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International audience; To guarantee the blue skies for the 2022 Winter Olympics held in Beijing and Zhangjiakou from February 4 to 20, Beijing and its surrounding areas adopted a series of emission control measures. This provides an opportunity to determine the impacts of large-scale temporary control measures on the air quality in Beijing during this special period. Here, we applied the WRF-CMAQ model to quantify the contributions of emission reduction measures and meteorological conditions. Results show that meteorological conditions in 2022 decreased PM2.5 in Beijing by 6.9 and 11.8 μg/m3 relative to 2021 under the scenarios with and without emission reductions, respectively. Strict emission reduction measures implemented in Beijing and seven neighboring provinces resulted in an average decrease of 13.0 μg/m3 (-41.2%) in PM2.5 in Beijing. Over the entire period, local emission reductions contributed more to good air quality in Beijing than nonlocal emission reductions. Under the emission reduction scenario, local, controlled regions, other regions, and boundary conditions contributed 47.7%, 42.0%, 5.3%, and 5.0% to the PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing, respectively. The results indicate that during the cleaning period with the air masses from the northwest, the abatements of PM2.5 were mainly caused by local emission reductions. However, during the potential pollution period with the air masses from the east-northeast and west-southwest, the abatements of PM2.5 were caused by both local and nonlocal emission reductions almost equally. This implies that regional coordinated prevention and control strategies need to be arranged scientifically and rationally when heavy pollution events are forecasted.

International audience; This study aims to investigate the ability of an imidazolium biobased Zwitterionic Ionic Liquids (ZILs) in enhancing the phytoavailability of copper from garden (G) and vineyard (V) soils using the model plant ryegrass. Uncontaminated and artificially contaminated CuSO4 soils, unamended and ZIL-amended soil modalities were designed. The copper/ZIL mo-lar ratio (1/4) introduced was rationally established based on molecular modeling and on the maximal copper concentration in artificially contaminated soil. Higher accumulation of copper in the shoots was detected for the uncontaminated and copper contaminated ZIL amended V soils (18.9 and 23.3 mg/kg, respectively) contrary to G soils together with a ZIL concentration of around 3% (W/W) detected by LC-MS analyses. These data evidenced a Cu-accumulation improvement of 38% and 66% compared to non-amended V soils (13.6 and 13.9 mg/kg respectively). ZIL would be mainly present under Cu(II)-ZIL4 complexes in the shoots. The impact on the chemical composition of shoot was also studied. The results show that depending on the soils modalitity, the presence of free copper and/or ZIL led to different chemical compositions in lignin and monomeric sugar contents. In the biorefinery context, performances of enzymatic hydrolysis of shoots were also related to the presence of both ZIL and copper under free or complex forms. Ecotoxicity assessment of the vineyard soil samples indicated that the quantity of copper and ZIL remaining in the soils had no sig-nificant toxicity. ZIL amendment in a copper-contaminated soil was demonstrated as being a promising way to promote the valorization of phytoremediation plants.

Low-tech approaches have come to the fore in the last few years, mainly in opposition to the techno-optimistic model proposed to solve current and future environmental crises. However, low-tech thinking is multifaceted, making the concept potentially rich but also vague. This article develops a seven-principle framework to categorize low-tech concepts based on an abductive approach which included a literature review and interviews with low-tech actors. Principle occurrence was assessed among the authors and interviewees. The results demonstrate that the low-tech movement entails more than a shift to robust and less-consumptive technical artifacts. While resource efficiency and material reuse are important traits of low-tech approaches, technical appropriation is the most frequently cited key principle in the literature and by the actors. This delineation into several principles can help to differentiate low-tech from other sustainability concepts related to resource conservation such as frugal innovations and circular economy. We aim in this article to open a discussion about the ways low-tech proponents are seeking to introduce transformative development pathways to sustainability.

We report a new type of fossil margin galls arranged in a linear series on dicot leaf impressions from the latest Neogene (Pliocene) sediments of the Chotanagpur Plateau, Jharkhand, eastern India. We collected ca. 1500 impression and compression leaf fossils, of which 1080 samples bear arthropod damage referable to 37 different damage types (DT) in the ‘GuidetoInsect(andOther)DamageTypesinCompressedPlantFossils’. A few leaf samples identified as Ipomoea L. (Convolvulaceae) have specific margin galls that do not match any galling DT previously described. This type of galling is characterized by small, linearly arranged, irregular, sessile, sub-globose, solitary, indehiscent, solid pouch-galls with irregular ostioles. The probable damage inducers of the present galling of the foliar margin might be members of Eriophyidae (Acari). The new type of gall suggests that marginal gall-inducing mites on leaves of Ipomoea did not change their host preference at the genus level since the Pliocene. The development of marginal leaf galling in Ipomoea is linked to extrafloral nectaries that do not offer protection against arthropod galling but indirectly protect the plant against herbivory from large mammals.

International audience; Extreme events are becoming more frequent due to anthropogenic climate change, posing serious concerns on societal and economic impacts and asking for mitigating strategies, as for Venice. Here, tidal gauge data from 4 stations of the Venice lagoon are used to characterize Extreme Sea Level (ESL) events by means of two dynamical indicators: the instantaneous dimension and the inverse persistence. A close connection is found between the occurrence of ESLs and the inverse persistence, while the instantaneous dimension informs us on the number of interfering factors contributing to the increase of sea level. We further examined the capability of the MoSE (Experimental Electromechanical Module), a safeguarding system recently put into operation, in mitigating extreme flooding events and its operational performances in relation with the values of the two dynamical indicators. We show that the two metrics can provide a valuable support to evaluate and inform operational lagoon forecasts.

Background Ticks and tick-borne pathogens significantly impact both human and animal health and therefore are of major concern to the scientific community. Knowledge of tick-borne pathogens is crucial for prescription of mitigation measures. In Africa, much research on ticks has focused on domestic animals. Little is known about ticks and their pathogens in wild habitats and wild animals like the endangered chimpanzee, our closest relative. Methods In this study, we collected ticks in the forested habitat of a community of 100 chimpanzees living in Kibale National Park, Western Uganda, and assessed how their presence and abundance are influenced by environmental factors. We used non-invasive methods of flagging the vegetation and visual search of ticks both on human team members and in chimpanzee nests. We identified adult and nymph ticks through morphological features. Molecular techniques were used to detect and identify tick-borne piroplasmids and bacterial pathogens. Results A total of 470 ticks were collected, which led to the identification of seven tick species: Haemaphysalis parmata (68.77%), Amblyomma tholloni (20.70%), Ixodes rasus sensu lato (7.37%), Rhipicephalus dux (1.40%), Haemaphysalis punctaleachi (0.70%), Ixodes muniensis (0.70%) and Amblyomma paulopunctatum (0.35%). The presence of ticks, irrespective of species, was influenced by temperature and type of vegetation but not by relative humidity. Molecular detection revealed the presence of at least six genera of tick-borne pathogens (Babesia, Theileria, Borrelia, Cryptoplasma, Ehrlichia and Rickettsia). The Afrotopical tick Amblyomma tholloni found in one chimpanzee nest was infected by Rickettsia sp. Conclusions In conclusion, this study presented ticks and tick-borne pathogens in a Ugandan wildlife habitat whose potential effects on animal health remain to be elucidated. Graphical Abstract

We report here a new application, CustomProteinSearch (CusProSe), whose purpose is to help users to search for proteins of interest based on their domain composition. The application is customizable. It consists of two independent tools, IterHMMBuild and ProSeCDA. IterHMMBuild allows the iterative construction of Hidden Markov Model (HMM) profiles for conserved domains of selected protein sequences, while ProSeCDA scans a proteome of interest against an HMM profile database, and annotates identified proteins using user-defined rules. CusProSe was successfully used to identify, in fungal genomes, genes encoding key enzyme families involved in secondary metabolism, such as polyketide synthases (PKS), non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS), hybrid PKS-NRPS and dimethylallyl tryptophan synthases (DMATS), as well as to characterize distinct terpene synthases (TS) sub-families. The highly configurable characteristics of this application makes it a generic tool, which allows the user to refine the function of predicted proteins, to extend detection to new enzymes families, and may also be applied to biological systems other than fungi and to other proteins than those involved in secondary metabolism.

HBr emissions from volcanoes lead rapidly to the formation of BrO within volcanic plumes and have an impact on tropospheric chemistry, at least at the local and regional scales. The motivation of this paper is to prepare a framework for further 3D modelling of volcanic halogen emissions in order to determine their fate within the volcanic plume and then in the atmosphere at the regional and global scales. The main aim is to evaluate the ability of the model to produce a realistic partitioning of bromine species within a grid box size typical of MOCAGE (Model Of atmospheric Chemistry At larGE scale) 3D (0.5∘ × 0.5∘). This work is based on a 1D single-column configuration of the global chemistry-transport model MOCAGE that has low enough computational cost to allow us to perform a large set of sensitivity simulations. This paper uses the emissions from the Mount Etna eruption on 10 May 2008. Several reactions are added to MOCAGE to represent the volcanic plume halogen chemistry. A simple plume parameterisation is also implemented and tested. The use of this parameterisation tends to only slightly limit the efficiency of BrO net production. Both simulations with and without the parameterisation give results for the partitioning of the bromine species, of ozone depletion and of the BrO/SO2 ratio that are consistent with previous studies. A series of test experiments were performed to evaluate the sensitivity of the results to the composition of the emissions (primary sulfate aerosols, Br radical and NO) and to the effective radius assumed for the volcanic sulfate aerosols. Simulations show that the plume chemistry is sensitive to all these parameters. We also find that the maximum altitude of the eruption changes the BrO production, which is linked to the vertical variability of the concentrations of oxidants in the background air. These sensitivity tests display changes in the bromine chemistry cycles that are generally at least as important as the plume parameterisation. Overall, the version of the MOCAGE chemistry developed for this study is suitable to produce the expected halogen chemistry in volcanic plumes during daytime and night-time.

International audience

International audience; The use of remote sensing data methods is affordable for the mapping of soil properties of the plowed layer over croplands. Carried out in the framework of the ongoing STEROPES project of the European Joint H2020 Program SOIL, this work is focused on the feasibility of Sentinel-2 based approaches for the high resolution mapping of topsoil clay and organic carbon (SOC) contents at the within-farm or within-field scales, for cropland sites of contrasted climates and soil types across the Northern hemisphere. Four pixelwise temporal mosaicking methods, using a two years-Sentinel-2 time series and several spectral indices (NDVI, NBR2, BSI, S2WI), were developed and compared for i) pure bare soil condition (maxBSI), ii) driest soil condition (minS2WI), iii) average bare soil condition (Median) and iv) dry soil conditions excluding extreme reflectance values (R90). Three spectral modeling approaches, using the Sentinel-2 bands of the output temporal mosaics as covariates, were tested and compared: (i) Quantile Regression Forest (QRF) algorithm; (ii) QRF adding longitude and latitude as covariates (QRFxy); (iii) a hybrid approach, Linear Mixed Effect Model (LMEM), that includes spatial autocorrelation of the soil properties. We tested pairs of mosaic and spectral approaches on ten sites in Türkiye, Italy, Lithuania, and USA where soil samples were collected and SOC and clay content were measured in the lab. The average RPIQ of the best performances among the test sites was 2.50 both for SOC (RMSE = 0.15%) and clay (RMSE = 3.3%). Both accuracy level and uncertainty were mainly influenced by site characteristics of cloud frequency, soil types and management. Generally, the models including a spatial component (QRFxy and LMEM) were the best performing, while the best spatial mosaicking approaches mostly were Median and R90. The most frequent optimal combination of mosaicking and model type was Median or R90 and QRFxy for SOC, and R90 and LMEM for clay estimation.

As the adverse impacts of hydrological extremes increase in many regions of the world, a better understanding of the drivers of changes in risk and impacts is essential for effective flood and drought risk management and climate adaptation. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive, empirical data about the processes, interactions and feedbacks in complex human-water systems leading to flood and drought impacts. Here we present a benchmark dataset containing socio-hydrological data of paired events, i.e., two floods or two droughts that occurred in the same area. The 45 paired events occurred in 42 different study areas and cover a wide range of socio-economic and hydro-climatic conditions. The dataset is unique in covering both floods and droughts, in the number of cases assessed, and in the quantity of socio-hydrological data. The benchmark dataset comprises: 1) detailed review style reports about the events and key processes between the two events of a pair; 2) the key data table containing variables that assess the indicators which characterise management shortcomings, hazard, exposure, vulnerability and impacts of all events; 3) a table of the indicators-of-change that indicate the differences between the first and second event of a pair. The advantages of the dataset are that it enables comparative analyses across all the paired events based on the indicators-of-change and allows for detailed context- and location-specific assessments based on the extensive data and reports of the individual study areas. The dataset can be used by the scientific community for exploratory data analyses e.g. focused on causal links between risk management, changes in hazard, exposure and vulnerability and flood or drought impacts. The data can also be used for the development, calibration and validation of socio-hydrological models. The dataset is available to the public through the GFZ Data Services (Kreibich et al. 2023, link for review: https://dataservices.gfz-potsdam.de/panmetaworks/review/923c14519deb04f83815ce108b48dd2581d57b90ce069bec9c948361028b8c85/).

Invasive species are permanently modifying the distribution and diversity of native species worldwide. For nearly two decades, a hornet, Vespa velutina nigrithorax (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), has been spreading in Europe. Due to its marked invasiveness, this yellow-legged hornet is of great economic and ecological concern, mainly because of the damage it causes to insects in general and bees in particular. Current management methods are sparse and ineffective. Naturally produced by insects, semio-chemicals have been proposed as integrated management tools in this context, either for disruption or mass trapping, as an alternative tool to conventional nonselective traps. Here, we focused on the venom gland, which produces the alarm pheromone. In previous studies, individuals showed marked diversity in their chemical profiles. However, to successfully conduct targeted pheromone-based trapping, the hornet's chemical ecology must be thoroughly characterized. Therefore, it was necessary to better understand the chemical composition of the alarm pheromone of not only workers but also other V. v. nigrithorax females. First, we evaluated the differences in venom gland profiles between the four types of females: queens, foundresses, pre-winter gynes, and workers. Next, we experimentally explored the venom gland profiles of V. velutina nigrithorax workers and pre-wintering gynes by in vivo and in vitro approaches. We found 13 new compounds in the venom gland, of which 9 were identified (chain lengths: C8 to C12). Two compounds were found exclusively in reproductive females. Profiles differed among pre-wintering gynes, foundresses, and queens but not between pre-wintering gynes and workers. This result indicates that the chemical signature of the female venom gland changes over the course of life history: from pre-wintering gynes to foundresses to queens., Les espèces invasives modifient en permanence la répartition et la diversité des espècesindigènes dans le monde entier. Depuis près de vingt ans, un frelon originaire d’Asie du Sud-Est,Vespa velutina nigrithorax (Hymenoptera : Vespidae), se répand en Europe. En raison de son caractèreinvasif marqué, ce frelon à pattes jaunes suscite de vives inquiétudes sur le plan économique etécologique, principalement en raison des dégâts qu’il cause aux insectes en général et aux abeillesen particulier. Les méthodes de gestion actuelles sont rares et inefficaces. Naturellement produits parles insectes, les produits sémio-chimiques ont été proposés comme outils de gestion intégrée. Dansce contexte, soit pour la perturbation, soit pour le piégeage de masse, en tant qu’outil alternatif auxpièges non sélectifs conventionnels. Ici, nous nous sommes concentrés sur la glande à venin, quiproduit la phéromone d’alarme. Des études antérieures ont montré que les femelles présentaientune variabilité dans les profils chimiques. Cependant, pour mener à bien un piégeage ciblé à basede phéromones, l’écologie chimique du frelon doit être caractérisée de manière approfondie. Il étaitdonc nécessaire de mieux comprendre la composition chimique de la phéromone d’alarme nonseulement des ouvrières, mais également des autres femelles de V. v. nigrithorax. Tout d’abord, nousavons examiné les différences dans les profils des glandes à venin entre les quatre types de femelles :les reines, les fondatrices, les gynes pré-hivernantes et les ouvrières. Ensuite, nous avons exploréexpérimentalement les profils des glandes à venin des ouvrières de V. velutina nigrithorax et des gynespré-hivernantes par des approches in vivo et in vitro. Nous avons constaté la présence de 13 nouveauxcomposés dans la glande à venin, dont 9 ont été identifiés (longueur des chaînes : C8 à C12). Deuxcomposés ont été trouvés exclusivement chez les femelles reproductrices. Les profils diffèrent entreles gynes pré-hivernantes, les fondatrices et les reines, mais pas entre les gynes pré-hivernantes et lesouvrières. Ce résultat indique que la signature chimique de la glande à venin femelle évolue au coursde l’histoire de vie : des gynes pré-hivernantes aux fondatrices, en passant par les reines.

Ocean heat content (OHC) is one of the most relevant metrics tracking the current global heating. Therefore, simulated OHC time series are a cornerstone for assessing the scientific performance of Earth system models and global climate models. Here we present a detailed analysis of OHC change in simulations of the historical climate (1850–2014) performed with two pairs of CMIP6 models: U.K. Earth System Model 1 (UKESM1.0) and HadGEM3-GC3.1-LL, and CNRM-ESM2-1 and CNRM-CM6-1. The small number of models enables us to analyze OHC change globally and for individual ocean basins, making use of a novel ensemble of observational products. For the top 700 m of the global ocean, the two CNRM models reproduce the observed OHC change since the 1960s closely. The two U.K. models (UKESM1.0-LL and HadGEM3-GC3.1-LL) compensate a lack of warming in the 0–700 m layer in the 1970s and 1980s with warming below 2000 m. The observed warming between 700 and 2000 m is substantially underestimated by all models. An increased relevance for ocean heat uptake in the Atlantic after 1991—suggested by observations—is picked up by the U.K. models but less so by the CNRM models, probably related to an AMOC strengthening in the U.K. models. The regional ocean heat uptake characteristics differ even though all four models share the same ocean component (NEMO ORCA1). Differences in the simulated global, full-depth OHC time series can be attributed to differences in the model’s total effective radiative forcing.

The response of insect pollinator communities to increasing urbanization is shaped by landscape and local factors. But what about habitats that are already highly artificial? We investigated the drivers of pollinator diversity in a dense urban matrix, the city of Paris. We monitored insect pollinator communities monthly (March-October) for two consecutive years in 12 green spaces that differed in their management practices, focusing on four insect orders (Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera). Pollinator abundance and species richness were both positively tied to green space size and flowering plant species richness, but negatively linked to surrounding impervious surfaces. In addition, environmental features at both the local and landscape scales influenced the composition and functional diversity of wild bee communities. Indeed, small and large bees responded differently, with the occurrence of large-bodied species being impaired by the proportion of impervious surfaces but strongly enhanced by plant species richness. Also, sites with a majority of spontaneous plant species had more functionally diverse bee communities, with oligolectic species more likely to be found.These results, consistent with the literature, can guide the design and management practices of urban green spaces to promote pollinator diversity and pollination function, even in dense urban environments.

International audience; The environmental fate of insecticidal Cry proteins, including time-dependent conservation of biological properties, results from their structural stability in soils. The complex cascade of reactions involved in biological action requires Cry proteins to be in solution. However, the pH-dependent changes in conformational stability and the adsorption–desorption mechanisms of Cry protein on soil minerals remain unclear. We used Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) calculation and differential scanning calorimetry to interpret the driving forces and structural stabilities of Cry1Ac and two contrasting model proteins adsorbed by montmorillonite. The structural stability of Cry1Ac is closer to that of the “hard” protein, α-chymotrypsin, than that of the “soft” bovine serum albumin (BSA). The pH-dependent adsorption of Cry1Ac and α-chymotrypsin could be explained by DLVO theory, whereas the BSA adsorption deviated from it. Patch-controlled electrostatic attraction, hydrophobic effects, and entropy changes following protein unfolding on a mineral surface could contribute to Cry1Ac adsorption. Cry1Ac, like chymotrypsin, was partly denatured on montmorillonite, and its structural stability decreased with an increase in pH. Moreover, small changes in the conformational heterogeneity of both Cry1Ac and chymotrypsin were observed following adsorption. Conversely, adsorbed BSA was completely denatured regardless of the solution pH. The moderate conformational rearrangement of adsorbed Cry1Ac may partially explain why the insecticidal activity of Bt toxin appears to be conserved in soils, albeit for a relatively short time period.

Survival and growth of woody species in the Mediterranean are mainly restricted by water availability. We tested the hypothesis that Mediterranean species acclimate their xylem vulnerability and osmotic potential along a precipitation gradient.We studied five predominant co-occurring Mediterranean species; Quercus calliprinos, Pistacia palaestina, Pistacia lentiscus, Rhamnus lycioides and Phillyrea latifolia, over two summers at three sites. The driest of the sites is the distribution edge for all the five species. We measured key hydraulic and osmotic traits related to drought resistance, including resistance to embolism (psi(50)) and the seasonal dynamics of water and osmotic potentials.The leaf water potentials (psi(l)) of all species declined significantly along the summer, reaching significantly lower psi(l) at the end of summer in the drier sites. Surprisingly, we did not find plasticity along the drought gradient in psi(50) or osmotic potentials. This resulted in much narrower hydraulic safety margins (HSMs) in the drier sites, where some species experienced significant embolism.Our analysis indicates that reduction in HSM to null values put Mediterranean species in embolism risk as they approach their hydraulic limit near the geographical dry edge of their distribution.

International audience; Bilebullephlebia legendrei n. gen., n. sp. is described, illustrated, and placed into the small epiproctophoran family Burmaphlebiidae. This family was previously known from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber by two monotypic genera, but the new fossil shows that its diversity is underestimated. At least one additional genus with an enigmatic wing venation remains to be described from the same deposit. Nothing is known about the genitalia configuration of the Burmaphlebiidae but new fossils are expected to clarify the position of the family which is currently only discussed in light of wing venation characters.

International audience; -Plutella xylostella cause severe damage on cruciferous plants all over the world. Farmers in several regions of Brazil report increasing inefficiency of chemical control, even when using high insecticide concentrations. We evaluate here the susceptibility of brazilian diamondback moth populations to the Premio (R) (Chlorantraniliprole), Dipel (R) (Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki) and Lannate (R) BR (Oxime Methylcarbamate) insecticides, frequently used in Brazil. Susceptibility bioassays with five field -collected and two laboratory diamondback moth populations were conducted with increasing concentrations of insecticides up to ten times above the recommended concentration. Extremely high and region-dependent resistances were found in field populations against Chlorantraniliprole and B. thuringiensis, with Resistance Ratios up to 370.0 times for the Camocim de Sao Felix population. For Oxime Methylcarbamate, we were not able to do Probit analyses for the field populations because of very low mortality rates. Laboratory populations showed resistance to the three tested insecticides with all LC50 concentrations exceeding the recommended doses by at least 3 times. Our results show strong and variable resistance to the three tested insecticides according to the region of origin. To maintain efficient pest control in a large country like Brazil, local levels of resistance need therefore to be monitored by the authorities and reassessment and adjustments of regional doses of insecticides should be implemented as a public policy, to prevent massive spread of insecticides in the field, as well as increases in cases of resistance.

We thank all the volunteers who realized the sample collection, especially the team of the Centre Permanent d’Initiatives pour l’Environnement d’Ajaccio mobilized for the project “Aio lumacchi, Allez les escargots” funded by Office Français de la Biodiversité and the wardens of the Collectivité Territoriale de Corse. We also thank DREAL Corse for funding support. Handling and sampling of this protected species were performed under permits: Arrêtés préfectoraux 2 A 2018-01-29-001, 2 A 2020-03-25-001 and 2 A-2021-02-25-003.; International audience; Population genetics of threatened species provides information about evolutionary pressures over those populations and thus may inform conservation management strategies. However, conservation genetics still has a low impact on conservation practices. This study's aim is to integrate genetics in the conservation management of the only-known population of an extremely narrow-range endemic Corsican snail-Tyrrhenaria ceratina-, whose distribution area is restricted to the Ricantu site in Corsica. Using non-invasive DNA samples of 210 individuals, we amplified 13 microsatellites loci to assess the population viability, genetic structure and demographic history of the population, along with the estimation of the historical and contemporary gene flow between identified genetic clusters. We also estimated the dispersal ability of the species. Our results showed a surprisingly high genetic diversity, along with a pattern of isolation by distance (IBD) and a strongly spatialized genetic structure. Furthermore, we underlined a low functional connectivity, along with evidence of a recent decline in the population size, which are both likely due to a historical fragmentation between the sampled areas, caused by anthropization. Overall, this study allows to provide a first insight about the functioning of the population, to guide future conservation actions for the species.

International audience

International audience; Natural and semi-natural grasslands, particularly dry grasslands, are high-value biodiversity hotspots in Europe and major challenges for ecological conservation and restoration. Soil transfer has been used successfully to restore dry grassland ecosystems (soil and vegetation), but should only be applied as a last resort and where an undegraded ecosystem has previously independently been earmarked for destruction. Assessing overall restoration success means taking soil recovery into account as well as vegetation regeneration. In Mediterranean regions and under global warming, soil hydrodynamic properties are the most critical limiting factors for the restoration of dry ecosystems. This study analyses soil physico-chemical parameters and hydrodynamic properties in reconstructed soils after soil transfer following a petrol land spill. Six years after soil transfer and compared to the surrounding soil reference steppe, the horizons of the soil transfer treatments were significantly less colonised by plant roots and showed very few biological activities and earthworm galleries. Then, their porosity was also significantly lower. Hydrodynamic properties continue to differ significantly between the restored site and the surrounding reference steppe ecosystem. There is also less available soil water and water drains faster in all soil transfer treatments. This can be explained by significant higher finer grain size (clays, silt), chemical elements (N, P, K), and plant cover for soil transfer treatments but significant, lower levels of organic matterdue to mechanical soil compaction during soil spreading. The soil transfer treatment involving full reconstitution of the three main soil layers yields the most encouraging results. However, the question arises of whether long-term vegetation recovery might be compromised by soil hydrological dysfunction under global warming.

International audience; To contribute to the sustainable management of the coastal fishing in the future Marine Protected Area (MPA) of “Taza” (Algeria, SW Mediterranean), the aim of this study was to evaluate the Local Knowledge (LK) of fishers operating near the forthcoming MPA and to understand their conservation-oriented attitudes. Data were collected through interviews and participatory mapping. To this end, 30 face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted between June and September 2017 with fishers, collecting socioeconomic, biological, and ecological information in the fishing harbor of Ziama (Jijel, NE Algeria). The case study focuses on both professional and recreational coastal fisheries. This fishing harbor is located in the eastern part of the Gulf of Béjaia, a Bay located within the area of this future MPA, but outside its boundaries. Based on fishers' LK, cartography of fishing grounds within the MPA perimeter was obtained, while the perceived healthy bottom habitats and polluted areas in the Gulf were mapped by the use of a hard copy map. The results show that fishers present detailed knowledge that is consistent with literature about different target species and their breeding seasons, showing awareness about the reserve effects ‘spillover’ in enhancing local fisheries. Overall, the fishers noted that the good management of the MPA relies on limiting trawling in coastal areas and avoiding land-based pollution within the Gulf. Some of such management measures are already included in the proposed zoning plan, but lack of enforcement is a perceived constraint. Given the gap observed between the two shores of the Mediterranean Sea in terms of both financial resources and MPA coverage, the use of local knowledge system (e.g., fishers' LK and their perceptions) can enable the implementation of a cost-effective method to encourage the creation of new MPAs in the Southern shore for more ecological representativeness systems of MPAs at a Mediterranean scale. Therefore, this work offers management opportunities that may be used for addressing the lack of scientific knowledge in managing coastal fishing and valuing MPAs in Southern Mediterranean low-income countries characterized by a data-poor context.

International audience; In the Chaîne des Puys (CdP, France), volcanic edifices and their emissions cover the weathered conductive low-permeable basement and fill the paleo-valleys, hiding the groundwater flows. The 3D delineation of such buried watersheds can be achieved studying variations of conductivity related to primary geological contrasts as well as secondary weathering-induced contrasts.We used AEM data to delineate the geometry of the undercover volcanism-basement interface in the northern part of the CdP and derived watersheds. Despite the highly resistive volcanic cover, our processing allowed structural imaging up to a depth of investigation of 330 meters in average.The processing and inversion of AEM data highlights the interface between a strongly resistant volcanic cover (~104-105 Ω.m) and a decametric conductive weathered horizon at the top of the basement (30-300 Ω.m).We picked the weathered horizon of the basement on several resistivity profiles, to build an elevation model of its top. The newly derived watersheds noticeably differ from the ones proposed in literature.

International audience

International audience; The Pliocene Epoch (∼5.3-2.6 million years ago, Ma) was characterized by a warmer than present climate with smaller Northern Hemisphere ice sheets, and offers an example of a climate system in long-term equilibrium with current or predicted near-future atmospheric CO 2 concentrations (pCO 2). A long-term trend of ice-sheet expansion led to more pronounced glacial (cold) stages by the end of the Pliocene (∼2.6 Ma), known as the "intensification of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation" (iNHG). We assessed the spatial and temporal variability of ocean temperatures and ice-volume indicators through the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene (from 3.3 to 2.4 Ma) to determine the character of this climate transition. We identified asynchronous shifts in long-term means and the pacing and amplitude of shorter-term climate variability, between regions and between climate proxies. Early changes in Antarctic glaciation and Southern Hemisphere ocean properties occurred even during the mid-Piacenzian warm period (∼3.264-3.025 Ma) which has been used as an analog for future warming. Increased climate variability subsequently developed alongside signatures of larger Northern Hemisphere ice sheets (iNHG). Yet, some regions of the ocean felt no impact of iNHG, particularly in lower latitudes. Our analysis has demonstrated the complex, non-uniform and globally asynchronous nature of climate changes associated with the iNHG. Shifting ocean gateways and ocean circulation changes may have pre-conditioned the later evolution of ice sheets with falling atmospheric pCO 2. Further development of high-resolution, multi-proxy reconstructions of climate is required so that the full potential of the rich and detailed geological records can be realized. Plain Language Summary Warm climates of the geological past provide windows into future environmental responses to elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentrations, and past climate transitions identify important or sensitive regions and processes. We assessed the patterns of average ocean temperatures and indicators of ice sheet size over hundreds of thousands of years, and compared to shorter-term variability (tens of thousands of years) during a recent transition from late Pliocene warmth (when CO 2 was similar to present) to the onset of the large and repeated advances of northern hemisphere ice sheets referred to as the "ice ages." MCCLYMONT ET AL.

International audience; Isothiazolinones are a family of broad-spectrum biocides widely used in industry and consumer products. Chloro- and methyl-isothiazolinones (CMIT and MIT) are documented as strong irritants, yet they are still used in a wide variety of applications, including cosmetics, cleansers, hygiene products and various industrial applications. The subsequent substantial release of these molecules from urban sources into freshwater environments, and their potential impacts on aquatic species, have nevertheless received little attention so far, with few studies reporting on the toxicity of either CMIT or MIT to non-target organisms. The present work addresses this current knowledge gap by evaluating CMIT/MIT (3:1) and MIT acute toxicity to Daphnia pulex (Cladocera), the two formulations most commonly used by manufacturers. Additionally, genetic diversity is known to be a major component of variability in phenotypic responses, although it is largely overlooked in typical toxicity tests. Subsequently the potential range of responses inherent to genetic diversity is rarely considered. Therefore, to account for intraspecific variation in sensitivity, the design involved eight clonal lines of D. pulex stemming from distinct natural populations or commercial strains. Clones exhibited strong variation in their responses, with lethal concentrations (LC50) ranging from 0.10 to 1.84 mg/L for the mixture CMIT/MIT, and from 0.68 to 2.84 mg/L for MIT alone. These intraspecific ranges of LC50 challenge the use of single clones of daphnids in standard ecotoxicological tests and the predictions based on their results. The present study brings new evidence that assessing ecological risk of chemicals while ignoring genotype diversity is neither ecologically relevant, nor a representative evaluation of the diversity of potential adverse outcomes.

International audience; Environmental pollution monitoring represents a major challenge due to the growing presence of a large and diverse number of potential contaminants. In complement to target analysis, nontarget analysis, via liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), is increasingly used to provide a more comprehensive characterization of pollution. The challenge associated with this type of analysis is particularly related to the data treatment for substance identification. One of the main limitations is that all data must be manually reviewed, which is tedious and time-consuming. Machine learning algorithms aim to reproduce human behavior, and their capabilities were therefore evaluated to automatically identify substances in suspect screening approaches. After selecting the relevant features produced from LC/HRMS, seven different machine learning models were evaluated for each of the three different databases, which resulted in the selection of logistic regression (LR) and random forest (RF)-based algorithms. An interface was built to rank the identified substances and to assess the performance of the developed models. The LR model provided the best results when retention times were available. The developed LR and RF models were determined complementarily, particularly when no retention times were available. However, limitations were noticed when using a database containing different HRMS technologies.

International audience; The oxidation of petrogenic organic carbon (OCpetro) is a source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere over geological timescales. The rates of OCpetro oxidation in locations that experience low rates of denudation remain poorly constrained, despite these landscapes dominating Earth's continental surface area. Here, we track OCpetro oxidation using radiocarbon and the trace element rhenium (Re) in the deep weathering profiles, soils and stream waters of the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (PA, USA). In a ridge-top borehole, radiocarbon measurements reveal the presence of a broad OCpetro weathering front, with a first-order assessment of ~40% loss occurring over ~6 m. However, the low OCpetro concentration (< 0.05 wt%) and inputs of radiocarbon throughout the deepest parts of the profile complicate the assessment of OCpetro loss. The OCpetro weathering front coincides with a zone of Re depletion (~90% loss), and we estimate that > 80% of Re in the rock is associated with OCpetro, based on Re/Na and Re/S ratios. Using estimates of long-term denudation rates, the observed OCpetro loss and the Re proxy are equivalent to a low OCpetro oxidation yield of < 1.7 × 10−2 tC km−2 yr−1. This is consistent with the low OCpetro concentrations and low denudation rates at this location. In addition, we find the surface cycle of Re is decoupled from that of deep weathering, with an enrichment of Re in surface soils and elevated Re concentrations in stream water, precipitation, and shallow groundwater. A mass balance model shows that this can be explained by a historical anthropogenic contribution of Re through atmospheric deposition. We estimate that the topsoil Re pool could take decades to centuries to deplete and call for a renewed focus on anthropogenic perturbation of the surface Re cycle in low denudation rate settings.

Environmental science & technology 57(7), 2768 - 2778 (2023). doi:10.1021/acs.est.2c06985, Rare earth elements (REEs) are strategic metals strongly involved in low-carbon energy conversion. However, these emerging contaminants are increasingly disseminated into ecosystems, raising concern regarding their toxicity. REE-accumulating plants are crucial subjects to better understand REE transfer to the trophic chain but are also promising phytoremediation tools. In this analysis, we deciphered REE accumulation sites in the REE-accumulating fern Dryopteris erythrosora by synchrotron X-ray μfluorescence (μXRF). This technique allows a high-resolution and in situ analysis of fresh samples or frozen-hydrated cross sections of different organs of the plant. In the sporophyte, REEs were translocated from the roots to the fronds by the xylem sap and were stored within the xylem conductive system. The comparison of REE distribution and accumulation levels in the healthy and necrotic parts of the frond shed light on the differential mobility between light and heavy REEs. Furthermore, the comparison emphasized that necrotized areas were not the main REE-accumulating sites. Finally, the absence of cell-to-cell mobility of REEs in the gametophyte suggested the absence of REE-compatible transporters in photosynthetic tissues. These results provide valuable knowledge on the physiology of REE-accumulating ferns to understand the REE cycle in biological systems and the expansion of phytotechnologies for REE-enriched or REE-contaminated soils., Published by American Chemical Society, Columbus, Ohio

Marine phytoplankton play important roles in the global ecosystem, with a limited number of cosmopolitan keystone species driving their biomass. Recent studies have revealed that many of these phytoplankton are complexes composed of sibling species, but little is known about the evolutionary processes underlying their formation. Gephyrocapsa huxleyi, a widely distributed and abundant unicellular marine planktonic algae, produces calcified scales (coccoliths), thereby significantly affects global biogeochemical cycles via sequestration of inorganic carbon. This species is composed of morphotypes defined by differing degrees of coccolith calcification, the evolutionary ecology of which remains unclear. Here, we report an integrated morphological, ecological and genomic survey across globally distributed G. huxleyi strains to reconstruct evolutionary relationships between morphotypes in relation to their habitats. While G. huxleyi has been considered a single cosmopolitan species, our analyses demonstrate that it has evolved to comprise at least three distinct species, which led us to formally revise the taxonomy of the G. huxleyi complex. Moreover, the first speciation event occurred before the onset of the last interglacial period (~140 ka), while the second followed during this interglacial. Then, further rapid diversifications occurred during the most recent ice-sheet expansion of the last glacial period and established morphotypes as dominant populations across environmental clines. These results suggest that glacial-cycle dynamics contributed to the isolation of ocean basins and the segregations of oceans fronts as extrinsic drivers of micro-evolutionary radiations in extant marine phytoplankton.

International audience; Plastic has been largely detected in estuarine environments and represents major concern towards aquatic living organisms. The present study evaluates the impact of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) under realistic exposure conditions. Scrobicularia plana individuals were exposed to low concentrations (0.008, 10, and 100 µg L−1) of environmental MPs and NPs as well as to standard PS NPs, as a comparison condition. The aim of this study was to understand the ecotoxicological effects of environmental plastic particles on S. plana gills and digestive glands but also to compare the effects of plastic polymers size in order to highlight if the size could induce different toxicity profiles within this model organism, at different levels of biological organization. Results showed a differential induction of detoxification enzymes (CAT, GST), immunity (AcP), DNA damage processes as well as a differential effect on behavior and condition index of animals depending upon the type of plastic, the size, the concentration tested, and the type of organ. This study underlines the necessity of testing (i) plastics collected from the environment as compared to standard ones and (ii) the effect of size using plastics coming from the same batch of macrosized plastics. This study concludes on the future need directions that plastic-based studies must take in order to be able to generate a large quantity of relevant data that could be used for future regulatory needs on the use of plastic.

International audience; Wetlands are the largest natural source of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. The eddy covariance method provides robust measurements of net ecosystem exchange of CH4, but interpreting its spatiotemporal variations is challenging due to the co-occurrence of CH4 production, oxidation, and transport dynamics. Here, we estimate these three processes using a data-model fusion approach across 25 wetlands in temperate, boreal, and Arctic regions. Our data-constrained model—iPEACE—reasonably reproduced CH4 emissions at 19 of the 25 sites with normalized root mean square error of 0.59, correlation coefficient of 0.82, and normalized standard deviation of 0.87. Among the three processes, CH4 production appeared to be the most important process, followed by oxidation in explaining inter-site variations in CH4 emissions. Based on a sensitivity analysis, CH4 emissions were generally more sensitive to decreased water table than to increased gross primary productivity or soil temperature. For periods with leaf area index (LAI) of ≥20% of its annual peak, plant-mediated transport appeared to be the major pathway for CH4 transport. Contributions from ebullition and diffusion were relatively high during low LAI (

International audience; PurposeInformation and communications technology (ICT) plays a key role in higher education in improving the teaching process. Consequently, the environmental impacts associated with ICT are increasing, and innovative solutions must be deployed to reduce these impacts and increase students’ awareness. Single-board computers (SBCs) are promising because they rely on less materials and energy than desktop computers (PCs). But additional servers are required to perform large-scale computations. Hence, this paper aims at conducting comparative LCA between SBCs and PCs.Materials and methodsThe study is conducted in the context of a French engineering school with the following functional unit: “use 600 computers for 5 years in an engineering school.” Two scenarios are defined to fulfil this functional unit. Scenario 1 is the use of 600 PCs (current infrastructure), and scenario 2 is the use of 600 SBCs combined with 6 servers (alternative infrastructure). The analysis includes the materials manufacturing, assembly, packaging, transport, use and end-of-life of each device. Life cycle inventory (LCI) of the foreground systems was generated using a variety of sources: disassembly of computers, counting of electronic components, datasheets, estimations, etc. LCI of the background systems is taken from ecoinvent 3.5. The selected life cycle impact assessment methodology is ReCiPe 2016 midpoint, and computation of impacts is done with openLCA 1.10.3.Results and discussionScenario 2 (SBCs + servers) generates 84 to 92% less impact than scenario 1 (PCs) in all categories. In terms of global warming, scenarios 1 and 2 generate 225 and 18 tCO2 eq per functional unit, respectively. This is explained by the large reduction in material and energy requirements for SBCs which is not counterbalanced by the servers. Equipment manufacturing accounts for the largest share of impacts in most categories for both scenarios (e.g., ~70% for global warming), followed by the use phase. This differs from the results found in the literature, as this study was conducted in the context of France, which has a low-carbon electricity mix.ConclusionsOur analysis has shown that SBCs combined with servers reduce the carbon footprint and other environmental impacts of ICT infrastructure for higher education. This study provides an example of low tech-oriented solution for students. Other prospective solutions (e.g., use of laptops) should be extensively studied in the future. From an LCA point of view, updating the inventory data related to background processes for electronic components is a necessary step forward to improve the certainty of the results.

International audience; The effects of sediment elutriate, prepared from a sediment resuspension simulation process, on the growth of bacterioplankton and of different sized phytoplankton as well as on their grazing by protozooplankton were investigated in Mediterranean coastal ecosystems during spring phytoplankton bloom. In parallel, the response of bacterioplankton, phytoplankton and protozooplankton to sediment elutriate enrichment was assessed in microcosm experiments. Elutriate addition provoked a high enrichment in nutriments of the overlying water, particularly in ammonium, dissolved organic matter but also in trace metal elements and herbicides. Overall, elutriate addition significantly increased the biomass of bacterioplankton and of total phytoplankton, but the phytoplankton size fractions responded differently to elutriate enrichment. The picophytoplankton showed a significant strong enhancement in both growth and production rates, relatively to control, while these rates significantly decreased for nano- and microphytoplankton. Accordingly, the phytoplankton size structure shifted in elutriate microcosm toward a dominance of the picophytoplankton concomitant with a significant reduction in larger size fractions. The elutriate addition caused also a clear shift in the taxonomic composition of protozooplankton, associated with a significant modification of its functional diversity, with the dominance of pico-sized cell consumers (such as aloricate ciliates, heterotrophic nanoflagellates and mixotrophic dinoflagellates) in the detriment of grazers of nano- and microphytoplankton (such as heterotrophic dinoflagellate). The protozooplankton grazing on small prey (bacterioplankton and picophytoplankton) increased, while feeding on nano- and micro-sized phytoplankton decreased after elutriate addition. These results have implication for the carbon transfer pathway, which could change from an herbivorous food web to a microbial food web, influencing so the exportation of biogenic carbon through the other trophic compartments.

Predatory fish species play a key role in aquatic ecosystems by exerting top-down control on the food web. Also, their intra-guild trophic interactions (i.e. competition) are crucial for the stability of the community. However, most studies focus on adult stages, while juveniles remain poorly studied, although their recruitment is the basis for the maintenance of predator populations. We analysed carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes ratios of the young-of-year of four coexisting widespread predatory fish species (northern pike Esox lucius, European perch Perca fluviatilis, pikeperch Sander lucioperca, and European catfish Silurus glanis), sampled over 3 years in a shallow natural lake. We found that the hierarchy in trophic position between species was consistent across years and similar to that known for adults, but with large variations around a general pattern: pike and pikeperch tended to occupy the highest trophic positions while perch occupied the lowest, and catfish had very varying positions. Species partitioned their niches to decrease interspecific competition, but with some occasional overlaps, contributing to preserving their body condition. Depending on density, which was particularly impacted by harsh environmental conditions, niche overlap fluctuated across years, leading to niche enlargement of densely populated species, except for catfish. These mechanisms enabled species coexistence, allowing the co-occurrence of alien and native predators within the same ecosystem. This work advocates for time-integrated studies of trophic webs because they capture the variability of their dynamics better than a static picture. This is particularly true for juveniles whose survival strongly depends on their capacity to cope with competition. Information from trophic mid-term studies of juveniles provides valuable guidance for optimised management of species.

International audience; The recent paper by Deng et al. showed that a copper sulphide with Cu7Sn3S10 composition is a promising thermoelectric material reaching a figure of merit ZT of 0.8 at 750 K via Cl doping. However, structural reinvestigations of the Cu7Sn3S10 sample (i.e., Cu2.10Sn0.90S3) prepared in the reported conditions show that the phase of interest is not tetragonal (space group I (4) over bar 2m, a(t) = 5.4164 angstrom, c(t) = 10.832 angstrom), but crystallizes in the cubic symmetry (space group P (4) over bar 3n, a(c) = 10.832 angstrom) with a composition close to Cu22Sn10S32 similar to the results published by Pavan Kumar et al. These observations indicate that the main phase around the composition Cu7Sn3S10 is cubic, and a revision needs to be imposed for the understanding of the relationships between the structure and thermoelectric properties in this family.

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International audience; Siberian forests are generally thought to have acted as an important carbon sink over recent decades, but exposure to severe droughts and fire disturbances may have impacted their carbon dynamics. Limited available forest inventories mean the carbon balance remains uncertain. Here we analyse annual live and dead above-ground carbon changes derived from low-frequency passive microwave observations from 2010 to 2019. We find that during this period, the carbon balance of Siberian forests was close to neutral, with the forests acting as a small carbon sink of +0.02+0.03+0.01 PgC yr−1. Carbon storage in dead wood increased, but this was largely offset by a decrease in live biomass. Substantial losses of live above-ground carbon are attributed to fire and drought, such as the widespread fires in northern Siberia in 2012 and extreme drought in eastern Siberia in 2015. These live above-ground carbon losses contrast with ‘greening’ trends seen in leaf area index over the same period, a decoupling explained by faster post-disturbance recovery of leaf area than live above-ground carbon. Our study highlights the vulnerability of large forest carbon stores in Siberia to climate-induced disturbances, challenging the persistence of the carbon sink in this region of the globe.

International audience; In Europe, COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were first implemented in March 2020 to control the spread of the disease from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Many studies have focused on the influence of the applied measures on pollution levels during this period, but very limited information on the oxidative potential (OP), an emerging metric of particulate matter (PM) exposure. Furthermore, most previous studies also commonly used comparative methods with historical datasets, which may not be estimating the real pollution levels without the lockdown restrictions in place. In this study, the OP of PM collected at urban background (Grenoble, France) and traffic (Bern, Switzerland) sites was assessed using dithiothreitol (DTT) and ascorbic acid (AA) assays. These measurements were also compared with PM and black carbon (BC) mass concentrations, including the wood burning and fossil fuel fractions of BC. To obtain a more realistic pollution level, assuming there were no lockdown restrictions in place, a machine learning technique called the Random Forest (RF) regression model was applied to predict a business-as-usual (BAU) level for OP, PM, and BC in both sites. This model provided a good estimate of the BAU levels, allowing a more realistic assessment of the pollution changes during the lockdown period. The results indicate a clear decrease in OP found in the traffic site, while a more modest change in OP was found at the urban background site, likely due to sustained contributions from wood burning sources for residential heating. Overall, this study confirms the major roles of both of these combustion sources in the OP levels in ambient air.

International audience; Interactions among plants have been long recognized as a major force driving plant community dynamics and crop yield. Surprisingly, our knowledge of the ecological genetics associated with variation of plant-plant interactions remains limited. In this opinion article by scientists from complementary disciplines, the international PLANTCOM network identified four timely questions to foster a better understanding of the mechanisms mediating plant assemblages. We propose that by identifying the key relationships among phenotypic traits involved in plant-plant interactions and the underlying adaptive genetic and molecular pathways, while considering environmental fluctuations at diverse spatial and time scales, we can improve predictions of genotype-by-genotype-by-environment interactions and modeling of productive and stable plant assemblages in wild habitats and crop fields.

International audience; During extreme climate events, behavioural thermoregulation may buffer ectotherms from thermal stress and overheating. However, heatwaves are also combined with dry spells and limited water availability, and how much individuals can behaviourally mitigate dehydration risks through microclimate selection remains largely unknown. Herein, we investigated the behavioural and physiological responses to changes in air and microhabitat humidity in a terrestrial ectotherm, the asp viper (Vipera aspis). We exposed individuals to a simulated heatwave together with water deprivation for 3 weeks, and manipulated air water vapour density (wet air vs. dry air) and microclimate (wet shelter vs. dry shelter) in a two-by-two factorial design. Dry air conditions led to substantial physiological dehydration and muscle wasting. Vipers exposed to dry air used more often a shelter that offered a moist microclimate, which reduced dehydration and muscle wasting at the individual level. These results provide the first experimental evidence that active behavioural hydroregulation can mitigate specific physiological stress responses caused by a dry spell in an ectotherm. Future studies investigating organismal responses to climate change should consider moisture gradient in the habitat and integrate both hydroregulation and thermoregulation behaviours.

International audience; Each season, crops face simultaneous or successive multiple infections. Yet cultivar resistance is often bred against one pest at a time, and screened under single infections. This raises the question of resistance expression bred under mono-infections when exposed to multiple infections. We tackled this question by measuring the level of quantitative resistance of potato cultivars to either Globodera pallida or Phytophthora infestans under single or multiple infections, using potato virus Y (PVY) or Rhizoctonia solani as the co-infector. Overall, co-infection resulted in less multiplication of the target pathogen compared to single infection, although this reduction did not always reach statistical significance. A preliminary assessment of defence gene expression in plants infected with P. infestans alone or together with PVY or R. solani suggested that P. infestans repressed defence genes previously triggered by PVY, but boosted the expression of these genes when primed by R. solani. Together, these data support the view that resistance expression is impacted by co-infection, and that it should be screened under multiple infection situations to be best assessed and exploited as a component of Integrated Pest Management strategies.

International audience; Through the Natura 2000 policy, EU member states are committed to maintaining or restoring the favourable conservation status of a list of habitats and species throughout their territory. We show here that evaluating the effectiveness of this policy regarding its assigned objectives requires translating these objectives into normative reference and then describing the constraints on habitats and species that the policy seeks to conserve. We propose a strategic evaluation framework based on this principle, applied at the level of the Metropolitan French territory, by relying on the exploitation of several data sets, whose are generally not mobilised by the standard evaluation procedure. The results are broken down by natural ecosystems and biogeographical regions, providing a dashboard for the policy that is the basis for a comprehensive strategic evaluation.

SummaryThe current distribution and population structure of many species were, to a large extent, shaped by cycles of isolation in glacial refugia and subsequent population expansions. Isolation in, and post-glacial expansion through heterogeneous environments led to either neutral or adaptive divergence. Norway spruce is no exception, and its current distribution is the consequence of a constant interplay between evolutionary and demographic processes. We investigated population differentiation and adaptation of Norway spruce for juvenile growth, diameter of the stem, wood density and tracheid traits at breast height. Data from 4,461 phenotyped and genotyped Norway spruce from 396 half-sib families in two progeny tests were used to test for divergent selection in the framework of QST vs FST. We show that the macroscopic resultant trait (stem diameter), unlike its microscopic components (tracheid dimensions) and juvenile growth, was under divergent selection that predated the Last Glacial Maximum. Altogether, the current variation in these phenotypic traits in Norway spruce is better explained by local adaptation to ancestral environments than to current ones, where populations were partly pre-adapted, mainly through growth-related traits.

We present an interdisciplinary investigation of the links between the macro and microphysical properties of rain, the biochemical composition of rain, meteorological parameters, and their impacts on the phytoplankton dynamics of a mountain lake. In order to document this interdisciplinary scientific question, Lake Aydat in the French Massif Central mountains was fitted with a set of high-resolution atmospheric radars, a disdrometer, and a precipitation collector in 2020. In parallel, the lake was monitored via sensors and water sampling. To illustrate the potential of this novel experimental setup, we present a case study of a rain event that occurred in September 2020 and during which, three contrasting sub-periods were identified based on the type of rain (convective or stratiform). Using our high-temporal resolution monitoring, we show that the origin of the air mass mainly influences the chemical composition of the rain, which depends on the rain type. In contrast, the photosynthetic cell concentration in the rain is mainly influenced by meteorological variables, predominantly below-cloud scavenging. The very low concentrations of photosynthetic cells found in rain events cannot directly impact the lake's phytoplankton abundance. In contrast, the rain rate directly impacted the lake's thermal stratification during the convective event. The response of the phytoplankton depends on the genus and, interestingly, three cyanobacteria, Microcystis, Coelomoron, and Merismopedia, showed a systematic response to rain events with a sudden decrease in abundance at the lake surface immediately after rain events. In contrast, the abundance of green algae (Elakatothrix), picocyanobacteria (Synechocystis and Synechococcus), and diatoms (Asterionella and Melosira) gradually increased following the rain events, but with a lower intensity compared to the cyanobacteria species. These different phytoplankton responses to the same rainfall event could play a key role in phytoplankton dynamics in the temperate zone. Our results highlight the importance of high-frequency and time resolution monitoring of both atmosphere and lake to better understand the adaptive strategies of cyanobacteria following rain events.

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International audience; The Anthropocene was conceptualized in 2000 to reflect the extensive impact of human activities on our planet, and subsequent detailed analyses have revealed a substantial Earth System response to these impacts beginning in the mid-20 th century. Key to this understanding was the discovery of a sharp upturn in a multitude of global socioeconomic indicators and Earth System trends at that time; a phenomenon termed the 'Great Acceleration'. It coincides with massive increases in global human-consumed energy and shows the Earth System now on a trajectory far exceeding the earlier variability of the Holocene Epoch, and in some respects the entire Quaternary Period. The evaluation of geological signals similarly shows the mid-20 th century as representing the most appropriate inception for the Anthropocene. A recent mathematical analysis has nonetheless challenged the significance of the original Great Acceleration data. We examine this analytical approach and reiterate the robustness of the original data in supporting the Great Acceleration, while emphasizing that intervals of rapid growth are inevitably time-limited, as recognised at the outset. Moreover, the exceptional magnitude of this growth remains undeniable, reaffirming the centrality of the Great Acceleration in justifying a formal chronostratigraphic Anthropocene at the rank of series/epoch.

Subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) precipitation prediction in boreal spring and summer months, which contains a significant number of high-signal events, is scientifically challenging and prediction skill has remained poor for years. Tibetan Plateau (TP) spring observed surface ­temperatures show a lag correlation with summer precipitation in several remote regions, but current global land–atmosphere coupled models are unable to represent this behavior due to significant errors in producing observed TP surface temperatures. To address these issues, the Global Energy and Water Exchanges (GEWEX) program launched the “Impact of Initialized Land Temperature and Snowpack on Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Prediction” (LS4P) initiative as a community effort to test the impact of land temperature in high-mountain regions on S2S prediction by climate models: more than 40 institutions worldwide are participating in this project. After using an innovative new land state initialization approach based on observed surface 2-m temperature over the TP in the LS4P experiment, results from a multimodel ensemble provide evidence for a causal relationship in the observed association between the Plateau spring land temperature and summer precipitation over several regions across the world through teleconnections. The influence is underscored by an out-of-phase oscillation between the TP and Rocky Mountain surface temperatures. This study reveals for the first time that high-mountain land temperature could be a substantial source of S2S precipitation predictability, and its effect is probably as large as ocean surface temperature over global “hotspot” regions identified here; the ensemble means in some “hotspots” produce more than 40% of the observed anomalies. This LS4P approach should stimulate more follow-on explorations.

International audience; Context Crop rotations, within-field mixtures, and landscape mosaics including susceptible and resistant crops are three commonly adopted crop diversification strategies that can limit crop epidemics. Typically, the effects of crop diversification at these three scales have been studied separately, on single pathogen species, and with low environmental variability. Objectives We aim to compare the disease-limitation effect of these three types of crop diversification on two highly damaging fungal pathogens of wheat Puccinia recondita (WLR) and Zymoseptoria tritici (STB) and under varying weather conditions (warmer or cooler climate for WLR, wetter or drier conditions for STB). Methods We built a dynamic mathematical model of epidemics at the field scale (based on classical Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Removed epidemiological models) embedded in a spatially explicit landscape grid framework. We use it to simulate an agricultural landscape in which diversification translates into different proportions of wheat and resistant crops in the landscape. Results In our simulations, for both pathogens and in all weather conditions, within-field crop mixtures had the greatest impact in limiting epidemics, crop rotations were second-best, while landscape mosaics were the least effective. We also found that the threshold above which further addition of resistant plants to crop mixtures would not cause further disease limitation to be dependent on weather conditions. The more favorable the weather is for pathogens the more resistant plants are required. Conclusions Our findings imply that interactions between spatial scale of crop diversification, pathogen characteristics and weather conditions should be considered in order to maximize benefits from disease-regulation properties of diversified cropping systems under climate change.

This study evaluates the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to the automatic classification of radiolarians and uses as an example eight distinct morphospecies of the Eocene radiolarian genus Podocyrtis, which are part of three different evolutionary lineages and are useful in biostratigraphy. The samples used in this study were recovered from the equatorial Atlantic (ODP Leg 207) and were supplemented with some samples coming from the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To create an automatic classification tool, numerous images of the investigated species were needed to train a MobileNet convolutional neural network entirely coded in Python. Three different datasets were obtained. The first one consists of a mixture of broken and complete specimens, some of which sometimes appear blurry. The second and third datasets were leveled down into two further steps, which excludes broken and blurry specimens while increasing the quality. The convolutional neural network randomly selected 85 % of all specimens for training, while the remaining 15 % were used for validation. The MobileNet architecture had an overall accuracy of about 91 % for all datasets. Three predicational models were thereafter created, which had been trained on each dataset and worked well for classification of Podocyrtis coming from the Indian Ocean (Madingley Rise, ODP Leg 115, Hole 711A) and the western North Atlantic Ocean (New Jersey slope, DSDP Leg 95, Hole 612 and Blake Nose, ODP Leg 171B, Hole 1051A). These samples also provided clearer images since they were mounted with Canada balsam rather than Norland epoxy. In spite of some morphological differences encountered in different parts of the world's oceans and differences in image quality, most species could be correctly classified or at least classified with a neighboring species along a lineage. Classification improved slightly for some species by cropping and/or removing background particles of images which did not segment properly in the image processing. However, depending on cropping or background removal, the best result came from the predictive model trained on the normal stacked dataset consisting of a mixture of broken and complete specimens.