Graphab

L’objectif du projet Graphab est de proposer et tester un ensemble de méthodes permettant d’estimer l’impact des grandes infrastructures de transport sur la distribution des espèces. Cette démarche part du constat que les études d’impact classiques sont limitées à une zone proche du tracé des infrastructures alors qu’un effet de barrière peut se produire à plus longue portée, si les espèces sont fortement dépendantes de leur réseau écologique. L’approche choisie pour modéliser les réseaux écologiques est celle des graphes paysagers, qui ont été couplés à des modèles de distribution d’espèces. En comparant les résultats de modèles de distribution de façon diachronique, avant et après la mise…

Molecular detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA in the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) guano

AbstractAlthough bats are increasingly recognised as potential reservoir hosts of human zoonotic pathogens, bacteria in bats are still poorly studied. To investigate the DNA faecal prevalence of the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, we sampled 23 lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) maternity colonies located in buildings (churches, barns) in rural villages of eastern France. A total of 552 faecal samples were collected from 278 individuals. Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA was detected in the faeces of 63 individuals (22.7%). Such high prevalence might suggest persistent infection in bats and/or a frequent consumption of insect preys carrying bacteria. Faecal DNA prevalence vari…

Caractérisation de la structure génétique des colonies de reproduction du petit rhinolophe en Franche-Comté

Estimer l'impact des grandes infrastructures de transport sur la distribution des espèces : proposition et test d'un protocole méthodologique

Assessing habitat connectivity of the lesser horseshoe bat using graph theory to explain its distribution

The lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus hipposideros was formerly widespread and quite common in north-western Europe, but has undergone a dramatic decline from the 1960s. The main hypothesis for this decline is a change of habitat quality. Recent works have stressed the importance of good connection between roosts and foraging areas by tree lines and well-structured hedgerows. Thus, landscape connectivity is assumed to be a key-factor for population sustainability. The present study is based on a case study in Franche-Comté (France). Its purpose is to model the distribution of the lesser horseshoe bat and to characterize the functional connectivity of its habitat. Graph theory is used effici…

Parental Investment in Nest Attentiveness Reduces Nest Predation in Arctic Sandpipers

International audience

Caractérisation de la connectivité des habitats du petit rhinolophe en Franche-Comté

National audience

Numerical response of predators to large variations of grassland vole abundance and long‐term community changes

Abstract Voles can reach high densities with multiannual population fluctuations of large amplitude, and they are at the base of predator communities in Northern Eurasia and Northern America. This status places them at the heart of management conflicts wherein crop protection and health concerns are often raised against conservation issues. Here, a 20‐year survey describes the effects of large variations in grassland vole populations on the densities and the daily theoretical food intakes (TFI) of vole predators based on roadside counts. Our results show how the predator community responded to prey variations of large amplitude and how it reorganized with the increase in a dominant predator…

RHINO-URB. Impact de différents modèles de croissance urbaine sur la connectivité écologique et la dispersion génétique des populations, test sur le petit rhinolophe en Franche-Comté

Rapport de recherche pour la Fondation pour la Recherche sur la Biodiversité.

Spatial variability of biological and chemical contaminants in nurseries of lesser horseshoe bat : preliminary results in Franche-Comté (Eastern France)

Behavioural responses of breeding arctic sandpipers to ground-surface temperature and primary productivity

Most birds incubate their eggs, which requires time and energy at the expense of other activities. Birds generally have two incubation strategies: biparental where both mates cooperate in incubating eggs, and uniparental where a single parent incubates. In harsh and unpredictable environments, incubation is challenging due to high energetic demands and variable resource availability. We studied the relationships between the incubation behaviour of sandpipers (genus Calidris) and two environmental variables: temperature and a proxy of primary productivity (i.e. NDVI). We investigated how these relationships vary between incubation strategies and across species among strategies. We also stud…

Caractérisation de la structure génétique spatiale des populations de petits rhinolophes en Franche-Comté

Numerical response of predators to large variations of grassland vole abundance, long-term community change and prey switches

AbstractVoles can reach high densities with multi-annual population fluctuations of large amplitude, and they are at the base of large and rich communities of predators in temperate and arctic food webs. This status places them at the heart of management conflicts wherein crop protection and health concerns are often raised against conservation issues. Here, a 20-year survey describes the effects of large variations in grassland vole populations on the densities and the daily theoretical food intakes (TFI) of vole predators based on roadside counts. Our results show how the predator community responds to prey variations of large amplitude and how it reorganized with the increase in a domina…

Consequences of organ choice in describing bacterial pathogen assemblages in a rodent population

SUMMARYHigh-throughput sequencing technologies now allow for rapid cost-effective surveys of multiple pathogens in many host species including rodents, but it is currently unclear if the organ chosen for screening influences the number and identity of bacteria detected. We used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to identify bacterial pathogens in the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and spleen of 13 water voles (Arvicola terrestris) collected in Franche-Comté, France. We asked if bacterial pathogen assemblages within organs are similar and if all five organs are necessary to detect all of the bacteria present in an individual animal. We identified 24 bacteria representing 17 genera; average bacterial…

Paysage et biodiversité en Franche-Comté. Les chauves-souris peuvent-elles se maintenir durablement ? Exemple du petit rhinolophe

Rapport de recherche pour le Conseil Régional de Franche-Comté.

La génétique au service de l'étude des espèces : y a-t'il des échanges entre les colonies de petits rhinolophes en Franche-Comté ?

Graphab 2

For some ten years, landscape graphs have been widely used for modeling ecological networks and measuring landscape connectivity from an operational perspective. A landscape graph is a set of nodes (habitat patches for a given species or group species) potentially connected by links representing the functional connectivity between each pair of nodes. With their simple design and their ecological relevance, graph-based methods can serve as a guide for planning decision-making, especially for the conservation of ecological networks. In this perspective, Graphab 2 project aims to use landscape graphs to assess the impact of transport infrastructures on the functionality of ecological networks,…

Data from: Investigating hybridization between the two sibling bat species Myotis myotis and M. blythii from guano in a natural mixed maternity colony

Because they can form seasonal mixed-species groups during mating and maternal care, bats are exciting models for studying interspecific hybridization. Myotis myotis and M. blythii are genetically close and morphologically almost identical, but they differ in some aspects of their ecology and life-history traits. When they occur in sympatry, they often form large mixed maternity colonies, in which their relative abundance can vary across time due to a shift in the timing of parturition. For the first time, we used non-invasive genetic methods to assess the hybridization rate and colony composition in a maternity colony of M. myotis and M. blythii located in the French Alps. Bat guano was co…