Search results for " ECOLOGY"
showing 10 items of 2331 documents
Black currant project: Multidisciplinary approach to agro-ecological measures
2022
The decline of wild pollinators leads to a drastic drop in the associated ecosystem service, resulting in significant lossesin agricultural yields. The production of blackcurrant “Noir de Bourgogne” could potentially be tripled, if populationsof wild pollinators were restored. Various agroecological measures beneficial to pollinators are discussed here, as wellas ongoing experimental tests. We discuss the practical possibilities of implementing these measures by blackcurrantgrowers as well as the technical locks that still exist. The return to an agroecological equlibrium for which pollinationbecomes again a free ecosystem service for agriculture, requires the integration of multiple agroec…
La pollinisation du cassis : État des lieux dans un contexte de changements anthropiques.
2019
Cultivated plants are part of their agroecosystem. Recent anthropic changes modified and decreased the wildcompartment of agroecosystems leading to a lowering of ecosystemic services such as pollination. Blackcurrant ispollinated at least partially by insects. In a study on 8 sites in Côte-d’Or, Burgundy, France we showed that pollinatordensity is lower than 0.5 pollinators per minute of observation in blackcurrant orchards. Blackcurrant are preferentiallyvisited by Bombus sp. and to a lesser extent by Andrena and Apis sp. Comparison of pollinator abundance between2018 data and data from ancient publications show that even if the floral abortion rate did not vary significantly, thenumber of…
Ecology of N2O reducing bacteria in arable soils
2016
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important greenhouse gas (GHG) and the main ozone depleting substance. Agricultural soils are the main anthropogenic-induced source of this GHG. The concentration of N2O in the atmosphere is steadily increasing, but we still lack knowledge on the factors controlling its production and consumption in soils. The reduction of N2O to N2 by microorganisms harboring the N2O reductase gene (nosZ) is the only known biological process able to consume this GHG. Recent studies revealed a previously unknown clade of N2O-reducers which was shown to be important to the N2O sink capacity of soils. This thesis seeks to gain a greater understanding on the ecology of N2O-reducers in…
Search for biological signature of the degradation of chlordecone in soil of the French West Indies
2015
The use of chlordecone (CLD) to eradicate the weevil populations in the banana plantations in the French West Indies (Guadeloupe and Martinique) between 1972 and 1993 led to the contamination of the soil and the environment. This very hydrophobic organochlorine insecticide persists in the soil where it slowly transfers not only to the water resources but also to terrestrial and aquatic biota (plants, animals, fishes, shellfishes). Deemed “non-degradable”, CLD is resistant to photolysis, hydrolysis and biodegradation. To date, there is no method to remediate the 20,000 hectares of polluted soil with this insecticide. Given the extent of CLD pollution, biological decontamination processes app…
Evolutionary ecology of the trans-generational immune priming in an insect
2012
Trans-generational immune priming (TGIP) is defined as the plastic enhancement of offspring's immunocompetence following an immune challenge of the females of the parental generation. In vertebrates, this phenomenon is well described, and is achieved by the maternal transfer of antibodies. In invertebrates however, it has only recently been described. Since invertebrates do not possess antibodies, the mechanism of this transmission remains unknown. If the offspring is exposed to the maternal infection, an elevated immunocompetence can help it cope better with it. Nonetheless, apart from this benefit, several cues indicate that the TGIP bears some fitness costs for individuals. The evolution…
Microbial diversity and structure are drivers of the biological barrier effect against Listeria monocytogenes in soil
2013
International audience; Understanding the ecology of pathogenic organisms is important in order to monitor their transmission in the environment and the related health hazards. We investigated the relationship between soil microbial diversity and the barrier effect against Listeria monocytogenes invasion. By using a dilution-to-extinction approach, we analysed the consequence of eroding microbial diversity on L. monocytogenes population dynamics under standardised conditions of abiotic parameters and microbial abundance in soil microcosms. We demonstrated that highly diverse soil microbial communities act as a biological barrier against L. monocytogenes invasion and that phylogenetic compos…
Ecological role of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium graminearum : consequences of the presence of deoxynivalenol (DON) in crop residues on the soil mi…
2012
Fusarium graminearum is a plant pathogenic fungus, causing devastating disease “Fusarium head blight” (FHB) in cereals including wheat and maize. It also contaminates the grains with mycotoxins including deoxynivalenol (DON) which are toxic to human and animals. This disease has resulted in the serious losses in grain yield and quality. We established through a first bibliographic review that during off season fungus survives saprophytically on the crop residues (ecological habitat) and serves as primary inoculum for the next season crop. However, we noticed also that the literature was poor about the role mycotoxins could play in the establishment of F. graminearum in such a habitat. The m…
Biogeography of soil microbial communities: a review and a description of the ongoing french national initiative
2010
International audience; Microbial biogeography is the study of the distribution of microbial diversity on large scales of space and time. This science aims at understanding biodiversity regulation and its link with ecosystem biological functioning, goods and services such as maintenance of productivity, of soil and atmospheric quality, and of soil health. Although the initial concept dates from the early 20th century (Beijerinck (1913) De infusies en de ontdekking der backterien, in: Jaarboek van de Knoniklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen, Muller, Amsterdam), only recently have an increasing number of studies have investigated the biogeographical patterns of soil microbial diversity. A such …
Conception de systèmes Agricoles Agroécologiques à l'échelle d'un territoire
2013
National audience; Les présentations et discussions sont orientées vers des aspects à la fois fondamentaux et appliqués de la recherche pour la conception de systèmes de culture durables. Il s'agit d'harmoniser les avancées les plus récentes dans les domaines aussi variés que la génétique, l'agronomie, l'agro-écologie et l'écologie du paysage avec les réflexions des acteurs de l'agriculture. Nous souhaitons que ces journées soient une opportunité pour les chercheurs et les doctorants de l'UMR agro-écologie d'échanger et de prendre des contacts avec des chercheurs d'autres unités et instituts, et d'établir des liens entre la science et les acteurs socio-économiques. Le workshop sera l'occasi…