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PDF file - 48K, Hsp27 knockdown reduces cell invasion through matrigel.

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PDF file - 61K, Hsp27 targeting siRNA has similar effects on EMT as stable Hsp27 knockdown.

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Ecology and forestry sciences are using an increasing amount of data to address a wide variety of technical and research questions at the local, continental and global scales. However, one type of data remains rare: fine-grain descriptions of large landscapes. Yet, this type of data could help address the scaling issues in ecology and could prove useful for testing forest management strategies and accurately predicting the dynamics of ecosystem services. Here we present three datasets describing three large European landscapes in France, Poland and Slovenia down to the tree level. Tree diameter, height and species data were generated combining field data, vegetation maps and airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. Together, these landscapes cover more than 100~000~ha and consist of more than 42 million trees of 51 different species. Alongside the data, we provide here a simple method to produce high-resolution descriptions of large landscapes using increasingly available data: inventory and ALS data. We evaluated the overall reliability of our workflow by comparing the stands dominant heights measured by ALS to those calculated from the trees we generated. Overall, the landscapes we generated are in good agreement with the landscapes they aim to reproduce.

National audience; Production de bois, espace de loisirs, puits de carbone…Les forêts offrent de multiples services essentiels aux humains et à la Terre. Face à des aléas météorologiques qui s’intensifient avec le réchauffement climatique et des changements globaux menaçants (commerce international, déforestation), certains massifs dépérissent à un rythme inquiétant et nous invite à revoir la façon de gérer les forêts.

International audience; Climate change affects forest ecosystem processes and related services due to climate variability. These might affect ecosystem functioning, especially productivity. Regarding management issues, mixed stands are considered a relevant option to maintain forest cover and ecosystem services under climate change. However, the possibility to maintain these mixed stands with management actions with positive effects on forest functioning under climate change remains uncertain and deserves further investigations. Relying on a simulation-based study with a forest gap model (ForCEEPS), we thus addressed the following questions: (1) Are monospecific stands vulnerable to climate change? (2) Would mixed stands significantly mitigate climate change effects on forest productivity and wood production under climate change? (3) Would conversion to mixed stand management affect significantly forest productivity and wood production under climate change compare to monospecific management? In this study, we quantified potential climate change effect (using RCP 8.5 and present climate) and management’s effect in the French Alps, focusing on five species (Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba, Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris, and Quercus pubescens). We tested different scenarios, with various composition, structure, or environmental conditions, under climate change. These simulations showed that monospecific stands currently growing in stressful conditions would be vulnerable to climate change. Managing mixed stands or conversion from pure to mixed stands would make it possible to maintain higher productivity in the long term than monospecific stands, depending on the species and the sites considered. Our results will feed into discussion on forest management in the context of climate change.

Many forest resource systems depend heavily on shared and coupled infrastructures in applying their management strategies. Addressing a question of sustainability for relevant contemporary social‐ecological systems (SES) can be tackled by understanding how these shared infrastructures mediate the interaction between human and ecological environment. Shared infrastructures, which are mainly composed of roads (accessibility utilities), highlight the relation between the performance of ecosystem services and the multifunctional use of the forest. However, dilemmas associated with road provision pose some problems when applied in a forest multifunctional management context, because roads potentially diminish or enhance forest functions in a complex way. In this context, maintaining, fostering, and improving multifunctional management where the development of an ecosystem function can affect the performance of others is challenging. We propose to develop a mathematical model based on a recent study that links multifunctional forest management to the multifunctionality of forest roads by using the SES and robustness frameworks. With this model, we analyze the evolution of the forest system and three key forest functions (wood production, tourism, and nature conservation) when impacted by decisions of road provision. We then examine how governance provision strategies can affect the performance of functions and how these strategies can potentially foster forest multifunctionality. This approach allows us to derive conditions of sustainability in which decisions of shared infrastructure provisions can play an important role in the functionalities and performance of the forest.

Climate change affects forest ecosystem processes and related services due to increasing temperature and increasing extreme drought event frequency. This effect can be direct through the alteration of the physiological responses of trees, but also indirect, by modifying interactions between trees and thus changing communities’ composition. Such changes might affect species richness with high impacts on ecosystem functioning, especially productivity.Regarding management issues, mixed stands are usually considered a good option to maintain forest cover and ecosystem services under climate change. However, the possibility to maintain these mixed stands with management actions with positive effects on forest functioning under climate change remains uncertain and deserves further investigations. Relying on a simulation-based study with a forest gap model, we thus addressed the following questions: (1) Are monospecific stands vulnerable to climate change? (2) Would mixed stands significantly mitigate climate change effects on forest productivity and wood production under climate change? (3) Would conversion to mixed stand management affect significantly forest productivity and wood production under climate change compare to monospecific management?With a 150 years simulation approach, we quantified potential climate change effect (using RCP 8.5) compared to present climate and managements effect in the French Alps, focusing on five tree species. The gap-model we used included a management module, which allowed testing six silvicultural scenarios on different stands, with various composition, structure or environmental conditions, under climate change.These simulations showed that monospecific stands currently growing in stressful conditions would be too vulnerable to climate change to be maintained. Managing mixed stands or conversion from pure to mixed stands would make it possible to maintain higher productivity in the long-term than monospecific stands, even under severe climate change. This pattern depends to species and sites considered. Our results will feed into discussion on forest management in the context of climate change.

The aim of this work was to develop a novel formulation method, termed modified-PGSS (modified-Particle from Gas Saturated Solution), for the encapsulation of protein into polymeric microparticles in CO

International audience; Landscapes are subject to ecological and socioeconomic forces of change that interact in complex ways. To cope with these changes, landscape planning of natural resource management integrates sociocultural, ecological, and economic considerations in an analytic and systemic way. In this regard, social-ecological system (SES) frameworks have been developed to help analyze key factors that drive the dynamics of such complex adaptive systems. For forests, multifunctional management, which also highlights the ecological and socioeconomic roles of forests for society, has become a central objective for several European countries (e.g., France, Italy, and Germany). However, further development of methods, tools, and conceptual approaches is needed to facilitate our understanding of the arrangements behind management practices that include complex human-environment interactions. This study adopts Ostrom's SES framework and Anderies' robustness framework to highlight how forestry institutions affect forest ecosystems, forest functions, and social arrangements. As an illustration, we apply both frameworks to the Quatre-Montagnes forest, located in the south-east of France, in which multifunctionality is a major objective of forest governance. We first apply the SES framework to construct an analysis of the Quatre-Montagnes forest, specifying the first-tier and second-tier variables. From this, we describe the importance of infrastructure-related variables in shaping the interactions between components of the SES. We then apply the robustness framework, developed by Anderies, because we believe this framework enables a better analysis of ecosystem functions for infrastructure governance than the SES framework, which provides a better descriptive capacity for the variables. We discuss insights, based on our infrastructure analysis, which can be used when establishing designs for efficient forest management with heavy infrastructure dependencies.

International audience

Recent institutional and policy frameworks prescribe the incorporation of ecosystem services (ES) into land use management and planning, favouring co-production of ES assessments by stakeholders, land planners and scientists. Incorporating ES into land management and planning requires models to map and analyze ES. Also, because ES do not vary independently, many operational issues ultimately relate to the mitigation of ES trade-offs, so that multiple ES and their interactions need to be considered. Using a highly accurate LULC database for the Grenoble urban region (French Alps), we mapped twelve ES using a range of models of varied complexity. A specific, fine-grained (less than 1 ha) LULC database at regional scale (4450 km²) added great spatial precision in individual ES models, in spite of limits of the typological resolution for forests and semi-natural areas. We analysed ES bundles within three different socio-ecosystems and associated landscape types (periurban, rural and forest areas). Such type-specific bundles highlighted distinctive ES trade-offs and synergies for each landscape. Advanced approaches combining remote sensing, targeted field data collection and expert knowledge from scientists and stakeholders are expected to provide the significant progress that is now required to support the reduction of trade-offs and enhance synergies between management objectives. ISSN:2639-5908 ISSN:2639-5916

[Departement_IRSTEA]Territoires; International audience; Physically and socially heterogeneous mountain landscapes support high biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services. But rapid landscape transformation from fast urbanisation and agricultural intensification around cities to abandonment and depopulation in higher and more remote districts, raises urgent environmental and planning issues. For anticipating their future in a highly uncertain socio-economic context, we engaged stakeholders of a dynamic urban region of the French Alps in an exemplary interactive Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP) for co-creating salient, credible and legitimate scenarios. Stakeholders helped researchers adapt, downscale and spatialize four normative visions from the regional government, co-producing four storylines of trend versus break-away futures. Stakeholder input, combined with planning documents and analyses of recent dynamics, enabled parameterisation of high-resolution models of urban expansion, agriculture and forest dynamics. With similar storylines in spite of stakeholders insisting on different governance arrangements, both trend scenarios met current local and European planning objectives of containing urban expansion and limiting loss and fragmentation of agricultural land. Both break-away scenarios induced considerable conversion from agriculture to forest, but with highly distinctive patterns. Under a commonly investigated, deregulated liberal economic context, encroachment was random and patchy across valleys and mountains. A novel reinforced nature protection scenario affecting primarily mountain and hilly areas fostered deliberate consolidation of forested areas and connectivity. This transdisciplinary approach demonstrated the potential of combining downscaled normative scenarios with local, spatially-precise dynamics informed by stakeholders for local appropriation of top-down visions, and for supporting land planning and subsequent assessment of ecosystem service trade-offs.

International audience; Size inequality has been considered a key feature of plant population structure with impacts on ecosystem functions. In forest ecosystems, studies examining the relationship between tree size inequality and stand productivity have produced mixed outcomes. These studies found positive, neutral or negative relationships and discussed how this could be influenced by competition for light between trees (e.g. light interception efficiency), but far less attention has been paid to the role played by tree ontogenetic growth. In this article, we present a simple mathematical model that predicts the basal area growth of a two-strata stand as a function of tree basal areas and asymmetric competition. Comparing the growth of this stand to the growth of a spatially homogeneous one-stratum stand and a spatially heterogeneous one-stratum stand, we show that higher growth of the two-strata stand is achieved for concave shape, increasing functions of ontogenetic growth and for low intensities of absolute size-asymmetric competition. We also demonstrate that the difference in growth between the two-strata stand and the one-stratum stands depends on tree size inequality, mean tree basal area and total basal area in the two-strata stand. We finally found that the relationships between tree size inequality and productivity can vary from positive to negative and even non-monotonous. However, we highlight that negative relationships may be more frequent. As a conclusion, our results indicate that ontogenetic growth can have a major impact on the form and the magnitude of the size inequality-productivity relationship.

Key message : In tree communities, tree size inequality reduces productivity and interacts with tree shade tolerance to modulate stand productivity, with a higher productivity in stands where shade-intolerant species dominate shade-tolerant species in size.[br/] Context Positive diversity–productivity relationships have been reported in different plant communities, including tree communities. These effects may be strongly related to both structural diversity and functional diversity, but also to their interactions if there is a non-random distribution of species functional characteristics among canopy layers.[br/] Aims We explore the relative effects on forest productivity of tree species diversity, tree size inequality, and species shade tolerance diversity, as well as the effect of the distribution of tree shade tolerance in the canopy.[br/] Methods We used 11,054 mixed-species forest plots from the French Forest Inventory (IGN) distributed throughout France (2006–2011). We analyzed the effects of species richness, shade tolerance diversity, and height inequality on forest plot productivity, represented by basal area annual increment over a period of 5 years, while controlling for first-order structure characteristics (basal area and quadratic mean diameter) and environmental factors (soil water budget and sum of growing degree days). Using the covariance between tree height and shade tolerance in mixed species canopies, we also explored the effect of the distribution of species’ shade tolerance among canopy layers[br/] Results The results showed a positive effect of species richness (effect size, 0.02) and a negative effect of height inequality (− 0.05) on mixed-forest productivity. We also showed that a negative covariance between shade tolerance and height (e.g., higher proportion of shade-tolerant species in lower height classes) increased productivity (0.01). Shade tolerance diversity did not affect productivity.[br/] Conclusion In tree communities, as shown previously in monospecific forest stands, tree size inequality reduces productivity. This effect is modulated by the distribution of shade tolerance among canopy layers. Previous studies on species diversity effect have generally overlooked the importance of the size structure and the size hierarchy of functional characteristics. These effects are, however, crucial and deserve to be explored in greater detail.

International audience; AbstractKey messageA better transfer to managers of studies examining the functional role of tree species diversity would be achieved by explicitly addressing two missing links: the effect of management interventions on coexistence mechanisms and the relationships between coexistence mechanisms and ecosystem functions.ContextPlant species diversity has been shown to promote a wide array of ecosystem functions and ecosystem services. However, scientific results concerning relationships between species diversity or species mixing and ecosystem functions have not been well transferred to management practices so far. Part of the problem lies in the difficulty of assessing whether interesting species mixtures can persist over the long term and how management influences ecosystem functions.AimsWe argue that a better transfer of knowledge to managers would be achieved by addressing two missing links: (i) the effect of management interventions on coexistence mechanisms and (ii) the relationships between coexistence mechanisms and ecosystem functions.MethodsTo do so, we first provide a brief overview of the recent scientific results on relations between tree diversity (or two-species mixing) and ecosystem functions, focusing on studies dealing with productivity and stability in forests. We further introduce the key question of whether mixed stands are transient or permanent. We then briefly present key elements of modern coexistence theory and illustrate them with three examples in forest ecosystems. We finish by discussing how management interventions in forests can affect coexistence mechanisms and by addressing some methodological perspectives.ResultsWe provide examples of management actions (e.g. gap-based silviculture, preferentialselection of the most frequent species, preferential selection of the most competitive species, plantingweakly competitive species) that may increase the strength of coexistence mechanisms.ConclusionAnalysing long-term management impacts on species coexistence and ecosystem functions with a combination of long-term monitoring of large permanent plots and mechanistic dynamic model simulations will be useful to develop relevant practices favouring mixed forests in the long term.

Key message The diversity of forest management systems and the contrasted competition level treatments applied make the experimental networks of the GIS Coop, a nationwide testing program in the field of emerging forestry topics within the framework of the ongoing global changes. Context To understand the dynamics of forest management systems and build adapted growth models for new forestry practices, long-term experiment networks remain more crucial than ever. Aims Two principles are at the basis of the experimental design of the networks of the Scientific Interest Group Cooperative for data on forest tree and stand growth (GIS Coop): contrasted and extreme silvicultural treatments in diverse pedoclimatic contexts. Methods Various forest management systems are under study: regular and even-aged stands of Douglas fir, sessile and pedunculate oaks, Maritime and Laricio pines, mixed stands of sessile oak, European silver fir, and Douglas fir combined with other species. Highly contrasted stand density regimes, from open growth to self-thinning, are formalized quantitatively. Results One hundred and eighty-five sites representing a total of 1206 plots have been set up in the last 20 years, where trees are measured regularly (every 3 to 10 years). The major outputs of these networks for research and management are the calibration/validation of growth and yield models and the drawing up of forest management guides. Conclusion The GIS Coop adapts its networks so that they can contribute to develop growth models that explicitly integrate pedoclimatic factors and thus also contribute to research on the sustainability of ecosystems under environmental and socio-economic changes.

The role of ecological science in environmental management has been discussed by many authors who recognize that there is a persistent gap between ecological science and environmental management. Here we develop theory through different perspectives based on knowledge types, research categories and research–management interface types, which we combine into a common framework. To draw out insights for bridging this gap, we build our case by: (i) explicitizing the link between three categories of ecological research and the type of research–management interface they are associated with. We first evaluate three types of unidirectional interfaces and recommend a new kind of interface – called the Research-Within-Management interface (RWM). (ii) suggesting that adaptive management and structured decision-making can integrate all these different angles and serve as meta-interfaces in their relation to research. (iii) distinguishing explanatory knowledge from empirical knowledge, and contending that explanatory knowledge is not necessarily the most important output for the research-management interface today. (iv) highlighting that experiential ecological knowledge—including the expertise and experience of managers, citizens and scientists—is another primary knowledge input in environmental decision-making that should not be systematically downplayed. We point out the complementarities as well as the specificities and limitations of the different types of ecological research, ecological knowledge and research–management interfaces, which is of major importance for environmental management and research policies.

The overall demand for both agricultural and forest goods and services has strongly increased and is likely to continue to rise in the future, leading to more intensive practices in many managed ecosystems with potential negative effects for biodiversity and the environment (Cassman 1999; Tilman et al. 2002; Brussaard et al. 2010; Verkerk et al. 2014). Regarding agriculture, the challenge is to feed increasing numbers of people (food security) as well as to contribute to the development of bioenergy (Valentine et al. 2012). In the same vein, more forest products are required to satisfy new ambitious energy and construction policies (Jonsson 2013). Meanwhile, the concept of ecosystem services (ESs) has emerged and has been established in the environmental research and public spheres, exemplifying the complexity of ecosystems and their multiple relationships with human needs, including provisioning and regulating as well as social and cultural services (Tilman et al. 2002; Messier et al. 2015). Although conflicts or trade-offs between ESs have often been emphasized, positive interactions between, for example, regulating and provisioning ESs have paved the way to designing new management systems promoting ecological processes and reducing practices based on heavy mechanical or chemical means (Gaba et al. 2015). Overall, this is creating possibilities to reconcile production and the environment through a new type of ecologically driven intensification. According to Dore et al. (2011), ecological intensification (EI) consists in reducing artificial inputs while maintaining high production levels through biological regulation. It can thus be related to all practices that consist in intensifying the use of natural functions provided by ecosystems to support production (Chevassus au Louis and Griffon 2008). By nature, EI is closely related to biodiversity, which can directly or indirectly support production and other ESs through functional processes (Bommarco et al. 2013; Gaba et al. 2014). Although to date it has for the most part been mentioned in discussions on crop systems in agriculture, with some adjustments it can be generalized to other managed ecosystems dedicated to production (Rey et al. 2015). For instance, in forest science, concepts such as close-to-nature forestry, which explicitly integrates the reduction of inputs using natural processes, can fall under EI (Bauhus et al. 2013). As highlighted by Tittonell (2014), EI must be considered as designing ecosystem-based ‘‘[...] multifunctional agroecosystems that are both sustained by nature and sustainable in their nature.’’ From all these principles, it appears that EI contains all the ingredients to reconcile production and the environment (Fig. 1): (1) it aims at supporting and maximizing production; (2) it promotes practices that are based on functional ecological processes and that favor synergies between ESs (especially between regulating and provisioning ESs); and (3) it aims at reducing negative impacts of intensive management practices designed to increase productivity. So far, some important steps have been taken toward EI in both forestry and agriculture. For instance, in forestry, favoring species mixture in planted or natural forest stands may increase ecosystem productivity through temporal and spatial species niche complementarities (Forrester 2014). Silviculture practices based on natural processes (natural & Thomas Cordonnier thomas.cordonnier@irstea.fr

International audience; The aim of this work was to encapsulate transforming growth factor b1 (TGF-b1) into PLGA microparticles for regenerative medicine applications. TGF-b1 was firstly precipitated to ensure its stability during subsequent encapsulation within microparticles. A novel emulsification/extraction process in CO2 medium under mild conditions of pressure and temperature was used to encapsulate the protein. Interestingly, non-volatile injectable solvents, isosorbide dimethyl ether (DMI) and glycofurol (GF), were employed to precipitate the protein and to dissolve the polymer. Good encapsulation efficiency was obtained with preserved bioactivity of the protein. The microparticles were characterized in terms of size and zeta potential. In addition, the morphology and surface properties were determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) respectively. In vitro release study of the protein from microparticles was presented to assess the capacity of these systems to control the protein release. Moreover, cytotoxicity study was performed and showed an excellent cytocompatibility of the obtained microparticles. Thus, we described an effective and original process for TGF-b1 encapsulation into PLGA microparticles. The obtained polymeric carriers could be used in many biomedical applications and were more specifically developed for cartilage regeneration.

International audience; Competition is known to be a key driver of plant population dynamics. However, understanding how different types of competitive processes interact with population structure in driving population dynamics remains challenging. Ecologists broadly distinguish between two types of competition: size-asymmetric competition (SAC), related to resource pre-emption, and size-symmetric competition (SSC), related to resource depletion. SAC and SSC are known to influence plant-size population structures differently. Usually, SAC increases size inequality and, in return, changes in size inequality reinforce the role of SAC. On the contrary, SSC generally triggers size structure homogeneity. Although numerous simulations and experimental studies have explored how SAC influences population size structure, there is still no clear way to estimate the reverse effect: how changes in the size structure of a population affects the role of SAC compared to SSC in plant growth. In this article, we propose a modelling approach to estimate how size structure influences the role SAC plays in growth in mono-specific forest stands. First, we show that the role of SAC can be assessed by an equation that involves the Gini index, a well-known size inequality index. We then apply our approach to national forest inventory data in France, focusing on two major species: European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and silver fir (Abies alba Mill.). This article discusses the conditions necessary to apply such a modelling approach and gives perspectives for further development in plant ecology.

International audience; The controlled delivery of proteins within calcium carbonate (CaCO 3) particles is currently widely investigated. The success of these carriers is driven by ionic interactions between the encapsulated proteins and the particles. This poses a great limitation on the successful loading of proteins that have no ionic affinity to CaCO 3. In this study, we explored the use of polysaccharide–protein interactions to strongly enhance the encapsulation of proteins in CaCO 3 microparticles. Previously, Vandevenne and colleagues inserted a human chitin binding domain (ChBD) that has intrinsic affinity for hyaluronic acid (HA) into a b-lactamase (BlaP). This generated chimeric protein, named BlaPChBD, was shown to be fully bifunctional. In this study we showed that this hybrid protein can associate with HA and be successfully loaded into vaterite CaCO 3 microparticles using supercritical CO 2 (ScCO 2) technology aided by the templating effect of HA on CaCO 3. The presence of ChBD inserted into BlaP increased the encapsulation of the protein by 6-fold when complexed with HA. Furthermore, thrombin cleavage sites were engineered on both sides of the inserted ChBD in the chimeric BlaP to achieve release of the protein from the micro-particles by protease cleavage. Our results showed that thrombin cleavage increased the release of the protein from the microparticles within 36 hours from o20% to 87%. In conclusion, the presence of ChBD successfully improved the encapsulation yield of the protein while retaining up to 82% of its activity and efficient release of the protein from the microparticles was achieved by protease cleavage.

International audience; Drug delivery systems are proposed for the in situ controlled delivery of therapeutic molecules in the scope of tissue engineering. We propose herein silica nanofibers as carriers for the loading and release of bioactive proteins. The influence of pH, time and concentration on the amount of adsorbed proteins was studied. The interactions allowing loading were then studied by means of electron microscopy, zeta potential measurements, electron energy loss spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared analysis. Release profiles were determined and biological activities were enzymatically assessed. The first part of the work was carried out with lysozyme as a model protein, and then bioactive growth factors TGF-b1 and GDF-5 were used because their significance in human adipose stromal cell differentiation towards intervertebral disc nucleopulpocytes was previously assessed. It is demonstrated that protein–silica nanofiber interactions are mainly driven by hydrogen bonds and local electrostatic interactions. The present data thus provide a better understanding of the adsorption phenomenon involved, as well as a method to control protein adsorption and release. It is worth pointing out that the kinetic release of growth factors, up to 28 days, and their biological activity maintenance seem to be compatible with intervertebral disc regenerative medicine.

Summary 1.Ecosystem services (ES) from mountain forests are highly relevant for human societies. ES with a direct economic support function (e.g. timber production), regulatory services (e.g. protection from natural hazards) and cultural services (e.g. recreation) are likely to be affected strongly by a rapidly changing climate. To evaluate whether adverse climate change effects on ES can be counteracted by adapting management, dynamic models and indicator-based assessments are needed. 2.We applied a forest dynamic model in case study areas of four European mountain regions and evaluated the future supply of four ES - timber production, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and protection against natural hazards - using state-of-the-art ES indicators. Forest dynamics were simulated under three management scenarios (no management, business-as-usual, and alternative management) and five climate change projections for selected representative stand types in each region. We analysed potential trade-offs and synergies between ES, and evaluated future changes among regions, forest stands, climate and management scenarios. 3.Impacts of climate change on the provision of multiple ES were found to be highly heterogeneous and to depend on the region, site, and future climate. In the absence of large-scale natural disturbance (not considered), protection services, carbon stock and deadwood abundance (proxy for biodiversity) benefitted from no management in all regions. Negative impacts of climate change were evident for the provision of multiple ES but limited to the most severe climate scenarios and low-elevation stands. Synergies and trade-offs between the majority of ES were found to be sensitive to the choice of management strategy and – in some regions – to climate change. 4.Synthesis and applications. Management regimes in European mountain forests should be regionally adapted to stand and site conditions. Although in some cases alternative management regimes may be more suitable than current management for supporting multiple ecosystem services, adaptation options should be evaluated carefully at the local scale due to the highly different magnitude of the impacts of climate change in different regions and along elevation gradients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

We present repeated tree measurement data from 63 permanent plots in mountain forests in France. Plot elevations range from 800 (lower limit of the montane belt) to 1942 m a.s.l (subalpine belt). Forests mainly consist of pure or mixed stands dominated by European beech (Fagus sylvatica), Silver fir (Abies alba) and Norway spruce (Picea abies), in association with various broadleaved species at low elevation and with Arolla pine (Pinus cembra) at high elevation. The plot network includes 23 plots in stands that have not been managed for the last 40 years (at least) and 40 plots in plots managed according to an uneven-aged system with single-tree or small-group selection cutting. Plot sizes range from 0.2 ha to 1.9 ha. Plots were installed from 1994 to 2004 and re-measured 2 to 5 times during the 1994-2015 period. During the first census (installation), living trees more than 7.5 cm in dbh were identified, their diameter at breast height (dbh) was measured and their social status (strata) noted. Trees were spatially located, either with x, y and z coordinates (40 plots) or within subplots 0.25 ha square (23 plots). In addition, in a subset of plots (58 plots), tree heights and tree crown dimensions were measured on a subset of trees and dead standing trees and stumps were included in the census. Remeasurements after installation include live tree diameters (including recruited trees), tree status (living, damaged, dead, stump), and for a subset of trees, height. At the time of establishment of the plots, plot densities ranges from 181 to 1328 stemsha−1 and plot basal areas ranges from 13.6 to 81.3 m2ha−1 . This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

International audience; Mountain forests provide a multitude of services beyond timber production. In a large European project (ARANGE—Advanced multifunctional forest management in European mountain RANGEs), the impacts of climate change and forest management on ecosystem services (ES) were assessed. Here, we provide background information about the concept that was underlying the ARANGE project, and its main objectives, research questions, and methodological approaches are presented. The project focused on synergies and trade-offs among four key ES that are relevant in European mountain ranges: timber production, carbon storage, biodiversity conservation, and protection from gravitational natural hazards. We introduce the concept and selection of case study areas (CSAs) that were used in the project; we describe the concept of representative stand types thatwere developed to provide a harmonized representation of forest stands and forest management in the CSAs; we explain and discuss the climate data and climate change scenarios that were applied across the seven CSAs; and we introduce the linker functions that were developed to relate stand- and landscape-scale forest features from model simulations to ES provisioning in mountain forests. Finally, we provide a brief overview of the Special Feature, with an attempt to synthesize emerging response patterns across the CSAs.

Ce livret vient en complément du premier livret sur les idées reçues sur les risques naturels en montagne, paru en 2013. Il aborde la question des idées reçues sur le changement climatique en montagne, sur la base de connaissances acquises dans les projets de recherche du centre Irstea de Grenoble. Les risques en montagne vont-ils augmenter ou au contraire disparaître ? Y aura-t-il toujours de la neige ? Que vont devenir les marmottes ? Vous en saurez plus en parcourant ces pages conçues pour aider à démêler le vrai du faux.

[Departement_IRSTEA]Territoires [TR1_IRSTEA]SEDYVIN; International audience; Uneven-aged mountain forests are considered favourable for the continuous provisioning of multiple ecosystem services (ES). These ES may however exhibit trade-offs or synergies that can be modulated by forest management. Yet, our knowledge remains poor on both the relationships between ES and the way management practices can optimise and reconcile them. In this study, we aimed at (1) characterising trade-offs and synergies between timber production, biodiversity conservation and protection against natural hazards; (2) identifying efficient (i.e. Pareto-optimal) management scenarios for the joint provisioning of these ES; and (3) comparing them to “reference” management scenarios. Using a simulation framework that couples a forest dynamics model, a silviculture algorithm and linker functions relating ES indicators to stand structure, we predicted the response of different ES indicators to various uneven-aged management practices in the Western Alps. With a metamodeling approach and Pareto front techniques, we intensively explored and analysed relationships between ES indicators and found trade-offs between timber production and other ES, but synergies between protection and biodiversity. “Pareto-optimal” management scenarios were characterised by low thinning and harvesting intensities but exhibited gradients of total removals and deadwood and large tree retention along the Pareto front. They greatly differed from our set of production and biodiversity oriented reference scenarios, thus emphasising the strong impact of considering additional ES in scenario optimisation processes. This study highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of Pareto front techniques for both the analysis of trade-offs and synergies between ES and the identification of efficient management practices

Questions How did past land use and conifer plantation affect understorey plant communities? What plant traits explain understorey vegetation response to agricultural past land use and coniferous plantation? Location Forest of Orleans (50 000 ha), Loiret, north-central France. Methods Canopy cover, herb layer composition, litter and soil properties were measured in 80 100 m2 plots sampled in plantations of Pinus sylvestris or P. nigra vs natural regenerations of Quercus petraea and Q. robur along a gradient of forest continuity (using historical maps and aerial photos from 1840, 1949 and 2006). We related 15 plant traits to past land use and tree species using RLQ and fourth-corner analyses. Results The magnitude of past land use effect largely exceeded that of coniferous plantation. Post-agricultural forests, even 150 yr after afforestation, differed from ancient forests in soil properties (thinner humus layer, higher P content, higher pH and lower C/N ratio) and plant traits. Ancient forests hosted more forest core species, stress-tolerant, competitive species and bryophytes, but fewer ruderals, annuals/biennials, shrubs and trees and nutrient-demanding species, and had lower SLA and higher LDMC. Conifer plantations had a thicker humus layer, lower pH and higher C/N ratio than deciduous forests, and hosted more light-demanding species but less forest core species. Importantly, differences in soil and plant traits between conifer plantations and naturally regenerated deciduous stands were discernible in both recent and ancient forests, indicating that tree species lastingly influence ecosystem functioning. Conclusions Past land use and coniferous plantation resulted in different understorey plant communities and traits under pine plantations and naturally regenerated oak stands. These differences were driven through soil acidification, litter decomposition rate, light conditions, canopy development, soil disturbance, stand management and dispersal and recruitment limitations. Coniferous plantations slowed down the recovery of post-agricultural forests to ancient deciduous forest conditions. Applying natural regeneration and favouring native deciduous tree species thus helps recreate or maintain ancient forest plant communities.

Increased expression of the molecular chaperone Hsp27 is associated with the progression of prostate cancer (PCa) to castration-resistant disease, which is lethal due to metastatic spread of the prostate tumor. Metastasis requires epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), which endows cancer cells with the ability to disseminate from the primary tumor and colonize new tissue sites. A wide variety of secreted factors promote EMT, and while overexpression and constitutive activation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling is associated with poor prognosis of PCa, a precise role of EGF in PCa progression to metastasis remains unclear. Here, we show that Hsp27 is required for EGF-induced cell migration, invasion and MMPs activity as well as the expression of EMT markers including Fibronectin, Vimentin and Slug with concomitant decrease of E-cadherin. Mechanistically, we found that Hsp27 is required for EGF-induced AKT and GSK3β phosphorylation and β-catenin nuclear translocation. Moreover, silencing Hsp27 decreases EGF dependent phosphorylation of β-catenin on tyrosine 142 and 654, enhances β-catenin ubiquitination and degradation, prevents β-catenin nuclear translocation and binding to the Slug promoter. These data suggest that Hsp27 is required for EGF-mediated EMT via modulation of the β-catenin/Slug signaling pathway. Together, our findings underscore the importance of Hsp27 in EGF induced EMT in PCa and highlight the use of Hsp27 knockdown as a useful strategy for patients with advanced disease.

International audience; Calcium carbonate particles are promising candidates as proteins carriers for their controlled delivery in the body. The present paper aims at investigating the protein encapsulation by in situ precipitation of calcium carbonate particles prepared by a process based on supercritical CO2 and using a new type of degradable well-defined double hydrophilic block copolymers composed of poly(ethylene oxide) and polyphosphoester blocks acting as templating agent for the calcium carbonate. For this study, lysozyme was chosen as a model for therapeutic protein for its availability and ease of detection. It was found that by this green process, loading into the CaCO3 microparticles with a diameter about 2μm can be obtained as determined by scanning electron microscopy. A protein loading up to 6.5% active lysozyme was measured by a specific bioassay (Micrococcus lysodeikticus). By encapsulating fluorescent-labelled lysozyme (lysozyme-FITC), the confocal microscopy images confirmed its encapsulation and suggested a core-shell distribution of lysozyme into CaCO3, leading to a release profile reaching a steady state at 59% of release after 90min

Bone tissue engineering usually consists of associating osteoprogenitor cells and macroporous scaffolds. This study investigated the in vitro osteoblastic differentiation and resulting in vivo bone formation induced by a different approach that uses particles as substrate for human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs), in order to provide cells with a higher degree of freedom and allow them to synthesize a three-dimensional (3D) environment. Biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) particles (35 mg, ~175 µm in diameter) were therefore associated with 4 × 105 hBMSCs. To discriminate the roles of BCP properties and cell-synthesized 3D environments, inert glass beads (GBs) of similar size were used under the same conditions. In both cases, high cell proliferation and extensive extracellular matrix (ECM) production resulted in the rapid formation of thick cell-synthesized 3D constructs. In vitro, spontaneous osteoblastic differentiation was observed in the 3D constructs at the mRNA and protein levels by monitoring the expression of Runx2, BMP2, ColI, BSP and OCN. The hBMSC–BCP particle constructs implanted in the subcutis of nude mice induced abundant ectopic bone formation after 8 weeks (~35%, n = 5/5). In comparison, only fibrous tissue without bone was observed in the implanted hBMSC–GB constructs (n = 0/5). Furthermore, little bone formation (~3%, n = 5/5) was found in hBMSC–macroporous BCP discs (diameter 8 × 3 mm). This study underlines the lack of correspondence between bone formation and in vitro differentiation assays. Furthermore, these results highlight the importance of using BCP as well as a 3D environment for achieving high bone yield of interest for bone engineering. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.