Search results for "FUNCTIONAL"
showing 10 items of 4822 documents
Variations spatiales et temporelles des communautés adventices des cultures annuelles en France
2007
Although arable weed species are particularly well adapted to habitats characterised by high levels of disturbance(ploughing, harvest), the degree and rate at which agro-ecosytems have been transformed in the last 50 years in Europe(use of chemicals, changes in crop rotations) has led to profound changes in the composition and diversity of arable weedcommunities. This thesis provides an update on the composition and diversity of weed communities that can be foundacross the main crop types and regions of France. It also addresses two objectives i) applying (community) ecologytheories for the analysis and interpretation of spatial and temporal variations in weed communities and ii) using the …
Assessing the capacity of different urban forms to preserve the connectivity of ecological habitats
2011
International audience; This paper addresses the relationship between anthropogenic forest habitat fragmentation and the form of urban patterns. Using a two-step methodology we first generate 40 theoretical residential development scenarios following a repeatable procedure; the simulated urban forms are either moderately compact or fractal. Then, we compare the scenarios according to the functional connectivity of the remaining forest habitat using a graph-based approach. The methodology is applied to the urban region of Besançon (France), where forest surfaces are considered as a generic habitat for several animal species. Results obtained show that fractal scenarios of residential develop…
Exploring individual and population eco-evolutionary feedbacks under the coupled effects of fishing and predation
2020
Intensive fishing that selects for large and old individuals can have pervasive effects on traits directly associated with the fecundity and survival of the target species. The observed reduction in fish body size can result in earlier sexual maturity at a smaller body size, leading to a lower individual reproductive output and population productivity in the long term. In addition, increased predation can induce similar responses in age and size at maturity due to the release of intraspecific competition and the lower population density. Thus, the combined impact of fisheries and predation is more difficult to predict due to their competition for fish, ultimately limiting and directing the …
Which traits allow weed species to persist in grass margin strips ?
2017
EASPEGESTADINRA; Sown-grass margin strips, historically established to limit pesticide drift and soil erosion, are now also promoted for enhancing floral diversity and associated ecosystem services. To better understand weed community assembly in grass margin strips, we performed floral surveys in 75 sown-grass margin strips in two regions in France and characterized each species using information from trait databases. We hypothesized that traits of dominant species would differ between newly sown-grass margin strips and older strips. Weed species were separated into functional groups based on their traits using multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical ascendant classification. Fun…
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and root system functioning.
2013
International audience; The rhizosphere supports the development and activity of a huge and diversified microbial community, including microorganisms capable to promote plant growth. Among the latter, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) colonize roots of monocots and dicots, and enhance plant growth by direct and indirect mechanisms. Modification of root system architecture by PGPR implicates the production of phytohormones and other signals that lead, mostly, to enhanced lateral root branching and development of root hairs. PGPR also modify root functioning, improve plant nutrition and influence the physiology of the whole plant. Recent results provided first clues as to how PGPR s…
Plant functional and taxonomic diversity in European grasslands along climatic gradients
2021
Aim European grassland communities are highly diverse, but patterns and drivers of their continental-scale diversity remain elusive. This study analyses taxonomic and functional richness in European grasslands along continental-scale temperature and precipitation gradients. Location Europe. Methods We quantified functional and taxonomic richness of 55,748 vegetation plots. Six plant traits, related to resource acquisition and conservation, were analysed to describe plant community functional composition. Using a null-model approach we derived functional richness effect sizes that indicate higher or lower diversity than expected given the taxonomic richness. We assessed the variation in abso…
A multi-site study to classify semi-natural grassland types
2009
International audience; Calibration and validation of simulation models describing herbage growth or feed quality of seminatural grasslands is a complex task for agronomists without investing effort into botanical surveys. To facilitate such modelling efforts, a limited number of grassland types were identified using a functional classification of species. These grassland types were characterized by three descriptors required to model herbage growth or feed quality: the abundance-weighted mean leaf dry matter content across grass species, the relative abundance of grasses, and an estimate of species richness. We conducted a multi-site analysis over 749 grasslands from eight temperate region…
Identification of weed community traits response to conservation agriculture
2013
International audience; Conservation agriculture is designed to deliver more sustainable cropping systems by preserving agricultural soils with tillage abandonment. However, knowledge on the impacts of Conservation agriculture adoption on weed infestation level and potential shifts in the composition of weed communities appears low and contradictory. We used a trait-based approach to investigate whether there are shifts in values of a set of traits within weed communities following the adoption of Direct Drilling with cover-crop (DD) which is one of the Conservation Agriculture practices. Weed surveys were conducted across a range of times since conversion to DD in 52 winter wheat fields lo…
Trophic level modulates carabid beetle responses to habitat and landscape structure: a pan-European study
2010
1. Anthropogenic pressures have produced heterogeneous landscapes expected to influence diversity differently across trophic levels and spatial scales. 2. We tested how activity density and species richness of carabid trophic groups responded to local habitat and landscape structure (forest percentage cover and habitat richness) in 48 landscape parcels (1 km2) across eight European countries. 3. Local habitat affected activity density, but not species richness, of both trophic groups. Activity densities were greater in rotational cropping compared with other habitats; phytophage densities were also greater in grassland than forest habitats. 4. Controlling for country and habitat effects we …
Functional responses of multitaxa communities to disturbance and stress gradients in a restored floodplain
2015
Trait-based approaches can reveal the mechanisms through which disturbances or stress impact communities, allowing comparisons of the role of different mechanisms in shaping communities among taxonomic groups. Such information can lead to higher comparability, transferability and predictability of the outcome of restoration projects. However, multitaxa trait-based approaches were rarely used in the context of ecosystem restoration. We investigated the responses to environmental gradients of seven taxa (vascular plants, staphylinid and carabid beetles, spiders, isopods, diplopods and earthworms) in a restored floodplain using a species traits approach. We assessed the impact of flood disturb…