and coastal environment is declining globally. Several layers of governance intertwine in the regulation of biodiversity with multiple strains of policy developments taking place at the international, national and subnational levels. In particular, the subnational level of governance has become crucial in the implementation of biodiversity protection. The article aims at better understanding how governance mechanisms in defence of biodiversity can be developed and implemented at the subnational level and what obstacles they may face. For this purpose, the article relies on a single-case study: it analyses biodiversity policy in France and explains its subnational implementation in Reunion. Major achievements and impediments are also discussed for policy tools adopted for the protection of areas and species. The study reveals important bureaucratic, political and societal pressures that can affect subnational implementation together with the availability of material and immaterial resources. The article concludes with policy recommendations that are specific to Reunion but concern aspects common to other Outermost Regions of the European Union: centre-local coordination, regional strategy, public engagement and transnational collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future of agriculture constitutes a major challenge to the achievement of sustainable development. There are new perspectives on greening (focusing on ecological objectives) and sustainability (combining both ecological and social goals). Academic papers mainly study the ecological efficiency of agricultural public policies, while real public policies, such as the European Common Agricultural Policy, examine both ecological and social considerations. The objective of this paper is to consider economic, social and ecological objectives within the design of agricultural public policies. Using a bio-economic model applied to France, we compare different optimal public strategies. We show that, when the biodiversity objectives are either very limited or very demanding, grassland subsidies are the best instruments from both green and sustainable points of view. However for medium objectives, reducing crops subsidies is the cheapest way to green the CAP, while subsidies on grasslands are the only strategy from a sustainability perspective. Our work highlights new trade-offs related to policy implementation, such as social acceptance or technical difficulties, and the spatial equity of performance among regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present paper aims to put into practice a conceptual framework for gravel-bed river sustainable management previously proposed by Pontet al. [(2009) Conceptual framework and interdisciplinary approach for the sustainable management of gravel-bed rivers: the case of the Drôme River basin (SE France). Aquatic Sciences, 71 (3), 356–370] for the Drôme River Basin (France). It tests the capacity of the functional sector concept (Petts, G.E. and Amoros, C., 1996. Fluvial hydrosystems. Springer) when used to assess the risks of environmental changes. The application of this concept is illustrated by examples focusing on the potential impacts of sediment replenishment on functional sector diversity used as a proxy of habitat diversity, and on trout distribution at a network scale. We used remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) methods to produce original data. A cluster analysis performed on the components of a principal component analysis established a functional sector typology based on channel planform parameters. We calculated an index of present and 1948 functional sector diversity for the entire channel network to highlight past evolutions. A sensitivity analysis was then performed to predict changes in functional sector diversity resulting from defined options of sediment reintroduction through planned forest removal. A similar procedure was developed to evaluate likely changes in brown trout distribution resulting from the impacts of the actions on canopy cover and summer water temperature. The methodological procedure is described, as well as the different assumptions made to move from a theoretical framework to a more practical one. Two examples are used as pilots to evaluate the value of a sensitivity analysis approach based on functional sector types (FSTs) to test management actions aimed at improving aquatic ecology. Limitations and potential improvements are then discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Fresh waters are among the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Practical tools to measure their biodiversity value are needed for their effective conservation. Besides species richness, other aspects of biodiversity, including the threat level of species also need to be considered. Currently, existing scoring methods for assessing the conservation value of freshwater fauna and flora assemblages are varied, and guidelines to select an appropriate method are lacking., In this paper, it is hypothesized that scores to assess the conservation value of assemblages can vary markedly according to the type of method used. To test this, four types of scoring methods were applied differing in the weight given to Red List categories and in the expression of the score, i.e. either using mean per species or the assemblage as a whole, on sets of dragonfly and macrophyte data collected from varied types of small lakes and ponds in three different countries (France, Switzerland and South Africa)., The comparison of the different types of methods showed that the type of method used had a marked impact on the assessment of the conservation value of a water body: the expression per species or per assemblage as the weight given to Red List categories changed the value of a given water body., Overall, results also confirmed that the different types of methods could be applicable in different geographical areas and types of standing water bodies, independently of the original area where the method was developed., Results illustrated that, besides the species richness assessment commonly used, calculating conservation value as a mean per species is useful because it provides additional information. Overall, using methods expressed as a mean per species and coupling the Red List with other criteria gave the best performance., Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Composition of plants and saproxylic beetles assemblages co-varied with habitat variables. • The contribution of habitat variables to species composition inertia was relatively weak. • Forest subgroups showed weaker relationships with habitat variables than did full-taxa. • We found seven habitat thresholds above which species richness was significantly higher. To encourage forest managers to use biodiversity indicators in their work, providing environmental variables that depict species habitats, have well-calibrated and strong relationships with biodiversity and are easy to routinely record would be a step forward. The Index of Biodiversity Potential (IBP) is a rapid habitat assessment method widely used in France. It uses ten variables that indicate potential habitat for forest-dwelling species and is easy for forest managers to implement during their day-to-day activities. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the indicator power of these IBP variables at the stand scale, i.e. their capacity to co-vary with empirical species richness and composition data for nine taxa. The data were obtained from 487 plots set up in 19 forested areas in France. Taxonomic data focused on corticolous lichens, corticolous and saproxylic bryophytes, polypores, saproxylic beetles, ground beetles, hoverflies, birds, bats and vascular plants. For the latter five taxa, we built subgroups of forest-specialist species. The IBP variables were recorded on 1-ha circular plots centered on the sampling point used to record taxonomic data. We explored the relationships between the IBP variables and species composition/richness of nine taxa at the stand scale. Furthermore, we searched for threshold values for all the significant relationships found between species richness and the IBP variables. Variations in the species composition of vascular plants and saproxylic beetles, and to a lesser extent, polypores, bats and lichens, were significantly related to habitat variations (ranked according to the Procrustes significance level). The contribution of the IBP variables to the total inertia of species composition was about 18.7% on average. The IBP variables had a lower number of significant relationships with species richness than with species composition. Unexpectedly, the forest subgroups mainly showed fewer significant relationships with habitat variables than did the full-groups, both for species richness and composition. We highlighted seven significant thresholds in the habitat variables above which species richness was significantly higher. Finally, we recommend that forest managers (i) routinely use a rapid habitat assessment such as the IBP, (ii) orient silvicultural practices to ensure conservation of autochtonous tree species, large logs and different types of aquatic habitats above the thresholds highlighted in this study, and (iii) periodically complete a biodiversity assessment at the forest scale by recording taxonomic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Evaluating the impacts on biodiversity by means of the life cycle assessment (LCA) is a task researchers are currently facing. One impact assessment method that aims to do so is the recently developed biodiversity impact assessment BIA+. The aim of the present paper is to test this method and to show its applicability and feasibility. Additionally opportunities and challenges of this method shall be revealed. For this purpose, a case study for assessing the impacts of biodiesel production on freshwater biodiversity is introduced. Two substances, namely phosphorus and 1,4-dichlorobenzene (DCB), which are used for the biodiesel production for fertilization and the usage of pesticides, are being considered. The inventory data needed for the case study is gathered through the grey water footprint of the crop production that forms the basis of the European biodiesel consumption. Further, the BIA+ method is applied in order to assess the impacts of the biodiesel consumption in Europe for the year 2010 on freshwater biodiversity. The results reveal that even though assumptions have to be made and the results are highly uncertain, this method helps to identify hotspots within production processes. By including the BIA+ as an impact assessment method into LCA, impacts of products can be assessed with regard to biodiversity including genetic, species and ecosystem diversity. The main impact hotspot occurs in France with a potential loss of the biodiversity of 0.5 points. The lowest loss of the biodiversity occurs in Brazil (loss of 8.05*10–06 points). The results are mainly influenced by the impact of the toxic substance 1,4-DCB. By means of the case study, it is shown that the BIA+ method is applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dealing with the erosion of terrestrial biodiversity has become of key importance in order to ensure ecosystems sustainability. Agricultural and forestry activities are one major anthropogenic driver of this decline. The underlying land-use changes result in the alteration of species habitats. In this context reconciling economic and ecological objectives of agricultural policies remains an ongoing challenge. In that respect, this paper presents the bioeconomic impacts of contrasted agricultural public policy scenarios. We developped a bio-economic model coupling an ecological model of bird dynamics with a micro-economic model of land management estimated with French data. We assessed the performances of the scenarios based on 5 ecological indicators accounting for various structural and functionnal characteristics while economic performances refer to land-use incomes. First our study confirms the potential long-term synergies between several ecological and economic objectives in grassland-based policies. Second we points out the non-trivial effect of agroforestry policies on agricultural biodiversity: despite a positive overall impact on the biodiversity population size, it implies important structural changes within the community. The choice between grassland-based policies such as in Agri-Environmental Schemes and agroforestry policies will thus depend on the ecological stakeholders' preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practice of plant translocations to mitigate the deleterious human effects on biodiversity has been increasing over the last decades. In France, although translocations are planned as conservation actions, there is no study that reviews conservation and protection status of translocated species, or that examines the identified threats to the populations for either mitigation-driven (as part of a regulatory mitigation process) or conservation-driven (outside the mitigation context) translocations. Using the TransLoc database, we compiled data on 436 translocated plant populations in France to determine the level of endangerment of the 193 translocated species using the French National Red List of vascular plant species, and their national and regional protection status. We also examined the identified threats to the populations following the IUCN threats classification scheme, and compared mitigation and conservation-driven translocations according to the reported threats and the regions of translocation. There were less mitigation than conservation-driven translocations overall (142 vs 229 respectively), with large differences between regions. We detected large and significant differences between mitigation and conservation-driven translocations in the local threats affecting populations. For mitigation-driven translocations, the most frequent threats were (i) transportation and service corridors and (ii) residential and commercial developments, while for conservation-driven translocations it was (i) human intrusions and disturbance, and (ii) natural system modifications. Approximately one third of the translocated species were nationally protected and two thirds were regionally protected (34% and 72%, respectively). In the IUCN red list, only 14% of the translocated species were considered threatened (CR, EN, VU) at the national level and 33% at the regional level. This result reflects the fact that conservationists are reluctant to use translocations as a means of conservation for the most threatened species, because they require a lot of work, a lot of information on the biology and ecology of the species, and their results are very uncertain, in contrast to habitat protection, which is generally considered the best way to protect species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: It is crucial to monitor how the productivity of grasslands varies with its temporal stability for management of these ecosystems. However, identifying the direction of the productivity–stability relationship remains challenging because ecological stability has multiple components that can display neutral, positive or negative covariations. Furthermore, evidence suggests that the direction of the productivity–stability relationship depends on the biotic interactions and abiotic conditions that underlie ecosystem productivity and stability. We decipher the relationships between grassland productivity and two components of its stability in four habitat types with contrasting environments and flora. Location: France. Time period: 2000–2020. Major taxa: Grassland plant species. Methods: We used c. 20,000 vegetation plots spread across French permanent grasslands and remotely sensed vegetation indices to quantify grassland productivity and temporal stability. We decomposed stability into constancy (i.e., temporal invariability) and resistance (i.e., maximum deviation from average) and deciphered the direct and indirect effects of abiotic (namely growing season length and nitrogen input) and biotic (namely plant taxonomic diversity, trait diversity and community‐weighted mean traits) factors on productivity–stability relationships using structural equation models. Results: We found a positive relationship between productivity and constancy and a negative relationship between productivity and resistance in all habitats. Abiotic factors had stronger effects on productivity and stability compared with biotic factors. A longer growing season enhanced grassland productivity and constancy. Nitrogen input had positive and negative effects on grassland productivity and resistance, respectively. Trait values affected the constancy and resistance of grassland more than taxonomic and trait diversity, with effects varying from one habitat to another. Productivity was not related to any biotic factor. Main conclusions Our findings reveal how vital it is to consider both the multiple components of stability and the interaction between environment and biodiversity to gain an understanding of the relationships between productivity and stability in real‐world ecosystems, which is a crucial step for sustainable grassland management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging and endemic mosquito‐borne viruses can be difficult to detect and monitor because they often cause asymptomatic infections in human or vertebrate animals or cause nonspecific febrile illness with a short recovery waiting period. Some of these pathogens circulate into complex cryptic cycles involving several animal species as reservoir or amplifying hosts. Detection of cases in vertebrate hosts can be complemented by entomological surveillance, but this method is not adapted to low infection rates in mosquito populations that typically occur in low or nonendemic areas. We identified West Nile virus circulation in Camargue, a wetland area in South of France, using a cost‐effective xenomonitoring method based on the molecular detection of virus in excreta from trapped mosquitoes. We also succeeded at identifying the mosquito species community on several sampling sites, together with the vertebrate hosts on which they fed prior to being captured using amplicon‐based metabarcoding on mosquito excreta without processing any mosquitoes. Mosquito excreta‐based virus surveillance can complement standard surveillance methods because it is cost‐effective and does not require personnel with a strong background in entomology. This strategy can also be used to noninvasively explore the ecological network underlying arbovirus circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we question to what extent origin-food labels, namely Geographical Indications (GIs) and Slow Food Presidia, may effectively account for cultural biodiversity (CB). Building on Foucault's discourse theory, we question how the Slow Food movement and GI promoters have developed their own discourse and practice on CB, how these discourses contrast, and how they inform projects. Focusing on the practices to cultivate the microbiological life of three origin labeled cheeses (from France and Italy), we have revealed the gap between these institutional discourses and what happens on the ground. We argue that how actors' relationships in the marketplace unfold, from public authorities to the collectives of producers to consumers, may threaten the effects that these experiences of alternative food productions may have in the defense of biodiversity, causing, for instance, the loss of diversity of the invisible microbial ecosystems of artisan raw milk cheese. However, we conclude that, despite limitations, the mediatized institutional narrative on CB can amplify the political voice of local actors by fostering community and social relationships between the farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VME) in the deep Mediterranean Sea have been identified by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean as consisting of communities of Scleractinia (Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata), Pennatulacea (Funiculina quadrangularis) and Alcyonacea (Isidella elongata). This paper deals with video data recorded in the heads of French Mediterranean canyons. Quantitative observations were extracted from 101 video films recorded during the MEDSEACAN cruise in 2009 (Aamp/Comex). Qualitative information was extracted from four other cruises (two Marum/Comex cruises in 2009 and 2011 and two Ifremer cruises in 1995 and 2010) to support the previous observations in the Cassidaigne and Lacaze-Duthiers canyons. All the species, fishing impacts and litter recognized in the video films recorded from 180 to 700m depth were mapped using GIS. The abundances and distributions of benthic fishing resources (marketable fishes, Aristeidae, Octopodidae), Vulnerable Marine Species, trawling scars and litter of 17 canyons were calculated and compared, as was the open slope between the Stoechades and Toulon canyons. Funiculina quadrangularis was rarely observed, being confined for the most part to the Marti canyon and, I. elongata was abundant in three canyons (Bourcart, Marti, Petit-Rhône). These two cnidarians were encountered in relatively low abundances, and it may be that they have been swept away by repeated trawling. The Lacaze-Duthiers and Cassidaigne canyons comprised the highest densities and largest colony sizes of scleractinian cold-water corals, whose distribution was mapped in detail. These colonies were often seen to be entangled in fishing lines. The alcyonacean Callogorgia verticillata was observed to be highly abundant in the Bourcart canyon and less abundant in several other canyons. This alcyonacean was also severely affected by bottom fishing gears and is proposed as a Vulnerable Marine Species. Our studies on anthropogenic impacts show that seafloor disturbance by benthic fishing is mainly attributable to trawling in the Gulf of Lion and to long lines where rocky substrates are present. The bauxite residue (red mud) expelled in the Cassidaigne canyon was seen to prevent fauna from settling at the bottom of the canyon and it covered much of the flanks. Litter was present in all of the canyons and especially in considerable quantities in the Ligurian Sea, where the heads of the canyons are closer to the coast. Three Marine Protected Areas and one fishing area with restricted access have recently been established and should permit the preservation of these deep ecosystems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Predictions of future land use areas are an important issue as land use patterns significantly impact environmental conditions (biodiversity, water pollution, soil erosion, and climate change) as well as economic and social welfare. In order to improve the prediction accuracy of aggregated land use share models, we propose in this paper a methodological contribution by controlling for both unobserved individual heterogeneity and spatial autocorrelation. Our model is a land use shares model applied to aggregated data in France. Our dataset is a panel which covers both time series observations from 1992 to 2003 and cross-sectional observations by Département (equivalent to NUTS3 regions). We consider four land use classes: (1) agriculture, (2) forest, (3) urban and (4) other use. We investigate the relation between the areas in land in different alternative uses and economic and demographic factors influencing land use decisions. Based on the comparison of prediction accuracy of different model specifications, our findings are threefold: First, controlling for both unobserved individual heterogeneity and spatial autocorrelation outperforms any other specification in which spatial autocorrelation and/or individual heterogeneity are ignored. Second, accounting for cross-equation correlations does not seem to improve the prediction performances and finally, ignoring individual heterogeneity introduces substantial loss in prediction accuracy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper documents for the first time microfossils in Upper Cretaceous (Santonian) amber from Martigues. Filamentous structures assigned to Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes are described. We show that the distribution of these filaments is closely related to the two types of amber encountered: red translucent, drop-shaped pieces and opaque to milky nuggets. The diversity and the constant occurrence of filaments in all studied pieces of amber reflect an exceptional filamentous resinicolous micro-world. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effectiveness of French AES to enhance farmland bird diversity on a national scale. Abundances of 19 farmland species were modelled in response to AES and then, the relationship between responses of bird to AES and the national population trends of the respective species were explored. Results suggest that AES are implemented at suitable locations to promote biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Besides, long-term declining species are identified as those that benefit the most from biodiversity-dedicated AES. AES management may not be sufficiently well adapted to the ecological requirements of targeted farmland bird species, given the lack of statistically significant responses. Thus, it is concluded that AES have the potential to protect the abundance strongholds of farmland birds, but apparently fail to enhance ongoing population trends. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Decision on biodiversity management at regional level must often be based on both ecological and socio-economic measures. For these last ones, many social, economic and political issues must be taken into account in the same time, and many stakeholders’ interests may be concerned by the decisions to be taken based on the measures chosen. In some cases, only monetary evaluations of biodiversity changes are proposed, which exclusively favor economic considerations, whereas social and governance problems might also be involved. Our paper presents a method based on the “principle of representative diversity”, allowing to obtain a reduced set of indicators equitably distributed among the different stakeholders and the different focal areas for biodiversity management. We have successfully applied this method to a case study, in the Ile-de-France region, in France, for drafting socio-economic indicators for the Regional Strategy for Biodiversity. Biodiversity stakeholders in the region have been invited to participate to three working groups, each of which is representative for a class of ecological services, i.e., “Regulation services”, “Provisioning services” and “Cultural services”. In a first meeting, stakeholders discussed the major stakes for the relationships between biodiversity and socio-economic activities in the region (i.e., Regional Focal Areas). Based on extensive literature study of indicators describing relationships between biodiversity and humans, we drafted a list of “candidate indicators”, which we distributed among the focal areas validated by the working groups. Stakeholders met a second time for choosing, among these indicators, the most representative 5 ones for each focal area. Finally, the principle of representative diversity allowed us to select a final set of 27 indicators, balanced between the different focal areas and the different stakeholders. After an introductory section presenting the literature background of our approach and describing the specific indicator needs of the Ile-de-France region, Section describes the method. Section presents the results of its application, going into detail for two examples of use of the principle of representative diversity. The last section discusses the results and concludes on the usefulness of the method, both theoretically and for the Ile-de-France region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Marine Biological Valuation (BV) has increased in importance in recent years, due to the need to establish accurate maps of biodiversity value. However, there have been few exercises undertaken in Southern Europe, in putting a value on marine biodiversity whilst at the same time looking at several biological components. This paper presents the complete Biological Valuation Map (BVM) of the Basque continental shelf and estuaries, using the methodology developed for the Belgian Continental Shelf. It includes all available biological data (zooplankton, macroalgae, macrobenthos, demersal fish, seabirds and cetaceans), from 2003 to 2010. BVMs aim to compile all available biological and ecological information for a selected study area, allocating an integrated intrinsic biological value to the subzones within the study area. Here, the results highlight specific areas (such as Jaizkibel or Cap Breton Canyon), as having high or very high integrated BV, using all of the components. Furthermore, some biodiversity ‘hotspots’ have been identified, according to a specific ecosystem component (e.g. mid-parts of the Oka estuary, for macroalgae, and the Cap Breton Canyon, for cetaceans). Comparison with the results obtained from other European countries, and with previously high-importance delimited zones within the study area, showed similar spatial trends and patterns. Therefore, the objectives of this contribution are: (i) to analyse and establish a spatial ecological value map of the continental shelf of the Basque Country (southern Bay of Biscay), using present BV methods; (ii) to compare the results obtained to other European countries, and (iii) to explore the application of these results to the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requirements. This map can serve as a baseline for future MSP and can also be used for the determination of the environmental status, within the MSFD, for the qualitative descriptor 1 (biodiversity). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Europeanisation research into social movements has focused on the emergence of political opportunity structures at the supranational level. This paper examines how movement actors are exploiting shifts in domestic opportunity structures caused by EU policy. Empirical evidence is drawn from qualitative interview data and document analysis on high profile anti-incinerator campaigns in France. Surprisingly, European legislation on waste incineration has not significantly influenced domestic opportunities. It is, however, revealed that EU policy on biodiversity proved decisive for understanding shifts in opportunity structures, and ultimately their role in contributing to movement campaigns in France. Several important lessons are discussed for future Europeanisation research into social movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Freshwaters ecosystems continue to face pressures from pollution, flow regime alterations, habitat destruction and exotic species invasions despite their unique biodiversity. In Europe, National Parks and Special Areas of Conservation aim to provide protection of ‘aggregate’ biodiversity, yet inspection of priority species lists for these sites often reveals a focus towards terrestrial species. In regions such as the Alps and the Pyrénées, this is a particularly serious problem because climate change and other anthropogenic pressures (e.g. hydropower, tourism) are causing widespread hydrological modification which is likely to drive changes in aquatic species abundance, diversity and distribution. Improved understanding of the diversity of rare plants and animals is necessary so efforts can be cost-effectively targeted to conserve the maximum number of species, whilst a clearer picture of these species’ distributions is a precursor to targeting conservation efforts. This paper reports results of a study into the diversity and distribution of 17 endemic mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies from 598 rivers sites across southern France. Endemic macroinvertebrates were found only at sites in the Pyrénées mountain range with richness peaking at 1500–1800m above sea level. Nine of these 17 species were recorded from <20 sites and two (Protonemura angelieri, Rhithrogena kimminsi) were found at only 10 sites. Despite both the rarity of these species and threats to their existence, none of them have any current conservation status. New conservation policies for freshwater ecosystems in the French Pyrénées need to be developed as a priority due to the rarity of many aquatic species in this area, growing threats to their existence (habitat modification, hydrological change), and to recognise their importance in food webs that may include other rare species of conservation value. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

By using the example of the reintroduction of wolves to the southern French Alps, this paper explores the competing 'philosophies of nature' that are revealed when agendas of biodiversity enhancement and protection conflict with notions of biosecurity. Tracing the shifting status of wolves as threat and hazard to emblems of reconstituted naturality, I argue that the reintroduction of wolves disturbs notions of both biodiversity and biosecurity, making unified strategies of management increasingly difficult and problematic. More significantly, the reintroduction of these classically 'wild' predators into seminatural and domesticated spaces challenges otherwise simplistic classifications not only of wild and domestic but also of human and nonhuman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrological connectivity is known to determine biodiversity patterns across large river floodplains, but it is often greatly altered by human activities. Indicators and predictors of the response of river alteration or restoration are therefore needed. Recent papers suggested that fish environmental guilds – based on species flow preferences – could be used as a tool to assess ecological status of rivers. In the Loire floodplain, we described fish assemblages across the floodplain at the onset of the dry season and we determined whether observed spatial patterns could be related to environmental variables, especially connectivity. Based on specific composition of 46 electrofished waterbodies, a hierarchical typology of the Loire floodplain assemblages was built using self-organizing maps. Each assemblage of the typology was characterized by a set of species using the indicator value method. These species sets and the composition of the assemblages revealed a gradient of flow preferences in the different assemblages identified. A stepwise discriminant analysis showed that the most important variable determining assemblage composition was the hydrological connectivity. Finally, the conclusion was made that a high connectivity level is needed to conserve native fish diversity in the Loire floodplain, notably because the number of protected and native species increased with connectivity, and because the number of exotic species increased with isolation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As climate changes, perennial headwater streams could become intermittent and intermittent rivers could dry more often due to more severe droughts. A modelling framework supported by field observations was applied to assess the probability of drying in headwaters at the regional scale (PD) under climate change. Empirical relationships between severity of low flows and observed proportions of no-flow states have been calibrated for 22 hydro-ecoregions under present conditions. These relationships were applied using daily discharge data on a large set of gauging stations simulated by the Modèle du Génie Rural à 6 paramètres Journalier (GR6J) hydrological model under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios. The results suggest a more contrasting spatial pattern in the future than under current conditions. Noteworthy changes include increases in drying extent and duration, particularly in regions with historically high probabilities of drying and changes in seasonality in Alpine regions. Aquatic ecosystems will experience unprecedented hydrological conditions, which might lead to losses of ecosystem functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its multiple functions, urban green is nowadays seen as a possible solution to mitigate global changes, getting so more attention from urban planners. This article develops a systemic function approach through a green intensity index with validation in two characteristic urban areas of Paris conurbation. Their vegetation was qualified and quantified with a shortened species classification system, based on three vertical layers, using field visits, remote sensing and street imagery. The collected data were transformed into urban green intensity index (UGII), using simplified functions based on species number, leaf surface and soil occupation for the five main functions of urban green as identified through bibliometric analysis: hydrology, climate, biodiversity, well-being and air pollution. Central city parts of the metropolis scored hereby low (UGII 3.7–8.9%) due to low biodiversity and absence of infiltration surface, while the suburbs with more green obtained higher values (UGII 36–38%), thanks to better biodiversity and more green per inhabitant. The proposed index allows a rapid assessment of urban green present and classification of three different types of neighbourhood according to their particular green functions biodiversity, hydrology and well-being. Moreover, the differentiation between public and private sectors makes it possible to assess the contribution of public green to the quality of the living environment, while incorporation of species in the index differentiates summer from winter cover, enabling adjustment of municipal green policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question: Plant community dynamics are influenced by microvariations of the environment and of processes acting at fine spatio-temporal scales like plant-plant interactions, local dispersal and phenology. However, descriptions and understanding of diversity changes both within year and over short distances are still required. We used a dynamic metacommunity framework to answer the following question: what is the relative influence of environmental filtering, dispersal limitation and ecological drift on fine-scale grassland community dynamics under different disturbance regimes? Location: Data were collected in a long-term experiment located in the Massif Central, France (45°43′23″ N, 03°1′21″ E, 880 m a.s.l.). Methods: We monitored fine-scale spatio-temporal community changes in small plots (i.e. local communities) distributed within six grassland paddocks (i.e. metacommunities) subject to two treatments (mown or grazed). We simultaneously monitored three key environmental variables: light, nitrogen and water, to assess how environmental heterogeneity impacts species compositional changes. We then inferred the metacommunity drivers of these changes in taxonomic and functional composition using a path analysis. Results: Managed grasslands are dynamic within a year, and spatially heterogeneous within a paddock, with spatial and temporal β diversities totalling more than half of the taxonomic diversity. Mowing events caused sudden decreases of total vegetation cover resulting in taxonomical and functional changes. In grazed paddocks, community changes were mainly spatial due to spatially heterogeneous light-structured filtering conditions. In both treatments, environmental heterogeneity only partially explained community changes that were also greatly impacted by dispersal limitation, but not ecological drift. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that the fine-scale analysis of community spatio-temporal changes allows disentangling the relative importance of environmental filtering, dispersal limitation and ecological drift in community dynamics. Applying this approach to communities experiencing other kinds of disturbance regimes may allow gaining a general understanding of plant community assembly processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In France and Europe, farmland represents a large fraction of land cover. The study and assessment of biodiversity in farmland is therefore a major challenge. To monitor biodiversity across wide areas, citizen science programs have demonstrated their effectiveness and relevance. The involvement of citizens in data collection offers a great opportunity to deploy extensive networks for biodiversity monitoring. But citizen science programs come with two issues: large amounts of data to manage and large numbers of participants with heterogeneous skills, needs and expectations about these data. In this article, we offer a solution to these issues, concretized by an information system. The study is based on a real life citizen science program tailored for farmers. This information system provides data and tools at several levels of complexity, to fit the needs and the skills of several users, from citizens with basic IT knowledge to scientists with strong statistical background. The proposed system is designed as follows. First, a data warehouse stores the data collected by citizens. This data warehouse is modelled depending on future data analysis. Secondly, associated with the data warehouse, a standard OLAP tool enables citizens and scientists to explore data. To complete the OLAP tool, we implement and compare four feature selection methods, in order to rank explanatory factors according to their relevance. Finally, for users with extended statistical skills, we use Generalized Linear Mixed Models to explore the temporal dynamics of invertebrate diversity in farmland ecosystems. The proposed system, a combination of business intelligence tools, data mining methods and advanced statistics, offers an example of complete exploitation of data by several user profiles. The proposition is supported by a real life citizen science program, and can be used as a guideline to design information systems in the same field. • The paper presents a global integrated Business Intelligence system for the analysis of agro-biodiversity data • Agro-biodiversity data is collected by the FBO over all French and several years • Data Warehouse and OLAP systems are designed non-skilled OLAP decision-makers to analyze these data • Data science methods are then applied over some subset of warehoused data to define more complex analysis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, new agricultural policies and European Directives brought to important changes in farming practice, some of which could affect food availability for the wild bird population endangering biodiversity. This study aims to evaluate the consequences of such agricultural changes in France on the woodpigeon's dietary regimen. A total of 1,093 woodpigeons were collected over a four‐year period (2014–2017). Voluntary sampling was performed in six regions in the south‐west of France by local hunters during this species' autumnal migration and wintering. Ingluvies contents were recovered, macroscopically and microscopically identified, and then weighed before and after drying. Five food groups were identified: acorns, corn, green plant material, cultivated seeds and others. ANOVA testing followed by Tukey's test for multiple comparison were performed (R version 3.5.2). Significance was set at p <.05. A total of 762 woodpigeons met the study's inclusion criteria. Mean weight of total crop contents was less of 9 grams of dry matter. Most frequent food groups were "green plant material" (70.3%), acorns (42.3%) and corn (27.2%). In terms of grams of dry matter, the most important food in the crop content were acorns (62%): these were eaten more during the first two hunting seasons (p <.001), and in region A, lower amount was consumed compared to all other regions. On the contrary, corn intake peaked during the third year (p <.001), and in region A, birds had an increasing intake of this cereal. Cultivated seeds contributed to the diet more during migration (p =.007), while "green plant material" and others more during wintering (p =.011; p =.004). In conclusion, results confirm the opportunistic nature of the woodpigeon, balancing its diet according to food availability. Corn was eaten more in areas where the winter burying of chopped maize stover (mulching), provided by the Nitrate's directive, was in derogation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multisource approach to assessing freshwater biodiversity reveals the first occurrence of the Asian freshwater snail Sinotaia cf. quadrata (Gastropoda, Viviparidae) in inland waters of the northern Iberian Peninsula (Spain) and southwestern France. We present a detailed characterization, combining morphological traits and molecular tools for a genetic identification, and illustration of the species and its ultrastructure, as well as key information regarding its reproductive biology and ecology at the new locations. We discuss the most plausible introduction pathways and vectors, its potential invasiveness and the subsequent impacts that it may generate in the receiving localities. Our preliminary results raise concerns about the threat of Sinotaia cf. quadrata to human health and ecosystem dynamics, since this species acts as an intermediate host for several parasite species. Finally, this study confirms once again the usefulness of an integrative taxonomical approach for shedding light on hidden biodiversity and the invasion of freshwater ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carabids (ground beetles) are important beneficial insects that contribute to biological control of pests and weeds in crop production. They can be found in different agricultural landscape habitats. However, little has been studied about the composition and similarity of carabid assemblages between two major land covers types: cropland and grassland. In a context of declining grassland areas in farmlands, highlighting complementarities of these two land covers is crucial to encourage land use planning that favors biodiversity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relative and shared contribution of cereal crops and grasslands to carabid diversity in farmlands. Carabids were sampled in 104 pairs of cereal fields and grasslands in 3 agricultural regions of southeastern France. Carabid diversity was further analyzed with multiple regression models, including different local parameters. The correlations between assemblage similarities and geographical distance of sampled cereal fields and grasslands were also studied. Overall, 115 different species were found, 82 in cereal fields and 95 in grasslands. Per site species number and activity-density were higher in the two study regions with higher grassland cover. Evenness of carabid assemblages were higher in grasslands. Cropland and grassland remained strongly distinct, but assemblages showed higher similarity up to 4 km distance from each other. The study illustrates the major interest in preserving grassland within farmland for land use planners and/or policy makers. We found that grasslands and croplands complement each other. Though they host distinct communities, they provide continuous and different resources to the species throughout the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree health declines can be caused by interactions between pests and pathogens and many studies have shown a reduction in their damage in mixed species forests compared to monocultures. Yet few authors have considered tree diversity effects on both groups simultaneously. Moreover, it is unclear whether diversity effects on tree pests and pathogens are robust to changes in abiotic conditions, such as drought.We addressed tree diversity effects on foliar insect herbivory, oak powdery mildew and their interaction under contrasting water regimes in a large-scale tree diversity experiment in SW France. Using an irrigation treatment that alleviated drought conditions, we were able to experimentally assess the effects of tree diversity under contrasting abiotic environments. We surveyed plots along a richness gradient from one to four tree species, in which a focal study species of oak (Quercus robur) was mixed with other oak species (Q. pyrenaica and Q. ilex) and a taller, broadleaved species (Betula pendula).Increasing tree species richness lowered leaf miner abundance, leaf chewer damage and oak powdery mildew infection, consistent with a protective effect of resource dilution. However, richness effects on leaf miners were stronger in irrigated compared to non-irrigated blocks, indicating that environmental conditions can modulate diversity effects. Separate from the effect of tree species richness, the presence of birch in a plot increased damage by leaf chewers and powdery mildew, but lowered leaf miner damage, suggesting additional tree neighbour identity effects potentially linked to modulation of microclimate. We found a negative association between leaf miner abundance and oak powdery mildew, consistent with antagonism between oak damage agents.Synthesis. Overall, our study illustrates the importance of considering both tree diversity and composition (neighbour identity) in designing forests more resistant to pest and pathogen damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Under the concept of the ‘Blue Pacific’, island nations are placing increased priority on the oceans, seeking to integrate policy on climate change, maritime security, fisheries and ocean biodiversity. This agenda however affects France, one of the remaining colonial powers in the Pacific, which controls a vast maritime domain in the region. The 2016 decision to incorporate the French dependencies New Caledonia and French Polynesia as full members of the Pacific Islands Forum raises a series of diplomatic challenges for Forum island countries. This article outlines France's interest in the Blue Pacific, in areas such as exclusive economic zones, security, research, climate and maritime boundaries. It then details problems facing Forum member countries arising from France's ongoing control of its three dependencies in the region, including uncertainty over legal standing in the Forum; the capacity to sign treaties; policy making on security in the Forum; policy issues on fisheries and climate in other member agencies of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific; relations with other Forum dialogue partners; resource exploitation by the colonial power; and disputes over maritime boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity offsetting (BO) is aimed at achieving no net loss of biodiversity in the context of economic development. Through a choice experiment in Northern France, we show that farmers have a clear preference for not signing up BO contracts. The contracts they accept may only be suitable for offsetting temporary impacts on already degraded areas of natural habitat but not for permanent impacts on high-quality habitat. We find that the introduction of a conditional monetary bonus can improve the organisational and ecological efficiency of BO because it increases the enrolled acreage in a BO contract per farmer albeit at an increased cost for developers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]