Recent Tour du Valat research articles / Articles récents de la Tour du Valat

Movement ecology of post-breeding gulls reveals wetland connectivity in northwestern Africa

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:44:21

de Víctor Martín-Vélez, Haytem Bouchri, Anis Guelmami, Ursula Hofle, Joan Navarro, María J. Navarro-Ramos, Andy J. Green
In Global Ecology and Conservation, 71 (November, 2026), e04454
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Wetlands are among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide, and their loss increasingly compromises landscape connectivity essential for persistence of waterbird populations. In the Mediterranean region, and particularly in northwestern Africa, conservation prioritisation has largely focused on sites supporting high bird numbers, while the role of wetlands in maintaining functional connectivity remains poorly understood. Here, we quantify wetland connectivity in Morocco using the black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) as a model migratory waterbird. We obtained high-resolution GPS tracking for 64 individuals breeding in south-western Iberia. We combined the tracks of the 19 individuals that moved to Morocco with network analyses, to identify key sites and habitat types that contribute to spatial connectivity. Tracked gulls relied on a heterogeneous network of 26 wetlands, including rivers, dams, lagoons and temporary wetlands. They also used anthropogenic habitats such as landfills and wastewater treatment plants. Network analyses revealed a sparsely connected but spatially structured system, with connectivity concentrated in three main geographical regions. Several unprotected wetlands, particularly rivers and reservoirs, showed high betweenness values revealing their importance for maintaining network integrity, comparable to those of existing Ramsar sites. Removal simulations highlighted the vulnerability of connectivity to the loss of a small number of key sites (nodes) in the wetland network. Furthermore, GPS data show that Moroccan wetlands are more important for black-headed gulls from July to September than expected from eBird data. Our results demonstrate how incorporating movement-based connectivity metrics can improve wetland conservation planning. Protecting functionally important wetlands is critical to safeguard waterbird connectivity, and hence ecosystem resilience, in northwestern Africa.

Assessing the effects of restoration and conservation on gaseous carbon fluxes and climate mitigation potential across six European coastal wetlands

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 15:48:27

de Miguel Cabrera-Brufau, Camille Minaudo, Katrin Attermeyer, Alba Camacho-Santamans, Rafael Carballeira, Benjamin Misteli, Jorge Montes-Pérez, Daniel Morant, Biel Obrador, Antonio Picazo, et al.
In Ecological Engineering, 232 (November, 2026), 108080
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Coastal wetlands play a substantial role in regulating Earth's climate through exchanges of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Current European policies promote widespread coastal wetland restoration to reverse historical losses and ongoing pressures. However, substantial uncertainty remains regarding how carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes respond to restoration across different coastal wetland types and whether these responses translate into net climate mitigation in terms of CO2 equivalents (CO2-eq). We measured simultaneous CO2 and CH4 fluxes using static chambers across four seasons at multiple locations spanning preserved, altered and restored sites within six European coastal wetlands of different ecological types. By comparing GHG exchanges and resulting CO2-eq balances across wetlands, we identified dominant biogeochemical drivers of CO2 and CH4 dynamics and assessed the climate mitigation potential of conservation and restoration actions. CO2 fluxes were primarily controlled by landscape-scale vegetation cover and inundation, whereas CH4 emissions responded to less evident changes in water quality, salinity and wetland hydrodynamics. Comparisons of CO2-eq balances between altered and restored sites showed that seagrass replantation was associated with significant mitigation potential under both 100-year and 20-year CH4 warming scenarios, while eutrophication reversal through improved water treatment was only significant under the 20-year scenario. In contrast, other restoration measures modified CO2 and CH4 fluxes in opposing directions, resulting in no significant net change in combined CO2-eq balances. Overall, our results demonstrate that climatic responses to coastal wetland restoration are both GHG-specific and wetland-type dependent, underscoring the need for tailored restoration strategies and robust, multi-GHG monitoring to detect and accurately quantify potential climatic benefits.

Field translocation across latitudes reveals local conditions drive microbiome reassembly in a damselfly

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:44:17

de Charlotte Theys, Julie Verheyen, Nedim Tüzün, Lizanne Janssens, Philippe Lambret, Luc De Meester, Ellen Decaestecker, Robby Stoks
In Oikos, (en ligne) (October, 2026), e12515
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Triggered by global warming there is increasing interest in understanding why conspecific populations differentiate along latitudinal gradients. Although microbiomes may shape host traits and vary geographically, how hosts differentially assemble microbiomes across latitudes and how this shapes latitudinal patterns in host trait values has been understudied. This is especially true for organisms with complex life cycles, where metamorphosis may reset the microbiome. We examined microbiome composition along a latitudinal gradient and assessed the relative influence of host and environment in shaping the microbiome of the damselfly Ischnura elegans. We sampled bacterioplankton from high-latitude (southern Sweden) and low-latitude (southern France) ponds, along with larval gut and adult abdominal microbiomes from I. elegans inhabiting these ponds. Additionally, we conducted a reciprocal translocation experiment in which larvae with a strongly depleted gut microbiome were transferred between three high- and three low-latitude ponds, allowing microbiome reassembly from the local bacterioplankton, and quantified the growth rate of the larvae. We found latitudinal differences in bacterioplankton and host-associated microbiomes in adults and to a lesser extent in larvae, highlighting differences in microbiome composition across the latitudinal gradient and suggesting strong environmental effects on microbiome reassembly. Moreover, despite these differences, larvae and adults shared a small proportion of their microbiome (ca 15.83%). The reciprocal translocation experiment revealed that microbiome reassembly in microbiome-depleted larvae was primarily shaped by the local environment, rather than the host source population or latitude, underscoring the strong influence of environmental filtering in shaping microbiome composition. Moreover, phenotypic differences in larval growth rate between high- and low-latitude populations disappeared after the seven-day translocation, suggesting that local environmental conditions overruled any underlying genetic differentiation. By combining microbiome sampling across latitudes with a novel reciprocal translocation approach using microbiome-depleted larvae, our study provides key insights into how the environment shapes host–microbiome associations along geographic gradients.

Jean Jalbert, l'urgence de réconcilier l'homme et la nature

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:44:20

de Philippe Grissac (de)
In Oiseau Mag[Azine] (L'), 164 (Automne, 2026), 28-31

Jean Jalbert est depuis plus de vingt ans aux commandes de la Tour du Valat, Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes, fondé en 1954 par Luc Hoffmann et qui se situe sur un domaine de près de 3 000 ha au coeur de la Camargue. Fort de 72 années d'expériences, l'Institut irradie aujourd'hui bien au-delà des pays méditerranéens et noue des partenariats avec de nombreuses régions dans le monde. Jean Jalbert a reçu L'OISEAU MAG et a bien voulu revenir sur son parcours personnel et les projets de l'Institut, les difficultés rencontrées et les espoirs.

Experimental effects of 2,4-D on aquatic plant communities in Mediterranean temporary ponds in Northwestern Morocco

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:45:38

de Abdessadeq Boudjaj, Laïla Rhazi, Jamie Kneitel, Mouhssine Rhazi, Said Moukrim, Mohammed El Madihi, Mohamed Ben Bammou, Imane Wahby, Jorge García Girón, Dan Cogalniceanu, et al.
In Ecologies, 7(3) (September, 2026), 71
En ligne : www.mdpi.com[...]

Increased herbicide use in agriculture is a major threat to adjacent aquatic and wetland ecosystems. In Morocco, the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) poses a risk to temporary ponds found in agricultural landscapes. This study used mesocosm experiments to assess the effects of 2,4-D concentration (0, 0.10, 0.20, and 0.30 mg·L−1) and application timing (early vs. late in the hydrological cycle) on water quality and aquatic plant communities from forest ponds not previously exposed to herbicides. At the highest concentration (0.30 mg·L−1), conductivity increased from 206 to 274 µS and pH from 7.5 to 8.4 under early application. At the same time, species richness and total abundance significantly decreased with increasing 2,4-D concentrations, with the strongest effects observed under early application. Community composition shifted markedly in response to 2,4-D, with annual and submerged species showing greater sensitivity, whereas perennial and emergent species were relatively tolerant. These findings highlight the need to adopt more sustainable agricultural practices to conserve pond biodiversity. Specifically, herbicide applications should be avoided near ponds, at high application rates, and during periods early in the hydroperiod. Lastly, land-use strategies should balance agricultural productivity with the conservation of biodiversity in temporary pond ecosystems.

Le choix des états de référence en écologie de la restauration : enseignements de projets menés dans divers écosystèmes

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:40:12

de Benjamin Weigel, Maria Alp, Ivan Bernez, Renaud Jaunatre, Marie-Laure Acolas, Didier Alard, Virginie Archaimbault, Christine Argillier, Marie-Lise Benot, Vincent Bertrin, et al.
In Sciences Eaux & Territoires, 50 (August, 2026), 9651-9651
En ligne : revue-set.fr[...]

Defining reference states plays a key role in ecological restoration, guiding management strategies and serving as a benchmark for evaluating ecosystem recovery. However, the choice of reference states is never entirely objective and depends on the context, value-driven approaches, and other numerous criteria such as site history and geographical setting, ecological integrity, or stakeholder interests. To shed light on how reference states are defined, we analyzed 32 restoration projects covering both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, monitored between 1999 and 2023 by researchers from the INRAE Ecological Restoration Network (REI, https://restauration-ecologique.hub.inrae.fr ). Our results highlights shared trends in the criteria used to select reference states, while also revealing variable levels of agreement among projects, with notable differences between aquatic and terrestrial projects in terms of stakeholder involvement, selected metrics, and evaluation measures. This study represents a first step before launching a broader survey within the international community. The objective is to further explore the challenges associated with defining reference states, particularly in the context of accelerating global (notably climate) change, and the new EU Nature Restoration Law being implemented across Member States.

Effects of non-breeding conditions on the survival of the Collared Pratincole, an Afro-Palearctic migrant

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:40:12

de Sandra Hodić, Pablo Vera, Pedro Marin Prado, Wouter M.G. Vansteelant, Leo Zwarts, Jocelyn Champagnon
In Ibis, (en ligne) (August, 2026)
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Afro-Palearctic migrant populations are declining in Europe, and non-breeding conditions in Africa have been shown to be important in determining the population size of long-distance migrants. Overwintering conditions and prenuptial migration may both influence population growth through direct effects on survival. However, studies examining the impact of environmental factors on species survival remain limited, as this requires data over several years. The Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola is an insectivorous and strictly migratory wader that nests in grasslands and steppes in Europe and overwinters in savannas, mainly in the Sahel. In this study, we used a 13-year mark–recapture dataset collected at the breeding site in L'Albufera, Valencia (Spain), to estimate annual survival rates of Collared Pratincole. We found a high mean annual survival probability of 0.84 ± 0.01 se, though this varied from year to year. Wet years, as indicated by large maximum floods over the inner Niger delta, the Senegal river and delta, and the NDVI (a remotely sensed measure of vegetation based on primary production) in West Africa, positively affected the survival of the species, explaining respectively 49%, 50% and 62% of the survival temporal variation. Contrary to our prediction, unfavourable winds during prenuptial migration periods were not correlated with survival. Our study supports the hypothesis that drought conditions experienced by migratory birds in the Sahel (e.g. the Great Drought in 1969–1992) may have negatively impacted their populations.

Basin-scale modelling of soil-to-river 137Cs transfer in the Rhône river system

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 11:15:33

de François Guillory, Clément Fabre, Hugo Lepage, Sabine Sauvage, José-Miguel Sánchez-Pérez
In Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 298 (August, 2026), 108082
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Cesium-137 (137Cs) is an anthropogenic radionuclide whose persistence in soils and sediments represents a sustained source of environmental contamination. The Rhône River basin has been affected by 137Cs contamination from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing and the Chornobyl accident. In this study we simulate spatially the 137Cs dynamics in the Rhône River system, including the main stem and several major tributaries. The approach builds on an existing SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) configuration of the Rhône basin and extends a radionuclide-specific mass-balance formulation previously developed at the sub-basin scale. Time-evolving soil inventories of 137Cs from 1986 to 2016 are reconstructed using historical deposition maps. These reconstructions incorporate SWAT-derived erosion and soil turnover into a vertical migration model, providing spatially explicit initial conditions for simulations starting in 2016. Model outputs for the 2016-2020 period are evaluated against extensive observations of particulate and dissolved 137Cs collected throughout the Rhône network. Simulated soil 137Cs concentrations reproduce large-scale spatial patterns inherited from historical fallout and agree well with observations across most land-use classes. The modelled source term decreases annually by 2.2 %, of which 97.9 % is driven by radioactive decay. Soil erosion mobilizes 0.8 TBq yr−1, but most of this activity is trapped within the river system. Consequently, only 0.13 ± 0.03 TBq yr−1 (a small fraction of the total inventory) is exported at the basin outlet. This modelling framework provides a coherent basis for quantifying long-term radionuclide fluxes in large river systems affected by diffuse radioactive contamination.

Diet composition and diversity of the Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus over 30 years on coastal Mediterranean islands, France

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:40:10

de Yves Kayser, Marion Fiorentino, Elie Gaget, Patrick Bayle
In Avocetta, 50 (July, 2026)
En ligne : riviste.unimi.it[...]

Objectives
We aimed to provide a long-term, comprehensive description of Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus diet composition and diversity on coastal Mediterranean islands, near a major urban area, at breeding and non-breeding seasons.

Methods
We identified prey species from 87 remain samples of F. peregrinus preys year-round collected on 6 islands near Marseille, France (1995-2024). Prey relative abundance, biomass, and diversity indices were calculated. Seasonal, spatial, and temporal variations in diversity indices and prey taxa abundances were assessed using Kruskal–Wallis tests and generalized linear models.

Results
We identified 4,483 prey individuals across 180 species (i.e., species richness), with birds <200 g dominating the diet. Shannon diversity index indicated high diversity, while inverse Simpson index and Pielou’s evenness suggested moderate dominance by a few species. The most consumed taxa were small insectivorous passerines (19% abundance, 4% biomass), followed by Phasianidae (15%, 15%) (mainly Common Quail Coturnix coturnix), Apodidae (14%, 6%), Columbidae (11%, 25%), Turdidae (10%, 8%), and Sturnidae (8%, 6%) (Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris). During the breeding season, species richness and Shannon diversity were higher, while inverse Simpson and evenness were lower; Apodidae, Phasianidae and Columbidae were more consumed, and Turdidae and Sturnidae more abundant in the non-breeding season. Urban vicinity islands showed higher richness and Shannon index but lower evenness than remote and uninhabited islands, with Phasianidae and Columbidae more abundant and Apodidae and small insectivorous passerines less abundant. Temporal trends indicated declines in Common Quail remains over 30 years.

Conclusion
Our 30-year study provides insights into Peregrine Falcon feeding ecology and highlights the high dietary diversity and trophic flexibility of Peregrine Falcons on Mediterranean coastal islands. Temporal, seasonal, and small-scale variations in the contribution of prey species to the diet may reflect factors related to prey ecology, including long-term trends in prey populations and their localized availability at or near nesting sites, stopover areas, and along a coastal flyway.

Using Two-Stage Random Sampling and N-Mixture Models to Estimate the Breeding Population Size of a Threatened Nomadic Species in Morocco

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 15:48:34

de Haytem Bouchri, Rhimou El Hamoumi, Raphaël Musseau, Arnaud Béchet, Jocelyn Champagnon
In Animal Conservation, (en ligne) (July, 2026), 1-11
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Robust estimates of animal population size are critical for effective conservation planning, yet such studies remain scarce in the North African region, making it difficult to assess the population status of various species. Here, we present the results of a national-scale survey of the rare and elusive Marbled duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) conducted over 2 years in Morocco. Using a two-stage random sampling design, we surveyed 187 secondary sampling units of 0.25 km2 nested within 35 primary sampling units of 100 km2, spanning from the Moulouya River to the Saharan wadis. We applied hierarchical binomial N-mixture models to estimate the breeding population size of the species and identify key breeding habitat features. At the scale of sampled sites that cover 46.75 km2 of wetlands, our best-supported model estimated a total of 24 broods, with an average detection probability of 0.71 (95% BCI: 0.49–0.86), highlighting the need to account for imperfect detection in field surveys. When extrapolated to all Moroccan wetlands (748 km2), this translated into a national breeding population size estimate of 386 broods (95% BCI: 283–487). Emergent vegetation was found to be the strongest predictor of brood abundance. Among wetland types, ponds showed positive associations with brood abundance relative to dams, while rivers were associated with lower abundance. These findings represent the first robust national-scale estimate of Marbled duck breeding population size in Morocco. The analysis highlights emergent vegetation and wetland types as predictors of brood abundance, offering direction for habitat-focused conservation efforts. The scalable survey and modeling framework used here can be adapted elsewhere to improve monitoring and conservation efforts of vulnerable waterbird species.

Multi-sensor tracking reveals the extent of nocturnal migration in landbirds

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 15:48:33

de Paul Dufour, Raphaël Nussbaumer, Paul Doniol-Valcroze, Yann Rime, Peter Adamik, Susanne Åkesson, Raphaël Arlettaz, Arnaud G. Barras, Nyambayar Batbayar, Ian Beggs, et al.
In Current Biology, (en ligne) (July, 2026)
En ligne : www.cell.com[...]

The authors combine multi-sensor geolocator data from 411 individuals across 56 landbird species to quantify nocturnal and diurnal migratory flight. They show that nocturnal migration is the dominant strategy among small landbirds, is phylogenetically conserved, and that several species previously considered diurnal migrants in fact fly exclusively at night.

Monitoring major biodiversity stronghold in war zones: Model predicts Lake Chad remains Africa’s most important wetland for waterbirds

Wed, 8 Jul 2026 14:26:54

de Pierre Defos du Rau, Ugoline Godeau, Nicolas Carenton, Jaime Dias, Abakar Saleh Wachoum, BERTRAND Trolliet, Khalil Baddour, Abdramane Chaibo, Guillaume P. Morin, Bruno Portier, et al.
In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 123(27) (July, 2026), e2603538123
En ligne : www.pnas.org[...]

Lake Chad is both one of the largest transboundary wetlands in Africa and a major biodiversity hotspot. As such, Lake Chad would require sound and long-term biodiversity monitoring, but it is also a war zone. Using several mitigation measures, we succeeded in surveying a major part of it in 2022 to estimate the abundance of wildlife. This study marked the first comprehensive population estimates for some species. Compared to previous total count approaches, we introduced an aerial distance sampling methodology to improve survey safety, repeatability, estimate uncertainty, and reduce detection bias. Due to strong security concerns, a portion of the lake was inaccessible. To overcome this limitation and estimate temporal trends, density surface modeling was applied to estimate species abundance over the entire lake. Locations of conflict events emerged as sites of higher densities for several species, suggesting a “refuge effect,” a rare positive outcome of conflict zones on wildlife. Indeed, we also noted the persistence of endangered large mammal populations, possibly due to reduced anthropogenic pressure from displaced communities. Results indicated that Lake Chad hosts approximately 2.48 million waterbirds, to our knowledge the most important known wetland bird concentration in Africa. Updated population estimates revealed that some species may have experienced positive trends. However, a few species, including transcontinental ones, showed signs of reduced abundance. The study urges actions to protect this ecosystem of major importance for global biodiversity, recommending the establishment of a protected area and World Heritage status for Lake Chad.

Clonal amplification and weak genetic structuring in the rumen fluke Calicophoron daubneyi at a regional scale in the French Pyrenees

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:40:06

de Pilar Alda, Juliette Langand, Dominique Faugère, Antonio A. Vázquez, Elodie Chapuis, Marion Vittecoq, Thierry De Meeûs, Sylvie Hurtrez-Boussès
In International Journal for Parasitology, (en ligne) (July, 2026), 104923
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Calicophoron daubneyi is an emerging rumen fluke of ruminants whose prevalence and geographic range have increased markedly across Western Europe over recent decades. Despite its growing veterinary importance, population-level genetic studies of this trematode have been hampered by the absence of suitable multilocus markers, with previous work relying on mitochondrial or ribosomal sequences that provide limited resolution for epidemiological inference. In this study, we developed and validated the first panel of polymorphic microsatellite markers for C. daubneyi and applied them to assess genetic diversity, clonality, and population structure in natural populations from the eastern French Pyrenees. Using Illumina-based genomic sequencing, we isolated 16 candidate loci, of which 10 robust and polymorphic microsatellites were retained after stringent quality filtering. We used these markers to genotype 187 adult parasites collected from cattle originating from seven localities spanning a maximum pairwise distance of approximately 50 km. Analyses explicitly accounted for the strong clonal amplification characteristic of trematode life cycles. We observed high levels of genetic diversity and a pronounced but variable clonal signal among sites. After attempting to correct for clonality and null alleles, genetic differentiation among populations was low and no significant isolation by distance was detected, consistent with substantial genetic exchange occurring at the regional spatial scale examined. These findings suggest that definitive host movement contributes importantly in shaping parasite gene flow within this interconnected livestock system. By providing the first validated microsatellite toolkit and baseline population-genetic data for C. daubneyi, this study establishes a foundation for future molecular epidemiological investigations of transmission dynamics, host–parasite interactions, and parasite dispersal in European livestock systems.

Nationwide monitoring of seabirds reveals species- and site-specific legacy PFAS contamination in French coastal areas

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:30:17

de Prescillia Lemesle, Alice Carravieri, Gauthier Poiriez, Romain Batard, Aurélie Blanck, Coraline Bichet, Gilles Faggio, Jérôme Fort, Fabrice Gallien, William Jouanneau, et al.
In Environment International, (en ligne) (June, 2026), 110386
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (hereafter PFAS) are widespread and persistent compounds that pose a threat to human and wildlife health. Wildlife monitoring is essential to understand the extent of PFAS contamination and its ecological drivers. Seabirds are good bioindicators of PFAS contamination of the marine environment, yet some areas including the French coastlines, remain poorly covered. Here, we quantified 11 legacy PFAS in the plasma of 9 seabird species (n = 340 chicks) from 30 sites along the French Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Linear perfluorooctanesulfonic acid was by far the most abundant PFAS. Oceanic piscivorous species (Northern gannets Morus bassanus, black-legged kittiwakes, Rissa tridactyla and Scopoli’s shearwaters Calonectris diomedea) had the highest PFAS concentrations compared to Larus sp. gulls, and shags Gulosus aristotelis. Overall, Mediterranean seabirds had lower perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acid and higher perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid concentrations compared to Atlantic seabirds. At a finer spatial scale, chicks sampled near estuaries had a slightly higher PFAS burden, suggesting local river inputs. This first large-scale survey of PFAS in French seabirds reveals substantial heterogeneity in PFAS contamination across French coastal environments. Future work should address the sources of this PFAS contamination and quantify its toxicological consequences, given that sampled chicks may be at risk based on previous avian studies reporting PFAS-related health effects.

Evidence for a relationship between bird body size and uncertainty in individual morphological measurements at ringing

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:30:15

de Yanaël Martinais, Elie Gaget, Matthieu Guillemain, Charlotte Francesiaz
In Bird Study, (en ligne) (June, 2026), 1-13
En ligne : doi.org[...]

Operator errors when taking morphometric measurements are more important for larger species and for mass measurements. To quantify operator effects on morphometric measurements during ringing sessions, depending on species size and morphometric characters. Three morphometric characters (wing length, body mass and body condition index) had been measured during ringing sessions on 17,818 individuals of 14 different species in southern France. The deviation from the mean and the variation, both absolute and by percentage, of measurements taken by operators were estimated for each bird species and age and sex categories. We detected operator effects on measurements. Wing length showed a deviation from the mean, reaching less than 1% of total measurement and a small variation. However, body mass showed a large deviation from the mean, and a large variation reaching up to 10% of total measurement. Body condition index showed broadly the same results as body mass, with the same proportion. Larger species were the most affected by measurement errors, both in absolute and in percentage terms. Errors in morphological measurements are common during ringing sessions and are related to the characteristics of the species, particularly their size, the tools used (such as dynamometers for body mass) and the characteristics of the operators.

New data on the bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the Drinos Valley, Vjosa Wild River National Park Southern Albania

Thu, 28 May 2026 16:31:18

de Lionel Bruhat, Anthony Olivier, Pierre Mallet, Marc Thibault
In Ecologia Balkanica, 18(1) (June, 2026), 219-232
En ligne : eb.bio.uni-plovdiv.bg[...]

Albania's bat fauna is rich but still poorly studied and subject to numerous pressures. One immediate pressure includes the plans to build hydroelectric dams on the Vjosa River and its tributaries, recently classified as a national park. This study was part of an international movement to improve knowledge of both a taxonomic group and a geographical area that have not been studied extensively, to take them into account for conservation purposes. In June 2022, 15 passive bat acoustic sampling sites were set up in four distinct sectors along the Drinos and Suha Rivers, two tributaries of the Vjosa. The Drinos River was included within the national park boundaries in 2023. These recordings were analyzed using automatic identification software and manually verified. Our study identified 16 of the 32 species known to occur in Albania, of which four had fewer than 25 previous records in Albania: Myotis bechsteinii, Myotis emarginatus, Myotis nattereri and Rhinolophus blasii. Our results highlight a high level of activity observed at the sampling sites and the importance of alluvial and riparian hydroecosystems for bats. This study supports the need to take bats into account in the management plans and projects of the Vjosa Wild River National Park. It also produced 135 additional bat records for the country, adding to the 1243 national records.

Migratory connectivity, short steps and loop migration in an alpine population of Whinchats Saxicola rubetra

Tue, 9 Jun 2026 11:28:19

de Frédéric Jiguet, Jocelyn Champagnon, Olivier Duriez, Paul Dufour
In Journal of Ornithology, (en ligne) (May, 2026)
En ligne : doi.org[...]

We investigated the migratory strategy of an alpine population of Whinchat Saxicola rubetra, a long-distance migratory passerine experiencing severe population declines in Europe. We tracked seven individuals breeding in the French Alps using multi-sensor loggers combining light, accelerometer, and barometric pressure data. Tracked whinchats exhibited an anti-clockwise, loop migration. In autumn, birds migrated westward through France and the Iberian Peninsula, entering Africa near the Strait of Gibraltar and moving south along the western edge of the Sahara Desert. Autumn migration lasted 17–50 days and was characterized by a short step strategy, with numerous short nocturnal flights (mean 9 h) interspersed with frequent, often brief stopovers (on average 15 stops of median duration 16 h). Spring migration followed a more direct, easterly route across the Sahara Desert toward Europe. In contrast, it was faster (12–24 days) and more synchronized, typically beginning with a single, non-stop trans-Saharan flight lasting 37–45 h. These initial spring flights reached the highest of the recorded altitudes (4000–6000 m above sea level), considerably higher than autumn flights, likely facilitating barrier crossing and thermoregulation. Subsequent spring movements involved fewer flights and short stopovers, resulting in a highly accelerated return to breeding sites. Non-breeding ecology revealed flexible strategies. Each individual used one or two main non-breeding sites in West Africa, primarily in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Mauritania. Four of seven birds shifted between non-breeding sites at mid-winter, while others remained resident or roamed locally before spring migration. Compared to British breeding populations, alpine Whinchats showed a more spatially aggregated winter distribution, suggesting a moderate degree of migratory connectivity. Conservation implications emphasize the importance of preserving a network of stopover and late-winter fueling sites along the West African flyway, particularly in the context of habitat degradation and climate change.

Yellow legged gulls (Larus michahellis): the bridge between human and environmental carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae?

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:31:57

de Guilhem Conquet, Karen D. McCoy, Marion Vittecoq, Carole Leray, Charly Souc, Marie Noëlle Didelot, Chrislène Laurens, Lokman Galal, Julio A. Benavides, Sylvain Godreuil, et al.
In Science of The Total Environment, 1029 (May, 2026), 181695
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Wildlife is frequently reported as a host of antimicrobial resistant bacteria (AMR), often reflecting anthropogenic contamination. Among them, carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are one of the most worrying for human health. This study investigated the carriage of CPE in yellow-legged gull chicks (Larus michahellis) from a breeding colony of southern France, where CPE have already been detected, and compared these bacterial strains with isolates from humans hospitalized in Montpellier University Hospital, France. Cloacal swabs from 112 chicks revealed a high CPE carriage rate (12 isolates carried by 10 gulls; 8.9%). Detected species included Escherichia coli (n = 3), Citrobacter portucalensis (n = 1) and members of Enterobacter cloacae complex (n = 8). Whole-genome sequencing revealed that 8/12 isolates produced IMI-type carbapenemases (IMI-4 and NMC-A) inserted within EcloIMEX integrative elements, and 4/12 produced OXA-48 located in IncL plasmids. Human and avian CPE isolates did not have common sequences types, although they harbored identical resistance structures (EcloIMEX-1). Some OXA-48-producing E. coli isolates belonged to high-risk human-associated genotypes (ST10, ST648), confirming the potential AMR transmission to gulls via anthropic activities. Conversely, the predominance of IMI-type carbapenemases, typically associated with aquatic environments and rare in clinical settings, suggests that gulls may also carry multidrug resistant bacteria of environmental origin. Positioned at the interface between aquatic ecosystems and human-impacted areas, gulls could contribute to the dissemination of these pathogens beyond their primary reservoirs. These findings highlight the need to integrate wildlife into One Health surveillance frameworks, not only as indicators of anthropogenic AMR but also as potential sentinels of emerging resistance threats.

European coastal wetlands datasets and their use in decision-support tools for policy restoration objectives

Tue, 5 May 2026 09:56:21

de Bruna R. F. Oliveira, Antonio Camacho, Anis Guelmami, Christoph Schröder, Nina Bègue, Martynas Bucas, Constantin Cazacu, Elisa Ciravegna, João Pedro Coelho, Relu Giuca Constantin, et al.
In Environmental Science & Policy, 179 (May, 2026), 104386
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Ecosystem restoration is a paramount policy priority for this decade, with ambitious global and European targets requiring unprecedented levels of data-driven implementation. Achieving effective and equitable restoration, particularly for coastal wetlands, hinges on spatially explicit socio-ecological information - maps that integrate habitats, ecosystem services, human activities, and pressures to guide prioritization, stakeholder negotiation, and adaptive management. This study, grounded in the RESTORE4Cs initiative, introduces an innovative multi-layered dataset that bridges science and policy for six emblematic European coastal wetlands: Ria de Aveiro (Portugal), Valencian Wetlands (Spain), Camargue (France), Southwest Dutch Delta (Netherlands), Curonian Lagoon (Lithuania), and the Danube Delta (Romania). The dataset consolidates ecological mapping (EUNIS 2021, 2022), human activity and pressure documentation (aligned with EU Habitats Directive, Water Framework Directive, Marine Strategy Framework Directive), comprehensive ecosystem services mapping (CICES v5.1), alongside robust participatory community and stakeholder data. Altogether, the database encapsulates 97 habitat records, 23,160 activity-pressure associations, and 1,668 ecosystem service records—enabling robust cross-regional analyses and direct integration into evidence-based decision support tools. By illustrating practical pathways for participatory engagement, trade-off negotiation, and cross-scale integration, this research equips scientists, policymakers, practitioners, and communities with the scientific foundation to propel the Nature Restoration Regulation and Biodiversity Strategy 2030 objectives, fortifying Europe’s climate adaptation trajectory. The approach showcased signals a new era for restoration science – where spatially explicit, multi-actor data supports policy, mobilizes citizen stewardship, and accelerates the transformative ambitions of Europe’s restoration decade.

Assessment of soil carbon stock in Mediterranean temporary ponds under a semi-arid climate in NW Morocco

Tue, 5 May 2026 09:56:16

de Abdessadeq Boudjaj, Laïla Rhazi, Said Moukrim, Saida Ourraisse, Abdelmjid Zouahri, Mohammed El Madihi, Mouhssine Rhazi, Said Lahssini, Mohamed Ben Bammou, Imane Wahby, et al.
In Hydrobiologia, (en ligne) (April, 2026)
En ligne : doi.org[...]

The role of temporary ponds in carbon budgets remains poorly understood, particularly in arid regions. This study quantified soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in 15 temporary ponds in Morocco, across three land use types (agricultural, reserve, forest). In each pond, one soil core was collected in each of the three topographic zone (peripheral, intermediate, and central) and divided in three soil depth (0–15, 15–30, 30–45 cm) with sub-samples (3) averaged by layer. Relationship with vegetation abundance and plant diversity (aquatic and terrestrial), hydrological and soil properties were also assessed. SOC content was measured, and factorial ANOVAs with Tukey’s tests were used for statistical analysis. SOC density was significantly higher in agricultural and reserve ponds than in forest ponds. Total SOC stock was positively correlated with hydrology, soil nutrients, and vegetation attributes, while topographic zone, soil depth, or their interaction showed no significant effects. Extrapolation to all 672 ponds in the 2760 km2 study area estimated a total SOC stock of 153,878 metric tons. These results highlight the importance of conserving agricultural ponds and creating new reserves in pond-rich forest areas to maximize carbon sequestration in semi-arid regions.

Detection of a Merbecovirus with potential ACE2 usage in France

Tue, 5 May 2026 09:56:18

de Océane Rieu, Stéphane Descorps-Declère, Anaïs Dufau, Jordan Meliani, Lionel Brazier, Marion Vittecoq, Carole Leray, Anthony Olivier, Illich Mombo, Frederic Thomas, et al.
In Emerging Microbes & Infections, (en ligne) (April, 2026), 2651469
En ligne : www.tandfonline.com[...]

A novel Merbecovirus, designated Cam-2023, has been identified in Pipistrellus pipistrellus in France through non-invasive surveillance. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates that Cam-2023 belongs to a Merbecovirus clade previously associated with ACE2 usage in closely related viruses detected in the Netherlands and Russia. While the receptor usage of Cam-2023 remains to be functionally validated, sequence similarities within the Spike protein, particularly the receptor-binding domain, suggest a putative association with a Merbecovirus clade previously associated with ACE2 usage. This discovery broadens the known host diversity of this lineage and extends its geographical range to Western Europe. Our findings highlight the importance of continuous surveillance in European bat populations to better characterize the distribution and zoonotic potential of such high-risk coronaviruses.

Drought-driven breeding failures of greater flamingos in an important bird area, in semi-arid southern Iran

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 11:15:35

de Ali Gholamhosseini, Mahta Jafari, Arnaud Béchet
In Ornithology Research, 34(1) (April, 2026), 20
En ligne : doi.org[...]

In recent years, many wetlands in the semi-arid and arid regions of southwest Asia, particularly in southern Iran, have completely dried up, raising significant concerns regarding the reproductive success of the greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus). This study investigates the breeding success of the species in the saline wetlands of Bakhtegan and Maharloo in southern Iran over the breeding seasons 2023 and 2024. In 2023, egg laying initiated around mid-March in Bakhtegan, but the breeding site was subsequently deserted around April 23 during the egg hatching period likely due to drought conditions and disturbances from humans and predators. We counted a total of 1,953 nests and 538 dead chicks. The extremely low precipitation (about 33 mm) during the wet seasons of 2024 further resulted in suboptimal breeding conditions, leading to the absence of flamingos in Bakhtegan. Survey in Maharloo demonstrated breeding success in 2023, with an estimated 1,700 to 2,200 chicks. However, subsequent surveys in 2024 revealed no nests or chicks. Droughts, coupled with human interventions such as upstream dam construction and agricultural irrigation, have severely threatened flamingo populations, contributing to flamingo breeding failures and increased chick mortality.

Is managing horses ‘as wild’ beneficial for dung beetle assemblages and their associated ecological functions?

Tue, 5 May 2026 09:56:22

de Clémentine Mutillod, William Perrin, Elise Buisson, Laurent Tatin, François Mesléard, Pierre Jay-Robert, Thierry Dutoit
In Journal of Environmental Management, 406 (April, 2026), 129756
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

In Europe, where livestock has largely replaced wild ungulates over the centuries, dung beetle assemblages have become largely dependent on livestock farming. The radical changes in livestock farming practices during the 20th century have therefore had a profound impact on these assemblages. Trophic rewilding with large herbivores is an important focus in European rewilding projects, and dung beetle assemblages appear to be good indicators of the success of rewilding. By comparing the composition of dung beetle assemblages and the rate of dung disappearance in three neighboring grassland habitats in southern France, maintained respectively by a population of Przewalski horses managed by natural selection and two herds managed for production purposes (a flock of sheep and a herd of endurance horses), our study shows a) significant differences in the composition of the dung of the three animals; b) a single pool of dung beetle species; c) but a different assemblage structure. While tunnelers dominated across all the sampled habitats, rollers were the second most abundant group in domestic farms, and were replaced by dwellers in the Przewalski horse rangelands. Differences in dung beetle assemblages and dung composition between the three grazers could both explain that sheep droppings were removed faster than horse dung. Understanding how herbivore types and management shape these assemblages helps refine decisions for conservation and/or rewilding. However, the place of ecological heritage and species co-occurences in these changes need to be examined, since in this region the history of dung beetles is closely linked to that of sheep pastoralism as for other types of semi-natural grasslands in Europe.

Protocole de suivi des populations de Lestes macrostigma (Eversmann, 1836) : un compromis entre niveau d’information et effort investi (Odonata : Lestidae)

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:31:50

de Philippe Lambret
In Martinia, 40(4) (Avril, 2026), 21-36
En ligne : martinia.insectes.org[...]

Method for the monitoring of Lestes macrostigma (Eversmann, 1836) populations: a trade-off between level of information and effort invested (Odonata: Lestidae). Lestes macrostigma (Eversmann, 1836) is threatened at the French and European Union scales, and as such should be included in the Habitats Directive. This species is integrated into the French National Action Plan for dragonflies and implementing its national monitoring is a priority action. We present here a method offering trade-off between gathered information and invested effort. This method focuses on the autochthony of the studied population and aims to estimate the total number of imagos emerging from a breeding site. To do so, the site is surveyed along a walk determined by the operator and imagos are counted over a width of 3 m, distinguishing the tenerals which are used as a proxy for evidence of autochthony. This count is then extrapolated to the site scale considering the area of habitat favourable to the species oviposition and emergence, and finally over the season in order to assess the minimal size of the autochthonous population. This size is expressed in classes on an exponential scale: 0 – no individual; 99 – tens of individuals; 999 – hundreds of individuals; 9999 – thousands of individuals, etc. To allow analysis at different scales, we argue that this specific monitoring should be mutualised with a general dragonfly monitoring scheme, such as the French “Steli”, at least at one of the monitored stations.

A New Genus Record for Türkiye: Tolypella (Charophyceae), Contributions to the Ecology of T. salina

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:46:31

de Kamil Mert Yücel, Hugo Fontes, Serdar Gökhan Şenol
In Natural Resources and Conservation, 12(1) (April 2026), 1-9
En ligne : www.hrpub.org[...]

As a result of the identification of Charophyceae members collected during field studies on Gediz Basin management and sustainability, the genus Tolypella was observed for the first time in Türkiye. Samples collected from the temporary inland saline and brackish waters section of the periodic wetlands located within the Gediz Delta are among the primary macrophytes of their system. The general morphological description of the species T. salina, the determination of the EUNIS habitat class, vegetation types and ecology, the classification of the temporary waterland where the species lives, and its distribution worldwide are included in our detailed research. Furthermore, factors threatening the habitat and existence of the T. salina species have been detailed due to its 'EN' category status on the IUCN Red List. Although the Ramsar protection status of the region where the species was identified and the intensive conservation activities of private civil society organizations in the area are promising, the shift in rainfall patterns due to the global climate crisis is negatively affecting the species' diaspora formation. Therefore, it is of great importance to reveal the life history of T. salina, measure the population size and the species' actual distribution area, and determine the population genetics. With the addition of the genus Tolypella, the current number of Charophyceae in Türkiye has reached 3 genera and 20 taxa.

Thirteen personal letters to a wetland

Wed, 27 May 2026 12:03:59

de C Max Finlayson, Columba Martínez-Espinosa, Swapan Paul, R Eugene Turner, Pierre Horwitz, Leonardo Maltchik, Gillian Davies, Andy Herb, John Conallin, Ritesh Kumar, et al.
In Wetland Science & Practice, 44 (April, 2026), 96-110

Thirteen letters to a wetland have been prepared by individuals and combined in a single article. The letters express the personal feelings and views of the writers (or epistolists) to a wetland of their choice, including regret about their condition or the pressures the wetland had experienced, as well as respect and appreciation for their values. The letters are provided as a way of sharing these views with others and in doing so encouraging them to also express their own views in the intimate format of a letter. The letters are writtend to wetlands in seven countries and serve as a model for others in different countries.

Vegetation trajectories over 150 years of temporary ponds created in the Camargue delta (Southern France)

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:40:14

de Hugo Fontes, Patrick Grillas, Thierry Dutoit, Antoine Gazaix, Elie Gaget, François Mesléard
In Restoration Ecology, (en ligne) (March, 2026), e70372
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Temporary ponds in the Mediterranean climate have a high conservation value, but many have been severely destroyed or degraded. Pond restoration and new pond creation have been engaged widely. Evaluations of the success of such operations are generally carried out over 10–15 years and show divergent results over this timeframe. In the Camargue (Rhône delta, South of France), several temporary ponds were created with various objectives since the second half of the 19th century.
Study the long-term trajectory of plant communities in created temporary ponds and compare them with those of reference temporary ponds.
We carried out vegetation surveys and measured environmental parameters in 25 ponds created in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, as well as in 27 natural reference ponds (space-for-time substitution approach).
Submerged macrophyte communities (composition, abundance, and species-richness) converged toward the reference communities after one or several decades. Emergent plant communities (terrestrial plants and helophytes) converged more slowly toward the reference communities (composition and abundance). Even after 150 years, the emergent plant communities with the highest conservation interest (in particular Natura 2000 habitat) were not found in created ponds.
The creation of temporary ponds in the Camargue is of conservation interest but cannot compensate for the loss of natural temporary ponds.

Exposure to a mixture of organic pollutants in a threatened freshwater turtle Emys orbicularis: effects of age, sex, and temporal variation

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:05:55

de Leslie-Anne Merleau, Olivier Lourdais, Anthony Olivier, Marion Vittecoq, Fabrice Alliot, Sira Traore, Carole Leray, Aurélie Goutte
In Peer Community Journal, 6 (March, 2026)
En ligne : peercommunityjournal.org[...]

Freshwater ecosystems constitute major sinks for organic contaminants, increasing anthropogenic pressures and threatening the unique biodiversity they harbour. In addition to persistent legacy compounds, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), various pollutants are less persistent but are chronically released, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalate diesters (PAEs), pyrethroid pesticides, and insect repellent. Heretofore, these pollutants have received insufficient attention in freshwater reptiles, considering their potential to trigger detrimental effects on organisms. During two years (2019 and 2020), we quantified plasma levels of 46 compounds from 7 chemical families in two monitored populations of the protected European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) in the Camargue wetland, France. PAHs and PAEs were found predominantly and concomitantly, with similar occurrences and levels in the two populations. We observed similar inter-annual variations in PAHs and PAEs with differences between males and females, highlighting the need for a better assessment of the role of sex in the exposure pathway and the toxicokinetics of contaminants, especially in turtles. The negative relationship between PAH levels and age, as well as the high intra-individual variation in levels of both contaminant families, provides further evidence of limited bioaccumulation of these pollutants in the blood of E. orbicularis. This could be explained by the metabolic biotransformation of parent compounds, highlighting the need to quantify the levels of PAH metabolites and phthalate monoesters. Finally, our work underscores the importance of long-term monitoring to better determine the vulnerability of turtle populations already exposed to a wide range of contaminants.

Climatic and nutrient drivers affect long-term phytoplankton temporal trends in coastal lagoons

Tue, 3 Feb 2026 11:22:35

de Aurore Moulin, Béatrice Bec, Olivier Boutron, Valerie Derolez, Marie Garrido, Vanina Pasqualini, Nathalie Malet
In Marine pollution bulletin, 224 (March, 2026), 119080
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Understanding how climate influences phytoplankton dynamics is crucial for anticipating temporal trends and cascading consequences on ecosystem functioning under climate change. This study explores long-term dynamics in contrasted Mediterranean lagoons and investigates the effects of climatic (air temperature, rainfall, wind speed) and nutrient (inorganic nutrient concentrations) drivers on phytoplankton chlorophyll a, abundances, and pigment composition. 17 years of summer monitoring were analyzed using univariate trend tests and multivariate approaches to highlight changes and to disentangle the contributions of abiotic factors to phytoplankton variability. Our results revealed contrasts among lagoons in physicochemical conditions and phytoplankton community, which strongly structured their temporal trends. Climatic drivers significantly influenced phytoplankton, but their importance was context-dependent. In nutrient-enriched systems, phytoplankton dynamics were primarily controlled by inorganic nutrient concentrations, while climatic effects were weak by comparison. Conversely, in nutrient-poor systems, climatic signals became more visible and influential: wind events were associated with higher chlorophyll a, warmer conditions with increases in phycoerythrin-rich picocyanobacteria, and rainfall with higher picoeukaryote abundances, potentially through indirect effects on water column stability and nutrient and light availability. However, under nutrient limitation, abundances remained low and dominated by small cells, suggesting that nutrient control exerts the strongest influence on phytoplankton, which may explain why nutrient control tends to mask diffuse climatic signals. Yet, climate change modulates physicochemical patterns and may progressively shape lagoon functioning. This study emphasizes the need to account for lagoon features and vulnerabilities, and supports adaptive and site-specific management strategies to safeguard coastal lagoons under future changes.

Integrated modelling of sediment and organic carbon fluxes in a large catchment: quantifying riverine contributions to the Mediterranean Sea

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 10:48:26

de Clément Fabre, Yoann Copard, Sabine Sauvage, Olivier Radakovitch, Hervé Piégay, Jose Miguel Sanchez-Perez, Mathieu Fressard, Olivier Boutron
In Catena, 264 (March, 2026), 109794
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Within the Land Ocean Aquatic Continuum, the export of dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC, POC) is crucial for various processes in aquatic ecosystems and a primary source of greenhouse gas emissions in hydrosystems. Quantifying DOC and POC fluxes at high spatiotemporal resolution is complex because numerous sources and processes influence their dynamics, including climate, geological, and anthropogenic activities. Such quantifications at the catchment scale can be performed using hydrological models that consider OC processes. This study employed the Soil and Water Assessment Tool – Carbon (SWAT-C) to simulate OC dynamics in the large Mediterranean catchment of the Rhône River from 2002 to 2020. We represent hydrological and sediment fluxes at the catchment scale by accounting for sub-catchment diversity and dam operations. The average resulting exports reach 5.52 Mt. y−1, 78.8 kt y−1, and 95.1 kt y−1 with 54.4 %, 71.5 %, and 44.3 % exported during the highest discharges for sediment, POC, and DOC, respectively. The contributions of the southern sub-basins to POC and DOC fluxes are significant, while the northern sub-basins do not show significant patterns. Regarding OC quality, the proportions of labile/refractory OC at the Rhône outlet are 85/15 and 5/95 for POC and DOC, respectively. Global changes could alter flows, such as the labile/refractory OC proportions, which should be quantified using the tool developed in this article to anticipate their impacts on biogeochemical dynamics in the Mediterranean Sea. Finally, our study demonstrates the potential and limitations of SWAT-C for modelling OC dynamics in a large Mediterranean catchment under multiple anthropogenic pressures.

Ecological barrier crossing strategies in small migratory birds depend on wing morphology and plumage color

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 09:54:31

de Paul Dufour, Raphaël Nussbaumer, Martins Briedis, Pierrick Bocher, Greg Conway, Yannig Coulomb, Rose Delacroix, Thomas Dagonet, Christophe de Franceschi, Sophie de Grissac, et al.
In iScience, 29(2) (February, 2026)
En ligne : www.cell.com[...]

Recent tracking technologies have revealed remarkable diel flight altitude changes over the Sahara Desert in small migratory birds. However, the drivers and traits behind these strategies remain poorly understood, partly because few species and barriers have been studied. Using a dataset from 67 recovered multi-sensor loggers across 17 species, we examined how small landbirds cross two major marine barriers (the Bay of Biscay, the Mediterranean Sea) and the Sahara. We then used a comparative approach to test the influence of wing morphology, wing structure, and plumage color on flight altitude. Birds showed important differences across barriers: over the desert, they averaged 1,600 m at night and 2,800 m during prolonged daytime flights, while marine crossings occurred lower (750 m), sometimes just above water. Flight altitude increased with wing area, and species with shorter wing bones and darker plumage flew higher over the Sahara, likely to enhance heat dissipation and reduce solar heating. These findings refine hypotheses on barrier-crossing strategies and suggest broader ecological and evolutionary implications.

Phenotypic plasticity in amphibious plants across a latitudinal (climatic) gradient

Wed, 4 Feb 2026 15:33:35

de Mohammed El Madihi, Laïla Rhazi, Abdessadeq Boudjaj, Maarten Van den Broeck, Mouhssine Rhazi, Bouabid Badaoui, Said Moukrim, Mohamed Ben Bammou, Imane Wahby, Aline Waterkeyn, et al.
In Oikos, (en ligne) (February, 2026), e11804
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Temporary ponds are vital ecosystems in the Mediterranean basin, supporting many specialized species. Plants must endure significant interannual fluctuations in pond hydrology and may face increased stress from climate change. While research has largely focused on community-level dynamics, we still lack a clear understanding of how species respond to hydrology and the relative roles of plasticity versus adaptation in their responses. We studied selected vegetative (height, number of leaves, leaf area) and reproductive (number of fruits, number of seeds/spores per fruit, number of seeds/spores per plant, seed/spore size and seed mass) traits of six characteristic species (of the genera; Baldellia, Damasonium, Elatine and Isoetes) in 20 temporary ponds along a 750 km north–south latitudinal (climate) gradient (31°–35°N) in Morocco (mean annual precipitation range 264 to 856 mm). Traits were assessed on both field-collected specimens and those grown from seeds/spores in mesocosms under uniform experimental conditions. Our results showed a significant correlation between latitude and plant traits in the field. From north (humid) to south (dry), plants became shorter, with fewer and smaller leaves, fewer fruits, smaller seeds/spores, lower mass per fruit/sporangium, and fewer seeds per plant. Reduced growth and fecundity along the gradient likely result from limited and variable flooding in the south, increasing plant stress. However, these differences in traits were not observed when the plants were grown under common garden conditions. This pattern strongly suggests that differences in plant traits across the six species are mainly due to phenotypic plasticity to local hydrological conditions, although potential genetic differentiation cannot be excluded. In conclusion, phenotypic plasticity, likely favored by large interannual variations in hydrological conditions, may enhance species resilience to climate change and may aid in population transfers for restoration projects.

Nasal saddles reduce survival rate in Eurasian teal

Tue, 3 Feb 2026 11:22:37

de Matthieu Guillemain, Marion Gelin, Betty Plaquin, Emilienne Gregorczyk, Jocelyn Champagnon, Léo Bacon
In The Journal of Wildlife Management, (en ligne) (March, 2026), e70181
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Nasal marks are used to study duck behavior and demography. Earlier tests detected no negative effects on dabbling duck physiology and behavior, but the potential deleterious effect on annual survival probability remained to be evaluated. We relied on multistate capture-mark-recapture models applied to 11,874 Eurasian teal (Anas crecca) banded in France from 2002 to 2021, of which 308 were recaptured alive at least once and 1,390 yielded dead band recoveries. Of the banded individuals, 6,770 teal (57.0%) were also marked with a plastic nasal saddle to evaluate the cost-benefit trade-off of the technique. Saddled teal had a lower annual survival probability (ranging from 0.30 ± 0.02 [SE] in hatch-year females to 0.45 ± 0.02 in after hatch-year males) than banded-only individuals (0.44 ± 0.03 to 0.53 ± 0.02). Incorporating live nasal saddle resighting information in life histories of the individuals did not improve precision of annual survival probability estimates. The mechanism behind such reduced annual survival remains unclear, and a potential greater influence of hunting on saddled birds cannot be excluded, either through greater exposure to hunting owing to birds’ behavior or through greater targeting by hunters. In any case, there were clear drawbacks to bird survival, with very limited benefits for the biologists, so this technique should be abandoned when the unique goal of fitting nasal saddles is to evaluate long-term demographic parameters in dabbling ducks. The method could remain valuable for other purposes such as shorter-term monitoring of brood-rearing females, evaluation of stopover duration, or some migration studies, but even then, results should be interpreted with caution and animal welfare issues should be considered.

Nature-based adaptation in human dominated coastal ecosystems

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:32:57

de Fabienne Horneman, Alice Stocco, Paolo Comandini, Alberto Barausse, Nuno Caiola, Agustin Sanchez-Arcilla, Vicente Gracia, Richard Marijnissen, Sara Pino Cobacho, Luciana Villa Castrillón, et al.
In Ecological Indicators, 183 (February, 2026), 114629
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Ecosystems along river-to-sea continuums face urgent challenges that demand swift restoration interventions, often exceeding the data availability, collection and testing capacity. This makes expert- and consensus-based approaches vital for guiding decisions, particularly in data-scarce coastal regions. With the aim to provide practical guidance for assessing the applicability of different restoration techniques, this study involved a group of 23 experts from various European and Mediterranean regions to evaluate 49 restoration techniques tested recently in nine sites, representing diverse coastal ecosystems. Through a Delphi-based expert elicitation, a series of gray, hybrid, and green restoration techniques was assessed in terms of their structural and functional performance. Additionally, the assessment of the pressures affecting the regions allowed exploring the restoration techniques' resilience to both natural and anthropogenic pressures and impacts. Results from the data collected so far suggest that, while green restoration techniques are environmentally friendly and significantly support natural processes, their limited scale of influence makes them vulnerable when pressures are strong or widespread on the ecosystem. This often leads to opting for hybrid or engineering-based solutions for restoration, as they provide a more robust structure and longevity albeit with reduced capacity to foster natural processes. This result underscores a critical dilemma: while green and/or integrated solutions can help mitigate human-induced impacts and digital tools may support decision-making, restoration efforts alone may sometimes be insufficient if the underlying anthropogenic pressures on human-dominated coastal ecosystems remain unaddressed. Subsequently, the identified techniques and their performance evaluated under current and future conditions have been compiled into an open-source, interactive digital tool, designed to assist decision-makers and practitioners in selecting the most suitable restoration strategies by leveraging the knowledge acquired through ongoing experiences in coastal restoration. This digital platform not only facilitates access to information but also enables the integration of new data on emerging techniques, making it a dynamic and evolving resource for coastal restoration management.

Recommendations for Improving the Modeling of Wintering Waterbird Population Sizes and Trends

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 16:03:34

de U. Godeau, E. Gaget, L. Dami, K. Baddour, D. O. S. O. Daf, M. Dakki, T. Frost, M. Hornman, H. Kolberg, S.-H. Lorentsen, et al.
In Ecology and Evolution, 16(2) (February, 2026), e72902
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Biodiversity monitoring at large spatial and temporal scales is essential for informing conservation policies. The International Waterbird Census (IWC) is one of the longest-running global citizen science monitoring schemes, providing critical information to several international agreements. However, analyzing IWC count data poses statistical challenges, including zero inflation, overdispersion, spatial autocorrelation, and missing data. While various modeling approaches have been used to estimate waterbird population size and trends, their ability to handle these issues and the implications for trend estimates remain unassessed. Using IWC count data from five species in the East Atlantic Flyway, we compared four modeling approaches: TRIM (TRends and Indices for Monitoring data), LORI (Low-Rank Interactions), and two generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) with simple or optimized parametrizations. We benchmarked their performance in addressing zero inflation, overdispersion, and spatial autocorrelation across different realistic sampling designs (i.e., alternative dataset configurations). Our results highlight significant limitations in commonly used methods. Simple GLMMs, TRIM, and LORI generally failed to mitigate both zero inflation and overdispersion. In contrast, optimized GLMMs improved model convergence and better addressed these issues by selecting appropriate probability distributions. However, no single distribution performed consistently well across species and sampling designs. Spatial structures were effective in reducing spatial autocorrelation in most cases. We recommend a careful species-specific selection of statistical methods when analyzing count data, as inadequate models may misrepresent population trends and thus misguide conservation efforts. Future research should explore the integration of advanced hierarchical and spatio-temporal models to improve inference from large-scale citizen science datasets.

Nouvelles données sur quatre espèces de Lépidoptères inventoriées en Camargue (France)(Lepidoptera, Blastobasidae, Gelechiidae, Sesiidae)

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:55:47

de Jacques Nel, Elie Gaget, Fany Jariod, Marc Thibault, Luc Belenguier
In Revue de l’Association Roussillonnaise d’Entomologie, 119 (2026), 50-53

De nouvelles données (répartition, biologie et genitalia) sont présentées pour quatre espèces de Lépidoptères observées en Camargue (France, Bouches-du-Rhône) : Xenopathia novaki (Rebel, 1891) [Blastobasidae], Monochroa moyses Uffen, 1991 [Gelechiidae, Anomologini], Synanthedon theryi Le Cerf, 1916 et Bembecia ichneumoniformis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) [Sesiidae].

Sur la présence d’une population probablement marginale de Tortue mauresque Testudo graeca dans la Région de Jdiriya (Province de Smara, Sahara Atlantique Marocain)

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:46:38

de Abdeljebbar Qnimba, Yves Kayser, Haytam Iallaten, Hicham El Brini, Mohamed Lamine Samlali, Mohamed Aourir, Abdellah Bouazza
In Éléments d’Ornithologie Marocaine, (en ligne) (2026), eom26081

L’article relate la découverte de restes d’une Tortue mauresque (Testudo graeca) dans des pelotes de réjection d’un Grand-duc ascalaphe dans la région de Khangat Ksat (Sahara Atlantique marocain), à 160 km au sud de la limite connue de son aire de répartition. Cette observation, effectuée en mars 2026 lors d’une mission naturaliste, suggère l’existence d’une population marginale relicte de cette espèce, favorisée par un micro-écosystème local riche en biodiversité (gazelles, renards, reptiles, etc.) et des conditions écologiques favorables, malgré la désertification. Le site, isolé et peu fréquenté, exclut une introduction humaine. Les auteurs émettent l’hypothèse que cette zone agit comme un refuge écologique pour des espèces non sahariennes, comme le Caméléon commun ou le Fouette-queue du Maroc, observés à proximité. Cette découverte ouvre des perspectives pour des recherches approfondies sur la résistance de certaines espèces face aux changements climatiques. [résumé rédigé à l'aide d'une IAG]

Inventaire préliminaire des micromammifères de Khangat Ksat (Commune de Jdiriya, Province de Smara, Région de Laâyoune- Saquiat Al Hamra)

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:46:36

de Yves Kayser, Hicham El Brini, Haytam Iallaten, Mohamed Lamine Samlali, Mohamed Aourir, Abdeljebbar Qninba
In Éléments d’Ornithologie Marocaine, (en ligne) (2026), eom26092

L’article présente un inventaire préliminaire des micromammifères dans la région de Khangat Ksat (Province de Smara, Maroc), réalisé en mars 2026 lors d’une mission naturaliste. Sept espèces de rongeurs ont été identifiées, dont certaines comme la Gerbille naine d’Égypte, la Gerbille pygmée, le Rat de sable diurne et le Mérione à queue rouge, dont la présence étend ou comble des lacunes dans leurs aires de répartition connues. Les méthodes utilisées incluent des pièges Sherman, des observations directes et l’analyse de pelotes de réjection d’un Grand-duc ascalaphe. Cette étude révèle que Khangat Ksat constitue une nouvelle station écologique pour ces espèces, confirmant son rôle comme zone de biodiversité dans le Sahara Atlantique marocain.

Vulnerability and adaptations to climate change in EU protected areas: A Natura 2000 managers’ perspective

Fri, 22 May 2026 15:36:46

de Giorgio Zavattoni, Jon E. Brommer, Tyler Hallman, Ineta Kačergytė, Szabolcs Nagy, Tomas Part, Diego Pavon-Jordan, Alaaeldin Soultan, Yanjie Xu, Elie Gaget
In Conservation Letters, 19(3) (2026), e70047
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

The Natura 2000 (N2K)—Europe's network of protected areas—is a key conservation instrument, but its effectiveness is challenged by climate change. We surveyed 382 N2K managers to investigate their perceptions of climate change and related site adaptation strategies. Warming and precipitation shifts were frequently reported as threats, with perceived vulnerability of N2K sites highest in the Mediterranean and lowest in the Boreal region. Our results suggest that the official N2K site information stored in the Standard Data Forms greatly under-report managers' assessment of vulnerability. 58% of the surveyed managers implemented adaptation strategies, which, when characterized following a resist–accept–direct (RAD) framework, aimed not only at resisting, but also at directing and accepting the effects of climate change. Managers also highlighted several barriers to the implementation of adaptation strategies, such as lack of funding, time, stakeholders’ consensus, and lack of knowledge on local vulnerability.

Les oiseaux nicheurs rares et menacés en France en 2024

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:46:26

de Gwenael Quaintenne, Antoine Arnaud, Arnaud Béchet, Maurice Benmergui, Baptiste Boutilleux, Christian Boutrouille, Jean-Jacques Boutteaux, Bernard Cadiou, Pierre Camberlein, Gaëtan Cavitte, et al.
In Ornithos, 174 (Janvier, Février, Mars 2026), 04-35

L’observatoire des oiseaux nicheurs « rares et menacés » s’intéresse depuis 1994 à suivre l’évolution d’espèces à l’état de conservation jugé fragile ou préoccupant, mais aussi aux espèces rares, localisées ou nouvellement nicheuses dont certaines montrent depuis quelques années des dynamiques de population singulières, illustrées entre autres par des essors numériques fulgurants. Cette 25e publication des résultats des suivis des espèces nicheuses rares et menacées présente les éléments clés de la saison 2023 de reproduction de ces espèces, rendue possible par la contribution de près de 200 structures et associations naturalistes et d’un millier d’observateurs.

Bird monitoring in Africa: present state and future prospects

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:05:50

de Philip W. Atkinson, Ngone Diop, Robert A. Robinson, Res Altwegg, Arjun Amar, Ian Barber, André J. Botha, Graeme Buchanan, Achilles Byaruhanga, Adams Chaskda, et al.
In Bird Conservation International, 36 (January, 2026), e12
En ligne : www.cambridge.org[...]

Biodiversity monitoring is essential to inform the state of wildlife populations, and the impacts of environmental change, conservation intervention, and sustainable development policies and actions. We review the current state of bird monitoring across Africa using public questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. We received 87 questionnaire responses from 46 (of 54) countries and, additionally, 24 in-depth interviews were carried out. Multiple data collection methods were reported with total counts of individuals being most frequent, but all-species surveys, essential for quantifying ecosystem health, were restricted to bird atlases and Common Bird Monitoring (CBM) projects in Kenya, Uganda, and Botswana. Data collection relied largely on volunteers, but their motivation, recruitment, training, and retention is a continuing challenge. The most sustainable programmes were driven by clear policy objectives (e.g. waterbird monitoring under the Ramsar Convention or the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species), monitoring of individual groups (e.g. raptors, vultures, bustards), specific threatened species, and where clear national priorities had been set within government agencies. Use of monitoring data by governments in country biodiversity reports or National Biodiversity Species Action Plans (NBSAPs) varied widely and, for many countries, simply did not exist. A lack of skilled analysts and a comprehensive approach to data curation and ownership were identified as major limitations. A more strategic approach to funding and monitoring is needed, whereby smaller funders collaborate to reduce costs associated with applying for small amounts of money, and bird (and biodiversity) monitoring is explicitly integrated with sustainable development goals to exploit broader funding streams.

//

La surveillance de la biodiversité est essentielle pour informer sur l’état des populations sauvages et ainsi que sur les impacts des changements environnementaux, des mesures de conservation et des politiques et actions de développement durable. Nous avons examiné l’état actuel de la surveillance des oiseaux en Afrique à l’aide de questionnaires publics et d’entretiens semi-structurés. Nous avons reçu 87 réponses provenant de 46 pays (sur 54) et, en complément, 24 entretiens approfondis ont été menés. Plusieurs méthodes de collecte de données ont été rapportées, les dénombrements totaux d’individus étant les plus fréquents, cependant les inventaires couvrant toutes les espèces, essentielles pour quantifier la santé des écosystèmes étaient limités aux atlas ornithologiques et aux programmes de Suivi des Oiseaux Communs (CBM) au Kenya, en Ouganda et au Botswana. La collecte des données reposait largement sur des bénévoles, mais leur motivation, leur recrutement, leur formation et leur fidélisation restent des défis permanents. Les programmes les plus durables étaient ceux motivés par des objectifs politiques clairs (par exemple le suivi des oiseaux d’eau dans le cadre de la Convention de Ramsar ou de la Convention sur la Conservation des Espèces Migratrices), le suivi de groupes particuliers (par exemple les rapaces, vautours, outardes), des espèces menacées spécifiques, ainsi que ceux où des priorités nationales clairement définies avaient été établies au sein des agences gouvernementales. L’utilisation de données librement accessibles par les gouvernements dans les rapports nationaux sur la biodiversité ou les Plans d’Action Nationaux pour la Biodiversité (NBSAPs) variait considérablement et, pour de nombreux pays, était inexistante. Le manque d’analystes qualifiés et l’absence d’approche cohérente en matière de gestion et de propriété des données ont été identifiés comme des obstacles majeurs. Une approche plus stratégique du financement et du suivi est nécessaire, dans laquelle les petits bailleurs collaborent pour réduire les coûts liés aux demandes de financements de faible montant, et où le suivi des oiseaux (et de la biodiversité) est explicitement intégré aux objectifs de développement durable afin d’exploiter des sources de financement plus larges.

Py-GC-MS/MS quantification of microplastics in vertebrate tissues: Addressing false positives of polyethylene

Wed, 7 Jan 2026 15:52:21

de Florence Nono Almeida, Carole Leray, Magali Albignac, Marion Vittecoq, Karen D. McCoy, Alexandra ter Halle
In Journal of Hazardous Materials, 501 (January, 2026), 140658
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

As plastic production continues to rise and waste accumulates, animal species across the planet are being increasingly exposed. However, the fate of plastics within the vertebrate body, and particularly of small microplastics (SMPs, 10–1000 µm), remains largely unknown due to challenges in reliably quantifying their loads. To address this gap, we developed a method based on pyrolysis gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS-MS) to quantify SMPs in the Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis), an opportunistic seabird highly exposed to plastic pollution. Five gull carcasses were necropsied under controlled conditions, isolating four organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Sample preparation was undertaken in seven steps, including a potassium hydroxide digestion. Interference from lipids in quantifying polyethylene (PE), a recognized problem for this type of quantification, was addressed by selecting markers with carbon atom chains longer than the aliphatic chains of common lipids (i.e., >22 atoms), enabling us to effectively distinguish PE from biological matrix components. The use of long markers for PE raised the limit of quantification (LOQ) to 50 µg/g, while the LOQs for PMMA (poly(methyl methacrylate)), PP (polypropylene), and PS (polystyrene) were 1 µg/g. For PET (polyethylene terephthalate), the LOQ was 10 µg/g due to the relatively high level of airborne contamination in negative controls. Using this method, microplastic concentrations in gull digestive tissues was found to range over several 100 µg/g dry weight, with one individual showing particularly high exposure to PS and PE. Our method enables a reliable quantification of microplastics and provides a basis for analyzing their impacts on vertebrates.

Global and regional conservation status of vascular wetland plants in Mediterranean islands: a collaborative network to improve knowledge and awareness

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 15:10:24

de Mauro Fois, Carles Burguera, Necmi Aksoy, Gianluigi Bacchetta, Simonetta Bagella, Giulio Barone, Ioannis Bazos, Imtinen Ben Haj Jilani, Leanne Camilleri, Miquel Capó, et al.
In Biological Conservation, 313 (January, 2026), 111595
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Mediterranean wetlands are highly sensitive ecosystems, particularly vulnerable to human pressure and shifts in precipitation and temperature regimes. Wetland plants can be particularly threatened in Mediterranean insular contexts, where such habitats are naturally smaller and more fragmented than in their continental counterparts. This study investigated 275 species of vascular wetland plants that were considered to be at least regionally threatened across 2217 islands and islets in the Mediterranean. We provided both global and local IUCN conservation assessments (summarized in a ‘conservation concern’ index) and ‘assessment completion’ (i.e. knowledge level) for each taxon as well as a geographic distribution among islands, wetland types, and life forms. Most of wetland plants were threatened at the regional level, although assessment completion was generally low, except for endemics. Inland and endemic wetland plants were more threatened than the rest. A phylogenetic signal was detected, highlighting that Orchidaceae and Apiaceae were of particularly high conservation concern, while other families, especially Amaranthaceae, exhibited low levels of assessment completion. No geographical patterns were found in terms of conservation concern and assessment completion. Our findings provide critical insights into biodiversity patterns, identify conservation gaps and priorities and contribute to the development of targeted strategies for the protection of wetland plants, which are crucial indicators of the entire natural capital of Mediterranean island ecosystems.

Occupancy changes over the summer of the rare fen raft spider Dolomedes plantarius in a drained fen strongly depend on vegetation structure

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:18:56

de Antoine Gazaix, Charlie Rendell, Adrien Berquer, Nicolas Caron, Aurélien Besnard, Thibaut Couturier
In Insect Conservation and Diversity, (en ligne) (December, 2025), icad.70048
En ligne : resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Fens are among the most diverse ecosystems in Europe. They are also highly threatened, mostly by drainage and climate change. Understanding how drought can affect biodiversity in these ecosystems is thus crucial to recommend effective management actions, in particular for species with limited dispersal capacity.
This study investigated the presence of the threatened spider Dolomedes plantarius using a dynamic occupancy approach during spring to summer, a period of high adult activity.
From May to July 2022, we censused adult presence–absence during six visits of 103 transects located in various fen habitats of the Sacy wetlands in northern France.
Species detection probability was low (mean p = 0.21) and maximal at temperatures from 18 to 19°C.
Initial occupancy probability (mean psi = 0.53) was high, positively influenced by water and Cyperaceae cover and negatively by vegetation height.
As the season progressed, the probability of colonization of new transects was low (gamma = 0.09), whereas the probability of extinction in previously occupied transects was high (epsilon = 0.42). This epsilon decreased with maximum litter thickness and sedge tussock cover: these two factors probably protect individuals from heat and drought.
Thus, while hydrological restoration actions of this threatened ecosystem should focus on maintaining high water levels, we also recommend targeting Cyperaceae species, including areas with low vegetation height and maintaining litter and sedge tussocks by extensive grazing or rotational mowing to mitigate drought effects on Dolomedes plantarius.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Blood Parasite Infections and Impacts on Avian Health and Reproduction

Wed, 3 Dec 2025 11:08:08

de Marie Buysse, Mathilde Ollagnier, Charly Souc, Marjorie Bruley, Thomas Blanchon, Carole Leray, Marion Vittecoq, Karen D. McCoy
In Molecular Ecology, (en ligne) (December, 2025), e70178
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Parasitic infections are ubiquitous in nature, but their consequences are often difficult to evaluate in wildlife. This is particularly the case for chronic infections for which fitness impacts can be subtle or confounded with other intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Infections by Babesia (Apicomplexa, Piroplasmidae) are widespread in wildlife, but little is known about their impacts on host health. Here, we evaluated the dynamics and possible fitness consequences of infection by Babesia sp. YLG, a recently described parasite infecting yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis). Using a qPCR assay developed for Babesia sp. YLG, we found that prevalence was much higher in chicks compared with adults. In chicks, infection depended on the colony and was tightly related to nest infestation by the tick vector Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) maritimus; this was not the case for adult birds. Infection intensities changed over time in chicks, increasing up to approximately 37 days old and then declining. Infection was associated with reduced body condition and fledging success for adults. In chicks, infection was significantly linked to reduced growth rates, even after accounting for the additive effect of ticks. However, no relationship was detected between infection and fledging date, migration strategy or flight distances measured on a subset of GPS-tagged juvenile birds. Through its subtle effects on fitness and reproductive success, infection by Babesia sp. YLG may have significant consequences for host demography and work focused on long-term dynamics is now called for to better understand how this parasite may shape the ecology and evolution of seabird populations.

Long-Time Dynamics in a North African Coastal Ramsar Site, the Sidi Boughaba Lake

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:52:35

de Said Moukrim, Jihane Tellal, Said Lahssini, Abdessadeq Boudjaj, Mouhssine Rhazi, Mohammed El Madihi, Mohamed Ben Bammou, Mustapha Moukrim, Er-riyahi Saber, Imane Wahby, et al.
In Ekológia (Bratislava), 44(2) (Decembre, 2025), 147-159
En ligne : www.sciendo.com[...]

Coastal wetlands host a large part of the world’s biodiversity and provide various ecosystem services with a known economic value. However, they experience many pressures due to anthropogenic and natural drivers, causing periodic changes in their structure and functioning. Earth Observation provides opportunities for monitoring water surface dynamics and understanding the impacts of different drivers on wetland degradation. This study had two objectives: to assess the spatiotemporal dynamic of the Sidi Boughaba Lake surface area (Mediterranean and North African coastal Ramsar site, Morocco) over 38 years (1984–2021) and to identify natural and anthropogenic drivers of this dynamic, mainly land-use and land-cover changes and policies. This work focused on the use of multiple datasets based on remote sensing images within a cloud-based computing platform. Time series of satellite images were classified and used after a series of processing procedures to assess the land use and land cover and water extent dynamics. Results reveal that over 38 years, the lake shows intra- and inter-annual variations, including significant losses of permanent water impacting its dynamic and extent. Those trends call into question the urban and agricultural policies adopted. Pressure on resources and the regressive trend recorded in the dynamic of the lake are likely to increase further in future years if effective protection measures are not implemented. The results of this study help authorities, civil society, and decision makers to make decisions and call for action to protect these areas and maintain their capacity to provide ecosystem services and address global concerns such as biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.

Assessing geographic changes in hunting pressure on wildfowl through ring recovery locations

Wed, 7 Jan 2026 15:52:06

de Betty Plaquin, Matthieu Guillemain, Jocelyn Champagnon, Adrien Tableau
In Wildfowl, 75 (December, 2025), 146-158
En ligne : tidsskrift.dk[...]

Management of exploited populations needs to account for hunting pressure, yet estimating this parameter remains challenging. The study presented here compares the geographic distribution of dead recovery sites between the mid-20th century (1953–1983) and early 21st century (2002–2025), for birds all ringed in the same initial area (the Camargue in southern France) and proposes that this approach be used as a method for evaluating changes in relative hunting pressure over time. Analysis of ring recovery data from Common Teal Anas crecca, used as an example, suggests that hunting pressure on these birds has become increasingly concentrated in France in the 21st century, highlighting the responsibility of the country for hunting management of this species.

Threats to and management of Natura 2000 protected areas relative to agricultural practices

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 10:56:16

de Giorgio Zavattoni, Elie Gaget, Tyler Hallman, Ineta Kačergytė, Tomas Part, Diego Pavon-Jordan, Thomas Sattler, Jon E. Brommer
In Conservation Biology, (en ligne) (November, 2025), e70172
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

The Natura 2000 (N2K) network combines biodiversity protection and socioeconomic targets. Human activities, such as agricultural practices, can affect biodiversity in N2K sites in diverse ways. Limiting activities with negative impacts while enforcing land management that supports biodiversity is crucial for effective conservation. Yet, site-level information on how this is addressed in N2K sites is lacking. To fill this knowledge gap, we conducted a European Union-wide survey among N2K site managers. We aimed to assess the implemented conservation measures, their funding sources, and the extent to which different threats are addressed. Of the 341 responses, 61.8% reported the implementation of conservation measures linked to agricultural practices, such as adapting mowing and grazing at levels suitable for the conservation of grassland habitats and species. Sites with management tied to agricultural practices relied more on EU funding, such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), whereas other sites depended more on national funding. Threats not addressed by conservation measures were reported by 63.8% of respondents, suggesting that overall management funding may be insufficient or ineffectively allocated. Most of these unaddressed threats resulted from intensive agricultural practices, such as the use of agrochemicals (reported as a threat in 13% of sites). These findings provide insight into how traditional agricultural practices, mostly related to low-intensity grazing and mowing, are frequently used as conservation tools, whereas intensive agriculture is a prominent source of unmitigated threats. Thus, achieving N2K conservation goals requires avoiding intensive agricultural practices and strengthening effective conservation measures in protected areas.

Spring-accelerated loop migration in the Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator

Fri, 7 Nov 2025 16:08:22

de Frédéric Jiguet, Jocelyn Champagnon, Olivier Duriez, Christophe de Franceschi, Stephan Tillo, Paul Dufour
In Journal of Ornithology, 167(2) (April, 2026)
En ligne : doi.org[...]

The Woodchat Shrike is a long-distance migrant bird whose European populations have declined over the past decades. To inform conservation efforts, we tracked five breeding male individuals from southern France using light-level and multi-sensor loggers. We revealed a distinct anticlockwise loop migration. In autumn, birds departed from late July to mid-August, stopping for extended periods in Spain or Morocco, and again in Mauritania or Mali, before reaching their non-breeding grounds in the Sahel (eastern Mali, western Niger, northern Nigeria) by early October. The average duration of post-breeding migration was 52 days. In spring, birds departed mid-April and returned to breeding sites synchronously between April 27 and May 1. The spring route was more direct, with a significantly shorter average duration of 15 days. Stopovers were brief (median duration 20 h), and flights occurred almost exclusively at night. Only two individuals extended one nocturnal flight into daytime during spring Sahara crossings. Flight altitudes were significantly higher in spring than in autumn. These findings have important conservation implications. Woodchat Shrikes spend only three full months on breeding grounds, limiting the window for habitat management. Since they spend most of the year in sub-Saharan Africa, threats in the Sahel —such as rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and land degradation are critical. Early arrival in the Sahel may allow birds to benefit from seasonal rains there and complete their post-breeding moult.

Coastal restoration agreements under climate change: barriers and enablers

Fri, 7 Nov 2025 10:04:49

de Margaret M. Dietrich, Agustin Sanchez-Arcilla, Xavier Sánchez-Artús, Vicente Gracia, Nuno Caiola, Catarina Dabalà, Julien Dalle, Susan Gallon, Rosaria E. Musumeci, Grzegorz Różyński, et al.
In Water, 17(21) (November, 2025), 3154
En ligne : www.mdpi.com[...]

Coastal ecosystems are becoming less resilient under climate (e.g., sea-level rise, warming, acidification) and human (e.g., urbanization, coastal hardening, and river regulation) pressures, forcing local communities to face increasing risk levels. This lack of resilience is linked to an adaptation deficit that can be recovered through restoration. Yet, restoration faces barriers related to governance, funding, technical practice, and social context. To overcome such barriers, the REST-COAST project has developed a framework that reckons with coastal restoration platforms and restoration agreements, supported by “enablers” that support the upscaling and implementation of restoration projects. The proposed agreements and platforms can effectively overcome barriers by embedding governance, technical, financial, and social enablers into the agreements among stakeholders. Tailored, place-based approaches foster collaboration, long-term adaptive management, and the scaling of restoration to address accelerating climate-driven risks. The proposed agreements build on hands-on restoration lessons, offering transferable insights for global coastal resilience.

A framework for selecting Nature-based Solutions: applications and challenges at the catchment scale

Mon, 6 Oct 2025 11:40:07

de Awais Naeem Sarwar, Cristina Caramiello, Francesco Pugliese, Seifeddine Jomaa, Anis Guelmami, Michaël Ronse, Pier Paolo Roggero, Nunzio Marrone, Francesco De Paola, Irem Daloglu Cetinkaya, et al.
In Journal of Environmental Management, 394 (November, 2025), 127220
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) aim to address natural and anthropogenic risks, enhancing ecosystem-based approaches, biodiversity, human health, and socio-economic growth. Despite the growing interest in NbS applications, their integration into landscape planning at the catchment scale remains limited, given the multi-disciplinary comprehensive features related to them. To overcome this shortcoming, this study presents a multi-disciplinary GIS-based framework for identifying, selecting, and prioritizing NbS at the catchment scale, specifically focusing on water resources availability and management. The catchment is first categorized through a multi-level approach that considers the ecosystem types, climate class, and geomorphological characteristics (Stage 1). Through a literature review, an NbS catalog (Decision Matrix) was built, considering catchment classification (Stage 2). Finally, potential solutions from the decision matrix were mapped for each class (Stage 3). Stakeholder engagement was conceptualized by integrating the technical outcomes with the local perspectives to enhance the co-design and knowledge-sharing in the decision process. The framework was tested in the Bode River catchment (Germany), showing reliable results in detecting the potential areas for NbS implementation, and the framework's replicability to multiple contexts, given its ease of application and tailorable structure, even when different policy makers are involved in the process. The proposed framework supports baseline NbS map development to identify priority areas, engage stakeholders, and guide investments in alignment with long-term regional goals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Effects of the global change on the thermal habitat quality for Salmonids within the Upper Soča watershed in Slovenia

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 15:34:41

de Delphine Nicolas, Baptiste Testi, Dušan Jesenšek, Kim Leban, Alain J. Crivelli
In Ecohydrology, (en ligne) (October, 2025), 100705
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Temporal data series of water temperature collected at various locations in the Upper Soča river basin, a pristine area in Slovenia, from 1996 to 2022, were analyzed to assess any trends as potential effects of the global change. Different temperature metrics were calculated to study more especially eventual impacts on trout species known as present in the target sites: the endemic marble trout (Salmo marmoratus), the introduced common trout (Salmo trutta) and hybrid trout (S. marmoratus x S. trutta). Significant trends were observed in more than half of the streams considered, indicating a general warming of water temperatures across the entire Upper Soča basin. The high regional coherence found for streams in the three watersheds (Soča, Bača and Idrijca) studied suggested regional synchrony and an overall predominant climatic influence. However, a greater variation was observed in spring and summer, suggesting the implications of additional local factors. The majority of the monitored sites (n = 18 out of 25) experienced an increase in the annual mean temperature (+ 0.04 °C per year on average), especially in summer (+0.1 °C per year on average for 19 sites) when flows were lower. Thermal conditions remained favourable for salmonids in all sites. However, temperatures above 15 °C or even 19 °C are expected to be increasingly recorded, enhancing periods with stressful conditions for salmonids, at first for the endemic S. marmoratus.

Stream Restoration for the Spawning of Trout: How to Enhance the Egg to Fry Survival and to Monitor the Spawning Efficiency?

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 16:28:01

de Jean-Francois Rubin, Alain Jean Crivelli, Damien Robert-Charrue, Aurélie Rubin
In River Research and Applications, (en ligne) (October, 2025)
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Today, salmonid management is largely based on river restoration. One of the fundamental elements is the creation of functional spawning sites. Key values of sedimentological characteristics must be defined in terms of granulometry, permeability, and oxygen concentration to ensure the best possible success of the operations. These values for the egg-to-fry survival were estimated in three countries (Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland) on three salmonid species (brown, marble, and sea trout) across 22 streams and 109 sites. The permeability of the substrate was contingent upon the concentration of fine sediment. The presence of fine particles (with a diameter of less than 1–15 mm) in the substrate at a proportion of 38%–47% resulted in a permeability reduction by a factor of 10. In order for permeability to be significant, the geometrical diameter (dg) of the substrate must exceed 15 mm (Fredle Index, Fi < 7). To obtain the same oxygen concentration inside the gravel as at the surface itself, permeability must exceed 5000 cm/h. In order to observe at least 80% of the oxygen concentration observed at the surface in the interstitial water, the diameter of the substrate must be at least 17.0 mm (Fi > 5.0). The interstitial oxygen concentration may decline to below 80% of the value observed at the surface when the substrate contains 30% or more of fines sediments smaller than 4 mm, 26% of fines smaller than 2 mm, and 22% of fines smaller than 1 mm. The impact of sediment on the interstitial oxygen concentration was found to be greater the finer the sediment was. A reduction in the interstitial oxygen concentration to below 7.5 mg/L (68% of saturation) resulted in a survival rate of less than 30% for eggs at the eyed stage. When the granulometry (dg) of the substrate was greater than 20 mm (Fi > 7.0), the survival of the eggs to the eyed stage was at least 60%. Therefore, it can be concluded that when restoration programs are planned, it is essential to consider these values in order to increase the success of natural spawning of the trout.

Évolution des effectifs nicheurs des ardéidés coloniaux arboricoles et paludicoles en Camargue et sur la façade méditerranéenne française

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 15:17:45

de Yves Kayser, Thomas Blanchon, Antoine Arnaud, Olivier Pineau, Michel Gauthier-Clerc, Jean-Laurent Lucchesi, Gregoire Massez, Christophe Pin, Clément Pappalardo, Jérémiah Petit, et al.
In Ornithos, 172 (Juillet, août, septembre 2025), 16-33

Les suivis des populations reproductrices d’ardéidés coloniaux sont réalisés chaque année sur la bordure méditerranéenne française depuis 1968 pour les hérons paludicoles ainsi qu’en Camargue depuis 1969 pour les espèces arboricoles. Neuf espèces de hérons se reproduisent dans cette région dont sept sont concernées par ces recensements : le Bihoreau gris Nycticorax nycticorax, le Crabier chevelu Ardeola ralloides, le Héron garde-bœufs Ardea ibis, le Héron cendré Ardea cinerea, le Héron pourpré Ardea purpurea, la Grande Aigrette Ardea alba et l’Aigrette garzette Egretta garzetta.

Shifting the baseline for waterbird and seabird conservation in europe, risk assessment over one century

Mon, 6 Oct 2025 11:40:14

de Elie Gaget, Jon E. Brommer, Thomas Galewski
In Biodiversity and conservation, (en ligne) (September, 2025)
En ligne : doi.org[...]

European waterbird and seabird populations have been threatened by anthropogenic activities for decades. Effective strategies are needed to restore both populations and their habitats. However, the temporal period used to define the state of reference when setting restoration targets requires careful considerations to avoid the risk of shifting baseline. A risk of shifting baseline occurs if a population decreases before the time period used to set a baseline. In Europe, most bird monitoring schemes started after the 1970s, yet significant changes in population trends were already reported earlier in the 20th century. We assessed the risk of shifting baseline for 88 out of 170 waterbird and seabird species breeding in Europe. Building on historical ecology, we reconstructed population trends between 1900 and 2018 from information collected in both historical literature and monitoring scheme reports. Historical trends confirm variations in population trends for several waterbird and seabird species over the period 1900-1970, with 35 decreasing species, 38 fluctuating species, 15 increasing species and 82 species with unknown trends. A high risk of shifting baseline was identified for 28 species, for which restoration targets must consider historical trends spanning at least a century. The risk was low for 12 species, probably low for 41 species, probably high for 7 species and uncertain for 82 species. Our study highlights the crucial role of historical data collected prior to the large-scale implementation of standardized abundance monitoring, as it allows for the identification of appropriate baselines to guide the restoration of waterbird and seabird breeding populations.

Nature-based Solutions in the Mediterranean region: a look back and moving forward

Mon, 6 Oct 2025 11:40:13

de Lisa Ernoul, Benjamin Hetherington
In Journal for Nature Conservation, (en ligne) (September, 2025), 127109
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Urbanization and agricultural intensification have an important impact on biodiversity around the Mediterranean basin. One response has been the take-up of the concept of Nature-based Solutions, notably promoted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Although the term is widely employed, there is great discrepancy in the definition, use, and intended biodiversity and/or societal impacts. We conducted a literature review on the state of the art of Nature-based Solutions in the Mediterranean basin, identifying the obstacles concerning their implementation and highlighting recommendations for overcoming these difficulties. The study analysed over 200 documents including scientific articles, guidelines and policy documents. Recommendations were grouped into categories (Governance, Funding, Integration, and Technical aspects) and key messages were identified. The results showed that interdisciplinarity and participative practices are essential and that systematic and political changes are needed. Selecting and adapting Nature-based Solutions to fit specific social and ecological contexts and responding to trade-offs and inequalities were highlighted as prerequisites. Public communication and funding schemes were also important levers for improving implementation. The results show that although Mediterranean-specific NbS remain an emerging topic in scientific literature, a broad range of other types of documents, including international academic articles, can be useful for local practitioners.

Migration shapes senescence in a long-lived bird

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 11:57:02

de Hugo Cayuela, Sébastien Roques, Antoine Arnaud, Christophe Germain, Arnaud Béchet, Jocelyn Champagnon
In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(36) (2025-09-09), e2422882122
En ligne : www.pnas.org[...]

Each year, billions of animals migrate across the globe on diverse spatial and temporal scales. Migration behavior thus plays a fundamental role in the life cycle and Darwinian fitness of many organisms. While the influence of migration on early-life survival and reproduction is well documented, its effects on senescence (aging) in advanced age remain largely unexplored. Using a unique 44-y ring-resighting dataset from a long-lived, partially migratory bird species, the Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), we demonstrate that migration plays a key role in shaping age-specific trajectories of mortality and reproduction. Resident flamingos exhibit higher early-life demographic performances, with lower baseline mortality than migrants, resulting in longer adult lifespan. Residents also have a higher probability of breeding than migrants, though their breeding success is similar. However, residents seem to pay for their early-life advantages in old age, experiencing accelerated actuarial and reproductive senescence compared to migrants. Overall, our study highlights the critical impact of migration on survival and reproduction throughout life, thereby illustrating the role played by behavioral decisions in the biology of aging in long-lived vertebrates.

Consequences of Cancer on Zebrafish Danio rerio: insights into sex determination, sex ratio, and offspring survival

Fri, 5 Sep 2025 15:54:15

de Justine Boutry, Mathieu Douhard, Klara Asselin, Antoine M. Dujon, Jordan Meliani, Olivier De Backer, Delphine Nicolas, Aaron G. Schultz, Peter A. Biro, Christa Beckmann, et al.
In Ecology and Evolution, 15(9) (September, 2025), e72003
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Offspring sex ratio has been proposed as an indicator of the risk of developing certain cancers in humans, but offspring sex ratio may also be a consequence of the disease. In this study, we investigate this subject using the zebrafish, Danio rerio, as a model system. First, we explore whether inducing skin cancer at an early stage of the host's life (embryonic stage) has the potential to influence sex determination and/or sex-specific mortality. Second, we investigate whether the sex ratio in offspring produced by tumor-bearing adult females differs from that of healthy females. Third, we compare the survival (until sexual maturity) of offspring produced by cancerous and non-cancerous females. We found that skin cancer did not influence sex determination and the sex ratio of the offspring. However, consistent with previous studies on other model systems, the survival of offspring was higher when mothers were cancerous, suggesting that diseased females allocate more resources to current reproductive effort compared to their healthy counterparts. This study makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary consequences of host-tumor interactions in animals.

Plant trait responses to herbivore type managed as domestic or as wild

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 15:33:41

de Clémentine Mutillod, Elise Buisson, Laurent Tatin, Gregory Mahy, Marc Dufrene, Nina Morvan, François Mesléard, Thierry Dutoit
In Journal of Environmental Management, 391 (September, 2025), 126378
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

The urgency of restoring ecosystems over vast areas has placed rewilding using wild herbivores at the forefront. However, few scientific studies address its effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning compared to more traditional conservation interventions with domestic herbivores. Equus ferus przewalskii horses introduced 30 years ago in the National Park of Cévennes, France - as a step of a conservation program of the species for its reintroduction in Mongolia - now occur as a semi-wild horse population, socially natural (i.e., management is based on natural selection). This introduction allowed us to compare this management system (‘as wild’) with other breeding systems: domestic sheep or domestic horses. Rewilding projects especially focus on the restoration of ecological functions, we therefore sought to find out if there are differences in the functional traits of the vegetation depending on the grazer and its management (domestic vs ‘as wild’) with the aim to generalize our results to other rewilding projects. Two levels of organization were tested (1) plant communities – using the TRY database and botanical surveys and (2) plant populations – by selecting four indicator species with traits measured in situ. Our results show that at equivalent grazing pressure, domestic horses or ‘as wild’ horses preserve the same plant functional types as in the traditional reference ecosystem grazed by sheep. Whatever the grazer and its management, grassland plant communities are characterized and dominated by perennial polycarpic plants, with oligotrophic to mesotrophic nutrient requirement, hemicryptophytes, graminoids, plants with entire leaf blades, not spiny, erect and mainly forming tussock. Nevertheless, some interesting significant differences were measured between the plant communities growing under the three types of grazing (e.g., lower functional richness and more plants with entire leaf blade under sheep grazing). Even between horse sub-species, differences were significant for some traits (e.g., more chamaephyte species growing under ‘as wild’ horses), which could be linked to physiological and morphological differences between the two horses sub-species (e.g., nutritional requirements, herbivore size) and by herd management. However, the intraspecific variability on the four quantitative traits measured on four indicator species do not show a general pattern. Although these results are valid at a given time and in a particular ecosystem, the vegetation functional traits approach can help in decision-making regarding ecosystem management choices and highlight the fact that the ‘as wild’ management adds an interesting alternative to conservation.

Defining optimal small woody features and water densities to maximize European turtle-dove (Streptopelia turtur) occurrence in French agricultural landscapes

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 14:01:48

de Yuping Ren, Karine Princé, Pierrick Bocher, Jocelyn Champagnon, Olivier Duriez, Frédéric Jiguet
In Biological Conservation, 309 (September, 2025), 111302
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

The European turtle-dove is globally threatened, suffering a widespread and sustained decline in numbers across its breeding range, partly driven by habitat loss. Although the effects of certain habitat features are recognized, questions remain as to which landscape elements should be given priority and in what proportions. We assess how different habitat elements influence the occurrence density of turtle-dove at two management scales (25 and 100 ha), using fine-scale GPS tracking data from 38 turtle doves in France during the breeding season. We found some non-linear responses, with a steeper increase in occurrence density up to at least 25 % small woody features (SWF) density or 10 % water density at a 100 ha scale, refining the proportion to nearly 50 % for SWF at a 25 ha scale. Additionally, at a 25 ha scale, broadleaved forest displayed a bell-shaped trend, indicating a positive effect up to 22 %, whereas vineyards showed a sharp initial decline at a 100 ha scale. Grassland was positively associated with occurrence at the 100 ha scale, whereas fodder, cereal, and broadleaved forest showed negative effects at the same scale, while fodder, build-up, and maize had negative effects at the 25 ha scale. Variable importance analysis revealed that water was the most influential factor at 100 ha, followed by SWF, while at 25 ha, SWF was dominant, followed by water, highlighting scale-dependent habitat preferences. Our study provides insights into the optimal densities of SWF and water resource required for effective conservation, offering valuable guidance for the management and restoration of turtle-dove breeding habitats in agricultural landscapes.

High prevalence and diversity of alphacoronaviruses in bats in Southern France

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 11:56:59

de Océane Rieu, Anaïs Dufau, Jordan Meliani, Lionel Brazier, Marion Vittecoq, Carole Leray, Anthony Olivier, Emmanuel Cosson, Frederic Thomas, Eric Leroy, et al.
In EcoHealth, (en ligne) (August, 2025)
En ligne : doi.org[...]

Zoonotic diseases are increasingly affecting global health, making it crucial to understand viral dynamics in wildlife reservoirs like bats. Bats are well-established coronavirus reservoirs, and their proximity to human habitats in France raises concerns about zoonotic transmission. This study investigates the prevalence, diversity, and phylogenetic relationships of coronaviruses in bats from the Camargue and Eastern Provence, two ecologically distinct regions. A total of 785 bat guano samples were collected non-invasively, with 154 (19.6%) testing positive for coronavirus RNA, among the highest infection rates observed in European studies. Camargue samples were entirely from Pipistrellus bats, with a prevalence of 20.1%, while Provence showed greater genus diversity and prevalence ranging from 1.3% to 35.6%. Phylogenetic analysis identified Alphacoronaviruses in four subgenera: Nyctacovirus, Myotacovirus, Decacovirus, and Minunacovirus, alongside unclassified sequences. No coronavirus related to human-infecting strains (e.g., HCoV-229E) was detected. However, the combination of high prevalence, proximity to humans, and potential for host-switching led to the investigation of coronavirus infection in bats, a topic with limited data in France. These findings highlight the ecological role of bats and the importance of continuous viral monitoring, filling a gap in knowledge about coronavirus circulation in European bat populations.

Wetlands and dragonflies under threat in the Gediz delta, Türkiye

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 11:57:09

de Philippe Lambret, Şafak Arslan, Lisa Ernoul, Anthony Olivier, Serdar Özuslu, Çağdaş Yaşar, Özge Yaylalı
In Dragonfly Conservation Europe Newsletter, (en ligne) (August,2025), 12-14
En ligne : www.gbif.org[...]

The Gediz delta covers ca. 400 km², most of which is occupied by agricultural crops (mainly cereals and cotton). Despite the designation of large portions of the delta as protected areas, many pressures continue to threaten the ecologically sensitive zones. Pressures such as urban expansion, water over-abstraction, intensive grazing, spread of invasive plant species, and unsustainable agricultural practices are accentuated by the lack of integrated management and enforcement of policies. In addition, the dominant wind direction and geographical position of the delta contribute to the transport of anthropogenic pollution into the area. Pesticides and fertilizers from surrounding agricultural lands, further degrades the quality of wetlands. Irrigation needs have intensified during the last decades, resulting in illegal damming and an increase in pumping water from the Gediz River. As a result, the freshwater inflows feeding the remaining natural habitats have dramatically decreased, leading to the salinization of many wetlands. This reduction in freshwater input has also led to habitat fragmentation, further isolating temporary wetland patches and negatively affecting species dispersal and ecosystem connectivity. In addition, recent changes in the hydraulic management of some protected areas of the delta have changed some wetlands into pasturelands. Although grazing pressure in the delta has not been quantified, field observations indicate that livestock —particularly cattle and sheep— enter the ponds and disturb the vegetation along the banks. This practice is likely to have negative impacts on dragonfly larvae, especially with the reduction of plant shoots that the larvae need for metamorphosis. Given that dragonflies are often used as bioindicators, their decline may reflect broader ecosystem degradation throughout the delta.

Is malathion oncogenic for mosquitoes? A transcriptomic and histological study of adults derived from malathion exposed larvae

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 13:55:34

de Audrey Arnal, Erika Burioli, Lisa Jacquin, Sophie Labrut, Stéphane Duchon, Marie Rossignol, Delphine Nicolas, Beata Ujvari, Antoine Dujon, Jordan Meliani, et al.
In Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 301 (August, 2025), 118449
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Malathion is a widely used pesticide with potentially oncogenic properties and may have deleterious effects on organism health and fitness. Although malathion use is now restricted in the European Union, it remains widely used for public health campaigns in other parts of the world, particularly for mosquito control. Understanding its sublethal and long-term effects is thus essential, both for evaluating its ecotoxicological impacts and for anticipating resistance mechanisms. However, empiric data on its effects in wild organisms - especially in invertebrates - remain limited. Here, we quantitatively investigated whether larval exposure to environmentally realistic concentrations of malathion could affect mosquito tissue structure and gene expression profiles of adult Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquitoes), using both RNA-seq and histological approaches. Results show no neoplastic or pre-neoplastic lesions in adults exposed to malathion during larval development, contrary to previous studies in other organisms showing carcinogenic effects of malathion. However, our differential gene expression analyses revealed significant changes in genes related to mitochondrial function, energy metabolism, and detoxification pathways, suggesting significant physiological impacts of malathion in adults after early-life pesticide exposure. Notably, females exhibited stronger transcriptomic responses than males, including the upregulation of genes involved in detoxification (e.g., P450 cytochromes), olfactory perception, and stress response, with potential consequences for resistance mechanisms. Our findings underscore the ability of mosquitoes to mount transient molecular responses to environmental pollutants, potentially contributing to the long-term selection of metabolic resistance traits – an outcome with important implications for vector control strategies.

Interactions between climate warming and management actions determining bird community change in protected areas

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 10:35:42

de Leonie Jonas, Jon E. Brommer, Martin Jung, Michal Balaz, John J. Borg, Luka Bozic, Preben Clausen, Antoine Derouaux, Koen Devos, Cristian Domşa, et al.
In Biological Conservation, 308 (August, 2025), 111213
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Biodiversity is increasingly negatively affected by climate warming, making this issue a major conservation concern. Many bird species respond to warming temperatures by shifting distribution ranges, but these shifts often lag behind temperature changes. Protected areas (PAs) can facilitate such shifts, but a growing body of literature suggests that not all PAs facilitate climate warming responses equally, as realized management actions can differ. Here, we study waterbird community change as a response to climate warming in relation to targets of conservation projects implemented in Natura 2000 protected areas across the EU. We combine long-term waterbird survey data (i.e. International Waterbird Census) with data on conservation funded by the EU LIFE program, the main EU instrument for conservation. We used the community temperature index to measure thermal community changes over 28 years. We found community adjustment to climate warming lagged behind temperature. However, community change was twice as fast in sites were conservation was targeting wetland habitats compared with sites without habitat conservation. Targeting waterbirds directly did not lead to variation in community change compared with other types of species conservation. Our results imply that on the management level conservation targeting a community's habitat (rather than targeting the species group directly) is more likely to provide benefits for community adjustment to climate warming. This study demonstrates that management actions currently not targeting climate warming impacts on biodiversity, have the potential to support species responding to climate warming. However, conservation strategies need to be adapted to the challenges arising with climate warming.

Plant evenness improves forage mineral content in semi-natural grasslands

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 10:37:19

de Cian Blaix, Didier Alard, Olivier Chabrerie, Sylvain Diquelou, Thierry Dutoit, Hugo Fontes, Servane Lemauviel-Lavenant, Grégory Loucougaray, Alice Michelot-Antalik, Anne Bonis
In Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 387 (August, 2025), 109622
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Compared to intensive grasslands, semi-natural grasslands host species-rich and functionally diversified plant communities, and thus represent habitats of high conservation interest. Less is known about their ability to provide high-quality forage fitting livestock requirements regarding mineral content in particular, and thus contribute to livestock health. We address this question by measuring forage macro- and micro-mineral content across a range of semi-natural grassland types in nine locations in France and compare it to standards required for cattle health. We also developed a multi-criteria method using forage mineral concentrations and their recommended ranges to determine general mineral concentration quality (MinQ) in forage. We investigated if forage mineral content and MinQ was related to plant community composition, soil characteristics, and land-use intensity of semi-natural grassland forages. Good forage quality in terms of mineral content was found, matching the reference values, in the majority of the extensively managed semi-natural grasslands studied. Plant species evenness was positively correlated with MinQ. The forage mineral quality varied depending on the community weighted mean of the specific leaf area (SLACWM) and the leaf dry matter content (LDMCCWM). It increased with increasing SLACWM and decreased with increasing LDMCCWM. The results demonstrate that a good compatibility between plant evenness and forage mineral quality can be obtained in semi-natural grasslands which suggests that the continued management of these habitats can offer agronomic services as well as conservation values.

Interdependencies among hydro-saline dynamics, economic activities, ecological processes, and biodiversity in a deltaic social-ecological system: insights from the Rhône delta (southern France)

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 16:36:54

de Rose Rodier, Olivier Boutron, Arnaud Béchet, Olivier Therond
In Ecology and Society, 30(3) (July, 2025)
En ligne : ecologyandsociety.org[...]

Deltas are complex social-ecological systems (SESs) that involve many economic activities that interconnect closely with ecological processes and biodiversity. Sustainable management of such intricate SESs requires developing an integrated and understandable representation of their main human and ecological entities, processes, and interactions. We developed a formal representation of the Ile de Camargue (center of the Rhône delta), in which hydro-saline dynamics, water management, economic activities (e.g., agriculture, hunting, fishing, tourism), and natural environments (i.e., habitats for biodiversity) interact. The conceptual model was based on four submodels that provided complementary representations of i) water governance, ii) agriculture, and iii) bird and iv) fish communities. The conceptual model highlights the strong relationships (i.e., causal chains, feedback loops, interactions, side effects, and trade-offs) among the multiple entities of this deltaic SES. It provides information about the region and describes deltas as a SES to support decision-making. One major feedback loop in the delta concerned relationships among regulations, rice fields, and use of marshes as a habitat for birds: strengthening pesticide regulations to improve water quality and bird habitats caused the area of rice cultivation to decrease which degraded habitat conditions for birds. Directly related to pesticide use, the most common trade-off is to decide whether water management should prioritize water quality or quantity in the delta’s Vaccarès lagoon, and opinion differs among stakeholders. The conceptual model could be used as a starting point to develop computer-based integrated assessment and modeling to explore dynamics of and resilience to climate change in the Ile de Camargue.

Reviewing and benchmarking ecological modelling practices in the context of land use

Fri, 4 Jul 2025 10:18:59

de Elie Gaget, Martin Jung, Matthew Lewis, Florian Hofhansl, Laura Jane Graham, Eleanor Warren-Thomas, Piero Visconti
In Ecography, (en ligne) (July, 2025), e07745
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Despite habitat loss and degradation are the primary drivers of biodiversity loss, different conclusions have been drawn about the importance of land-use or land-cover (LULC) change for biodiversity. Differences may be due to the difficulty of framing a coherent model design to assess LULC effects. Recommendations have previously been identified for the design of statistical models and failing to follow them can risk misidentification of drivers, misinterpretation of predictions, overconfidence, high uncertainty, and incorrect management recommendations. We review modelling practices in statistical models assessing biodiversity responses to LULC, and investigated relationships between modelling practices and citations by scientific articles and policy documents. We benchmarked practices across model approaches, political extents, and objectives. From 346 model applications, we found that more than half of the model applications have justified ecologically-relevant predictors, have used 1 km² or lower LULC spatial resolution, have used fine LULC thematic resolutions, performed validation or communicated uncertainty. However, we found that the model approach and political extent were strong determinants of the misuse of modelling recommendations. Top–down models followed less frequently three recommendations out of six, compared to other model approaches. Global studies used coarser LULC thematic and spatial resolution than studies at other extents, and thus potentially underestimated the relationships between LULC and biodiversity. Global studies were however more frequently cited by both scientific studies and policy documents. Modelling recommendations are not universally applied, especially because of methodological tradeoff, technical difficulties in their applications and data requirements. However, the multiples risks associated with the misuse of modelling recommendations, particularly in large-scale modelling exercises, raise concerns on model interpretation and policy support from science, regarding the impacts of LULC on biodiversity.

Crossing the Sahara by small jumps: the complete migration of the Western Orphean Warbler Curruca hortensis

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:30:02

de Frédéric Jiguet, Jocelyn Champagnon, Olivier Duriez, Christophe de Franceschi, Stephan Tillo, Paul Dufour
In Journal of Ornithology, 166(3) (July, 2025)
En ligne : doi.org[...]

We analyzed data retrieved from six multi-sensor loggers deployed on adult Western Orphean Warblers Curruca hortensis in France, to unravel the migration strategy of the species. Individuals followed a mostly direct, straight-line route towards wintering areas in North Senegal/South Mauritania, which was consistent across individuals and between autumn and spring migrations. Most migratory flights lasted around 6 h, covering approximately 300 km, with few variations even during the desert crossing, illustrating that the species crosses the Sahara by short, intermittent jumps. Individuals are likely using wadis with acacias along the route as stopover sites. Flights during spring were, on average, higher than during autumn. Long flights were performed at a median altitude of 2400 m, a few reaching up to 4000 m. Part of these flights were prolonged by a final flight at ground level, likely serving as repositioning flights during the early morning, to survey the landing area and identify suitable stopover habitats.

Contrasting effects of agriculture and urbanisation on bird and reptile communities in a Mediterranean delta (Gediz Delta, Türkiye)

Wed, 4 Jun 2025 15:53:31

de Dilara Arslan, Elie Gaget, Kerim Cicek, Anthony Olivier, Thomas Galewski, Ömer Döndüren, Anis Guelmami, Lisa Ernoul, Arnaud Béchet
In BMC Ecology and Evolution, 25(1) (June, 2025), 58
En ligne : doi.org[...]

Wetlands have been some of the most destroyed ecosystems over the last century, with important land-use changes resulting from agricultural, industrial, and urban development. Gediz Delta is a large wetland on the Aegean coast of Western Türkiye with natural areas affected by conversion to agriculture and urban developments from the Izmir metropolis. We assessed the effects of landscape type (natural, agricultural, and urban) on the composition of breeding bird (90 species) and reptile (14 species) communities in the Gediz Delta between 2019 and 2021. We used generalized linear models to estimate the effect of landscape types on community indexes and joint species distribution models to assess how species-specific habitat preferences explained their responses to landscape type.

Mieux évaluer l’état de conservation des lagunes méditerranéennes

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 14:43:18

de Katia Lombardini, Nathalie Barre, Marie Garrido, Nathalie Chokier, Virginie Mauclert
In Biodiversité, des clés pour agir, 9 (Avril-Juin 2025), 26

Présentation des actions du Pôle lagunes pour mieux évaluer l’état de conservation des lagunes méditerranéennes dans le cadre du projet Marha.

Status of Lestes macrostigma in Bulgaria

Thu, 5 Jun 2025 15:45:10

de Philippe Lambret, Stanimira Deleva, Spas Uzunov, Dimitar Popov
In Odonatologica, 54(1/2) (2025), 53-84

Measuring population trends of freshwater insects helps to assess their conservation status and to design management protocols for wetlands. Lestes macrostigma is restricted to temporary brackish waters, a limited and fragmented habitat. Throughout its range this species is threatened at different levels, and, in Bulgaria, it has been assessed as “Critically Endangered”. In the past, along the Black Sea coast, it was known to be abundant and reproducing at two sites: Shablenska Tuzla Lake and Poda Protected Area. At a third site, Pomorie Lake, only a few individuals were recorded without clear evidence of reproduction. We aimed at updating its distribution along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and determining the conservation status of its populations by conducting surveys from 2021 to 2024 at 53 localities, mainly within coastal lagoons and estuaries. We recorded all Odonata species along with their various life stages and reproductive behaviour. Other resident species recorded in association with L. macrostigma were Lestes barbarus, L. dryas, Ischnura elegans, Aeshna affinis, Sympetrum fonscolombii, S. meridionale, and S. striolatum. We counted L. macrostigma adults along walks and extrapolated abundance over the entire sites and season. Lestes macrostigma population size reached hundreds of thousands of adults at Shablenska tuzla and Pomorie Lake. At Nanevska tuzla and Atanasovsko Lake, two new sites for the species, thousands of adults were present. However, we found that L. macrostigma had disappeared from at least a part of Poda Protected Area, most likely because of a change in water management practices. As the timing of the flooding period is a key feature of the species’ habitat, we found that its presence in the temperate Bulgarian estuaries was unlikely. As conservation management plans are still lacking for Shablenska tuzla and Pomorie Lake, the future of the two largest L. macrostigma populations of Bulgaria of international importance seems tenuous and uncertain. Therefore, key actions for the conservation of L. macrostigma are the proper management of its existing reproductive sites and restoring or recreating temporary wetlands.

Monitoring coastal dynamics after working with nature practices in the Rhone delta

Wed, 4 Jun 2025 15:53:40

de Morgane Jolivet, Cecile Puigserver, Olivier Boutron, Francois Sabatier, Samuel Meulé, Philippe Larroude, Loic Willm, Emilie Luna-Laurent
In Coastal Engineering Proceedings, 38 (June, 2025), 50
En ligne : icce-ojs-tamu.tdl.org[...]

The site of the “Étangs et Marais des Salins de Camargue” (EMSC) is located southern France in the Rhône Delta, facing Mediterranean sea, at the heart of the Camargue Regional Natural Park. This site, formerly dedicated to salt production, is now owned by the Coastal Conservatory and co-managed by the Camargue Regional Natural Park, Tour du Valat, and the French National Society for the Protection of Nature. A habitat restoration project was initiated in 2011 and continues as part of the development of a 2023-2032 management plan and the site's participation in the European H2020 Rest-Coast project. This restoration aims to facilitate the recolonization of the area by plant (seagrass, salt marsh) and animal species, reestablishing the natural hydrological processes of the site. An adaptive coastal management strategy is also applied on this site, with the decision to no longer maintain the historical dikes of the salt production site facing the sea, leading to their gradual collapsing. Protection against the risk of marine submersion is ensured by an landward seawall, which will be elevated, as part of the coastal strategy defined for the greater Rhône Delta. Natural hydro-morphodynamic processes are reestablishing locally, creating new connections with the sea and the formation of beach and barrier areas through overwash. This results in the emergence of a natural buffer zone that will better address the consequences of climate change or storms, such as marine submersion and salinization.

How does the efficiency of Nanopore compare to Illumina sequencing in tracking the spread of aquatic invasive species?

Fri, 6 Jun 2025 16:01:52

de Théo Deremarque, Rodolphe Elie Gozlan, Ravo Ravaozafindrasoa, Giuliano Mucci, Lucie Delalex, Jean-Michel Foissy, Michael Cagnant, Mathieu Clair, Justina Givens, Fabienne Justy, et al.
In Water Biology and Security, (en ligne) (May, 2025), 100423
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

eDNA-based methods offer a non-invasive, easy-to-use approach for monitoring aquatic biodiversity, particularly for tracking invasive or cryptic species. While Illumina sequencing is commonly used, few studies have explored pairing eDNA sampling with Nanopore sequencing, a third-generation technology that allows for on-site sequencing but with a higher error rate. Here, we compared the performance of both technologies in detecting the invasive host-parasite complex Pseudorasbora parva-Sphaerothecum destruens. Water samples were collected from sites in Camargue and Corsica (Southern France), followed by DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and sequencing using either Illumina or Nanopore. Both technologies showed similar detection rates of P. parva, but only when Nanopore sequencing was performed under optimal conditions. However, for S. destruens, results varied: Illumina failed to detect the parasite, while Nanopore identified its DNA in multiple sites. We suggest that this discrepancy may be due to the different bioinformatic approaches used to process the reads and/or the higher error rate of Nanopore sequencing which could result in misassignments during species identification.

Origins of Nearctic migratory landbird vagrants recorded in Europe revealed by feather isotopic analysis

Fri, 9 May 2025 14:21:59

de Paul Dufour, Kevin J. Kardynal, Keith A. Hobson, David Monticelli, Yann Kolbeinsson, Peter Alfrey, Dušan Kerestúr, Thijs Valkenburg, François Fourel, Frédéric Jiguet
In Scientific Reports, 15(1) (May, 2025), 15456
En ligne : www.nature.com[...]

Understanding the occurrence of vagrant individuals away from their usual distribution range can shed light on animal navigation systems. In autumn, migratory Nearctic landbirds often occur as far as Western Europe, and while the link between these occurrences and wind conditions over the Atlantic Ocean is largely established, the drivers and natal origins of these transatlantic vagrants remain elusive. We conducted feather hydrogen isotopic (δ2Hf) analyses from 72 Nearctic individuals representing 26 landbird species captured in the Azores (Portugal), Iceland and France over the last century to infer their likely origins. While potential origins of several individuals came from northeastern Nearctic populations (e.g., Blackpoll Warbler, Northern Parula), we also found that some individuals likely originated from northwestern (e.g., American Redstart, Gray-cheeked Thrush) or southern (Yellow-billed Cuckoo) populations. Our results confirm that northeastern populations migrating along the coast or undertaking over-water flights are more likely to be displaced. However, they also show that even northwestern populations migrating southeast towards the eastern coast of North America have the potential to be displaced across the Atlantic Ocean. Further research is needed to fully understand the drivers of these transatlantic vagrancy events and to determine whether wind is the only factor that can push migratory individuals off their intended course. Overall, this study sheds light on the broad geographic origins of transoceanic vagrants and the potential implications for the colonization of new regions.

Do older parents do better? Relationships between parental age, chick body condition and migratory behaviour in a colonial-breeding waterbird

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 15:13:45

de Hugo R. S. Ferreira, Jocelyn Champagnon, Thomas Blanchon, Tamar Lok, José A. Alves
In Journal of Avian Biology, 2025(3) (May, 2025), e03387
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Animals' performance of basic functional behaviours, such as foraging and movement, may improve with age as a result of past experiences. In migratory birds, for example, due to earlier or more efficient migration, older and likely more experienced individuals tend to arrive at breeding sites earlier and enjoy better breeding conditions than younger conspecifics, resulting in a higher reproductive success. Yet, despite the advantages of early arrival for breeding adults, the long-term effects of fledging early and/or with a higher body condition on chicks' future fitness prospects remain largely unexplored. In differential migration systems, low-quality or socially subordinate individuals may be constrained to sub-optimal migratory behaviours associated with lower demographic rates. Therefore, producing high-quality chicks may enhance the survival of offspring. In this study, we analysed data from the long-term ringing programme on the breeding population of Eurasian spoonbills in the Camargue (southern France) to investigate how breeder age may influence the timing of breeding and, in turn, how this may affect chick body condition and their subsequent migratory behaviour. Using breeding resightings of birds individually marked as a chick since 2008, combined with chick biometric measurements and subsequent winter resightings of offspring, we show that older spoonbills tend to breed earlier in the season than younger individuals, and that early breeders, regardless of age, are more likely to produce chicks with higher body condition than late breeders. Finally, migratory behaviour of juveniles appears to be influenced by the timing of breeding, with later-born juveniles tending to undertake less demanding migrations (without crossing major ecological barriers) than juveniles born earlier in the breeding season. Our study therefore highlights the relevance of long-term studies to better understand the complex breeding phenology of migratory species, which can lead to changes in population-level patterns and processes.

Premier suivi de l’avifaune de la Zone Clé pour la Biodiversité Dyr El Kef en Tunisie (2021-2023)

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 11:41:20

de Hichem Azafzaf, Claudia Feltrup-Azafzaf, Yassin Fadhly, Moujib Gabous, Edouard Jean, Myriam Bessibes, Hazem Cherni, Yves Kayser, Anis Ben Brahim, Hedi Aissa, et al.
In Go-south bulletin, 22 (2025), 1-19
En ligne : go-south.grepom.org[...]

First monitoring of the avifauna of the Key Biodiversity Area Dyr El Kef in Tunisia (2021-2023). In this article, we report the ornithological monitoring carried out in the "Dyr El Kef" Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) in northwestern Tunisia between 2021 and 2023. Through this monitoring, a total of 82 bird species belonging to 28 families and 11 orders were identified. Of these, the Passeriformes order is the most dominant, with 54 species (18 families) or 64% of the species recorded in the site. The "Dyr El Kef" site is home to 3 Critically Endangered (CR), one Endangered (EN) and 8 Vulnerable (VU) species according to the National Red List, one of these is also categorized as Endangered (EN) according to the IUCN Global Red List of Threatened Species. The presence of these threatened species requires some urgent measures to improve the conservation status of the site.

Première mention française de la Gallinule africaine Paragallinula angulata

Wed, 9 Jul 2025 15:15:58

de Jacques Artieda, Thomas Galewski, Bernard Recorbet, Frédéric Armani
In Ornithos, 171 (Avril, Mai, Juin 2025), 28-35

Le 6 mars 2024, Jacques Artieda observe et photographie un petit rallidé qu'il n'identifie pas tout de suite sur la zone d'humide d'Air Corsica, au sud-est d'Ajaccio, en Corse-de-Sud. Cette observation se révèlera être la première mention pour la France de la Gallinule africaine, identifiée grâce à la publication des photos sur internet et aux réseaux sociaux. Cette note revient sur cette observation, l'identification de l'oiseau et apporte des éléments contextuels sur l'apparition de l'espèce dans le paléarctique occidental.

Persistent lead poisoning of waterfowl in the Camargue (southern France) 10 years after the ban on the use of lead ammunition in wetlands

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 09:44:46

de Arnaud Béchet, Anthony Olivier, Francois Cavallo, Lou Sauvajon, Jocelyn Champagnon, Pierre Defos du Rau, Jean-Yves Mondain-Monval
In Conservation Science and Practice, (en ligne) (April, 2025), e70045
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Lead pollution is a worldwide environmental and health issue causing persistent detrimental effects on humans and wildlife. Despite having been identified as detrimental to waterfowl a century ago, in France lead shotgun pellets for hunting were banned only in 2006 and only in wetlands. We used long-term monitoring data from the Camargue (southern France) to (1) assess the local effectiveness of the French regulation at reducing the ingestion of lead shotgun pellets by waterfowl and to (2) assess local hunter compliance with the regulation. We used data on 2187 gizzards from 13 waterfowl species collected from 38 hunters in the Camargue over 20 hunting seasons (1998 to 2017). In addition, from 2008 to 2019, we systematically collected shotgun shell cases at three communal wetland hunting sites and used the ratio of cases indicating lead versus nontoxic shotgun shells to estimate hunter compliance with the ban. Across the 20-year study period that spanned pre- and post-ban, gizzards of harvested waterfowl had a mean lead shotgun pellet prevalence of 12% across the 13 species with no significant reduction over time. There was a slow increase in the use of nontoxic shot shells after the ban; lead shells continued to be used widely, suggesting inadequate policy enforcement. Because the ban was only applied for hunting in wetlands, hunters have to be caught with lead shells in the shotgun while in wetland to be fined. It is still legal to carry lead shells, favoring the circumvention of the regulation. Our results support the need for a complete ban of lead shotgun shells for both wetland and terrestrial hunting. A complete ban would facilitate policy enforcement and would favor compliance, eventually leading to a phase-out of lead shell production and use.

Characterizing governance models for upscaling wetland restoration

Wed, 5 Mar 2025 16:40:09

de Arnaud Terrisse, Michael Karner, Julia Kaufmann, Lisa Ernoul
In Environmental Management, (en ligne) (March, 2025)
En ligne : doi.org[...]

Governance is a key element for effective conservation, sustainable management and restoration of ecosystems. Improving governance is essential for upscaling restoration actions around the world. Governance systems were studied in eleven on-going European wetland restoration sites using a two-step process. First, an in-depth examination of seven sites from six countries was made using key informant interviews. This information provided the basis for developing four governance models (Monocentric, Polycentric, Community-based and Networking). Most of the sites presented a dominant governance model, but also incorporated some dimensions of the other models to a lesser degree. The models were tested and evaluated in an additional seven sites in five countries. The analysis revealed that the governance models were highly subject to the geographical features, land ownership structures and different histories of the sites. Strengths, weaknesses, and supporting and limiting factors were associated with each model. This research shows how governance models are adapted to site specific conditions and how these adaptations can be used to enhance governance processes in existing sites, upscale restoration efforts or set the groundwork in new restoration sites.

Large-scale loss of Mediterranean coastal marshes under rising sea levels by 2100

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 10:08:50

de Mark Schuerch, Joshua Kiesel, Olivier Boutron, Anis Guelmami, Claudia Wolff, Wolfgang Cramer, Nuno Caiola, Carles Ibáñez, Athanasios T. Vafeidis
In Communications Earth & Environment, 6(1) (February, 2025), 1-13
En ligne : www.nature.com[...]

Mediterranean coastal wetlands account for important biodiversity and ecosystem services. But climate-change induced sea-level rise poses a critical risk to their survival. Here, we assess these risks for Mediterranean coastal marshes, one key type of Mediterranean coastal wetlands, and identify main drivers for future coastal marsh change for the Mediterranean and comparable coastlines. We apply an integrated modelling approach that accounts for future sea-level rise, sediment accretion, coastal management and marsh inland migration processes. Depending on climate mitigation scenarios, widespread coastal marsh loss is projected, ranging from 8% to 92% of current extents. For Egypt, France, and Algeria, we predict (near) total loss of coastal marshes by 2100 for current coastal management and sediment supply scenarios. Overall, losses could at least be halved if additional inland migration space were created, e.g. through passive or active habitat restoration. Bold climate mitigation and local adaptation are needed to preserve existing coastal marshes.

Presence and potential impact of anthropogenic nesting materials on a colonial breeding waterbird

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 15:10:34

de Hugo Rafael Soares Ferreira, Ana C. Hadden, Jocelyn Champagnon, Tamar Lok, Marion Vittecoq, José A. Alves
In Science of The Total Environment, 964 (February, 2025), 178588
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Despite the vital importance of wetlands globally, these habitats have increasingly received anthropogenic materials, such as plastics, which can impact the wildlife these habitats support. Despite commonly found in the nests of Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), the presence of such materials has never been quantified. Here, we monitored the occurrence of anthropogenic nesting materials (ANM) in spoonbill nests in the Camargue wetland in Southern France during two breeding seasons (2021−2022). We also investigated their potential function by associating their presence with breeder experience (based on their age) and hatching success. Out of 439 nests, 39 % contained at least one anthropogenic material item, usually plastic of sheet-like shape and white-transparent colours. Throughout the breeding season, the proportion of ANM in the nest lining increased, coinciding with a decrease in natural materials (i.e. vegetation). A higher proportion of natural green materials was detected during the egg phase compared to other phases of nest development. Our results did not support a correlation between the proportion of ANM and breeder experience, nor with hatching success. Further studies (e.g., physiological through necropsy or fine temperature nest assessment) may disentangle the benefits and adverse effects of such materials on waterbird breeding success.

Investigating the quality of European silver eels by quantifying contaminants and parasite infestation in a French Mediterranean lagoon complex

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 15:10:29

de Amélie Hoste, Raphaël Lagarde, Elsa Amilhat, Colin Bouchard, Paco Bustamante, Adrian Covaci, Elisabeth Faliex, Emmanuelle Migne, Giulia Poma, Claire Tetrel, et al.
In Environmental Science and Pollution Research, (en ligne) (January, 2025)
En ligne : doi.org[...]

Coastal lagoons are diverse habitats with significant ecological gradients, which provide crucial ecosystem services but face threats from human activities such as invasive species and pollution. Among the species inhabiting the lagoons, the critically endangered European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is an emblematic species strongly impacted by contamination and parasitism. Several indicators were developed to assess the quality of eel at a large geographic scale. Most indicators are based on the concentration of individual pollutant and/or abundance of parasites separately without considering individual variations. This study assessed the quality of 59 eels captured at three different sites inside a Mediterranean lagoon complex (the Camargue, South of France), by integrating multiple degradation factors (POPs, TEs, and A. crassus infestation) and considering individual eel characteristics (length, age, growth rate, and sex). Using multivariate TOPSIS analysis including these degradation factors, this study found that eel quality decreased with age but did not significantly vary between sites. When focusing on each degradation factor, A. crassus infestation rates were lower in older eels, independently to the site; however, the POPs and TEs contaminations were lower in the Grandes Cabanes site compared to the Vaccarès and Fumemorte sites even if smaller and younger eels were more contaminated by POPs. These findings reveal the fine-scale spatial variability in eel quality, with TOPSIS analysis providing a robust method to rank and score scenarios. This approach enhances the understanding of habitat degradation sources affecting eel contamination and parasitic infestation, supporting more effective strategies for sustainable habitat management.

Non-marine Ostracoda (Crustacea) collected from the Camargue, southern France, with four species new to France

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 16:27:53

de Musée national d’ histoire naturelle Luxembourg - Naturmusée, Claude Meisch, Burkhard Scharf, Monika Czajkowska, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, Polish Academy of Sciences, Marie-Béatrice Forel, Muséum national d’ histoire naturelle, CR2P, Marlene Hoehle, Institute of Geography and Geology, University of Greifswald, Bertrand Lefebvre, et al.
In Bulletin de la Société des Naturalistes luxembourgeois, 127 (2025), 107-138
En ligne : www.snl.lu[...]

We report on the collection of 21 non-marine Ostracoda (Crustacea) species, mainly in July 2022, in the Rhône delta (Grande Camargue). The material comprises nine species new to the Camargue region (Grand delta du Rhône), of which four are new to France. These four are considered exotic in origin, and we suggest that they have been passively introduced in the Camargue during the second half of the 20th century: Bradleytriebella spinulosa (Akatova, 1958) nov. comb., Candonocypris novaezelandiae (Baird, 1843), Cypris granulata Daday, 1898, and Ilyodromus viridulus (Brady, 1886). Notes on these four species, and two previously recorded exotic species, i.e. Bradleycypris vittata (Sars, 1903) and Strandesia reticulata (Daday, 1898) from the Camargue are presented. Scanning electron micrographs of the carapaces and/or valves of all the species recorded are given. A checklist of the 44 non-marine ostracod species recorded from the Grand delta du Rhône is presented. A new taxonomic combination is provided: Bradleytriebella spinulosa (Akatova, 1958) nov. comb.

Domestic water buffaloes: an unexpected basking support for two sympatric freshwater turtles, Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758) and Mauremys rivulata (Valenciennes, 1833) in Türkiye

Fri, 5 Sep 2025 15:54:17

de Ömral Ünsal Özkoç, Cem Akın, Anthony Olivier, Dilara Arslan
In Herpetology Notes, 18 (2025), 839-843
En ligne : figshare.com[...]

This study aims to present new data on the relationships between domestic water buffaloes and reptiles.

Nouvelles données sur l’alimentation du Grand-duc ascalaphe Bubo ascalaphus dans le sud du Maroc et le nord de la Mauritanie

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 11:41:25

de Yves Kayser, Éric Durand, Guy Durand, Patrick Bayle, Abdeljebbar Qninba, Halima Bousadik, Patrick Bergier
In Éléments d’Ornithologie Marocaine, eom25041 (2025), 12
En ligne : www.researchgate.net[...]

L’analyse de proies du Grand-duc ascalaphe en Mauritanie intérieure permet pour la première fois de se faire une idée du régime alimentaire de ce rapace qui n’avait jusqu’alors été étudié qu’en bordure maritime, au Banc d’Arguin. Les près de 30 espèces de proies identifiées montrent un spectre alimentaire varié qui toutefois est en grande partie lié à la présence de scorpions. Il serait plus qu’intéressant de pouvoir récolter des lots de restes alimentaires sur d’autres sites, afin de mieux cerner son écologie trophique dans ce pays. Les quelques proies déterminées dans le sud du Maroc permettent de compléter les données obtenues dans le pays. Enfin, la détermination des proies de ce rapace nocturne sur cinq nouveaux sites du Sahara atlantique met en évidence l’importance de deux espèces de gerbilles en tant qu’espèces proies et enrichit les travaux réalisés dans cette zone jusqu’à présent, tant au niveau régime alimentaire du grand-duc que de celui de la répartition des petits mammifères.

Les oiseaux nicheurs rares et menacés en france en 2023

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:21:09

de Gwenael Quaintenne, Antoine Arnaud, Mathurin Aubry, Arnaud Béchet, Maurice Benmergui, Mathieu Bourgeois, Bernard Cadiou, Pierre Camberlein, Pierre Chambrelein, Jocelyn Champagnon, et al.
In Ornithos, 170 (Janvier, Février, Mars 2025), 04-31

L’observatoire des oiseaux nicheurs « rares et menacés » s’intéresse depuis 1994 à suivre l’évolution d’espèces à l’état de conservation jugé fragile ou préoccupant, mais aussi aux espèces rares, localisées ou nouvellement nicheuses dont certaines montrent depuis quelques années des dynamiques de population singulières, illustrées entre autres par des essors numériques fulgurants. Cette 25e publication des résultats des suivis des espèces nicheuses rares et menacées présente les éléments clés de la saison 2023 de reproduction de ces espèces, rendue possible par la contribution de près de 200 structures et associations naturalistes et d’un millier d’observateurs.

Wintering population of White-headed Duck in Tunisia and Algeria

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 16:06:33

de Hichem Azafzaf, Sami Rebah, Claudia Feltrup‐Azafzaf, Nadjiba Bendjedda, Moujib Gabous, Samir Sayoud, Laura Dami
In Dutch Birding, 47(1) (January, 2025), 22-26

On 14 January 2022, during the International Waterbird Census (IWC), a large concentration of more than 2220 White-headed Ducks Oxyura leucocephala was observed at Sebkhet Sejoumi in Tunis, north-eastern Tunisia. This is the largest number of this species ever reported at national level and for a single site in Tunisia. This paper examines the origin of these birds and the significance of the observation.

Eoldist, a web application for estimating cautionary detection distance of birds by automatic detection systems to reduce collisions with wind turbinew

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 16:14:45

de Julie Fluhr, Olivier Duriez, Constance Blary, Thierry Chambert, Bettina Almasi, Patrik Byholm, Nelleke H. Buitendijk, Jocelyn Champagnon, Mindaugas Dagys, Wolfgang Fiedler, et al.
In Wind Energy, 28(2) (January, 2025), e2971
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

The installation of automatic detection systems (ADSs) on operating wind energy facilities is a mitigation measure to reduce bird collisions. The effectiveness of an ADS depends on a combination of parameters, including the detection distance of the bird, its flight speed, and the time to complete the chosen action (e.g., turbine shutdown). We created a web application, Eoldist, to calculate cautionary detection distances required by an ADS, using bird flight speed and turbine shutdown time as input parameters. We compiled a database of the flight speeds of 168 Western Palearctic birds from a review of scientific literature supplemented by an analysis of unpublished GPS-tracking datasets. To estimate turbine shutdown time, we conducted 137 field trials of experimental shutdown at seven wind farms and found that the duration to reach residual rotor speeds of 3 or 2 rotations per minute (rpm) was respectively 32.2 or 38.8 s on average. Based on this data, Eoldist allows the user to select a species from the database, wind turbine characteristics, and a residual rotor speed (3 or 2 rpm); it then calculates the time to reach the selected threshold and provides a distribution curve for the cautionary detection distance needed to prevent collision. This article includes examples of cautionary detection distances required for several species to demonstrate the sensitivity of key input parameters. Eoldist is freely available and should help the wind energy industry, ADS suppliers, and environmental agencies to define requirements for ADS bird detection that are compatible with the biology of the target species.

Local climate at breeding colonies influences pre-breeding arrival in a long-distance migrant

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 14:08:20

de Lina Lopez-Ricaurte, Jesus Hernandez-Pliego, Daniel García-Silveira, Ana Bermejo-Bermejo, Susana Casado, Jacopo G. Cecere, Javier de la Puente, Fernando Garcés-Toledano, Juan Martínez-Dalmau, Michelangelo Morganti, et al.
In Journal of Ornithology, 166(1) (January, 2025)
En ligne : doi.org[...]

The annual cycles of long-distance migrant species are synchronized with the local climatic conditions at their breeding areas, as they impact the availability of food resources. A timely arrival of individuals to the breeding grounds is crucial for achieving high fitness. Variation in factors influencing timing, including climate, may thus impact the life history of individuals. We studied between-individual variation in migration timing, in particular how local breeding climate influences arrival time and how early-arriving individuals achieve a timely arrival. We tracked individual Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) with GPS tags across a gradient of latitude (37°–42° N) and longitude (6.5° W–16.5° E). Arrival time was influenced by the breeding latitude, the breeding longitude, and the local temperature, without any apparent influence of sex. The time of arrival at the breeding grounds was 6 days later for every degree increase in latitude and 2 days later for every degree increase in longitude. Lesser Kestrels from southwestern colonies achieve earlier arrival than conspecifics breeding at northeastern colonies, mostly due to earlier departure from their non-breeding grounds. While we found some effects of travel speed and stopover duration on arrival date, the latter was primarily influenced by food abundance and wind conditions en route. The large effect of departure date from West Africa on arrival date, relative to the more moderate influence of stopover duration close to breeding colonies, supports the idea that geographically uneven climate change may negatively affect fitness via ecological mismatches in the breeding area.

Role of protected areas for a colonial-breeding waterbird in a fragmented landscape throughout its annual cycle

Mon, 6 Jan 2025 15:32:43

de Hugo Rafael Soares Ferreira, José A. Alves, Frédéric Jiguet, Olivier Duriez, Thomas Blanchon, Tamar Lok, Jocelyn Champagnon
In Landscape Ecology, 40(1) (December, 2024), 6
En ligne : doi.org[...]

Throughout their annual cycle and life stages, animals depend on a variety of habitats to meet their vital needs. However, habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation are making it increasingly difficult for mobile species such as birds to find suitable habitats. Wetlands are highly productive systems of great importance to many animals, but their continued degradation threatens their capacity to support different species, including waterbirds. In this context, waterbirds are likely to benefit not only from the creation and management of protected wetlands, but also from the existence of anthropogenic wetlands, managed for economic or recreational activities.
/ Cette étude explore comment la spatule, une espèce modérément spécialisée, bénéficie des changements globaux actuels grâce à sa capacité à exploiter des habitats appropriés, qu’ils soient naturels ou artificiels, au sein de paysages fragmentés. Cependant, sa dépendance aux zones humides gérées par le secteur privé soulève des questions importantes, car elle peut avoir de lourdes conséquences pour les espèces fortement tributaires de ces habitats. Ainsi, promouvoir la gestion des habitats favorisant des conditions naturelles apparaît crucial pour préserver la résilience des espèces.
Comprendre comment des actions de gestion spécifiques influencent la présence des oiseaux d’eau et l’utilisation de leur habitat est essentiel non seulement pour accroître l’efficacité des efforts de conservation, mais aussi pour renforcer la connectivité des zones humides et la résilience des espèces, en particulier dans des paysages fragmentés.

Life-history traits of the invasive and biggest European freshwater fish, the wels catfish (Silurus glanis) show high potential for colonisation in Southern Europe

Mon, 6 Jan 2025 15:32:51

de Jacques Panfili, Delphine Nicolas, Khady Diop, Alain J. Crivelli
In Marine and Freshwater Research, 75(18) (December, 2024)
En ligne : www.publish.csiro.au[...]

The invasive wels catfish is spreading to many European waterbodies and is the subject of controversy concerning its environmental impact.The objective was to investigate its life-history traits (growth and reproduction) for the first time in southern France. A culling action was used to assess the key life-history traits, using sections of pectoral spines for age and growth estimations, and gonad macroscopic examination for the reproduction parameters. The biggest individual was a 227-cm male. The age was accurately estimated from clear translucent marks on spines, with a maximum of 13years for both sexes. The growth appeared to be extremely rapid and was the highest at old ages recorded from both the native and the invasive distribution range. The length and age at first sexual maturity, 70.1cm for 4–5-year-old females, and 54.1cm for 2–3-year-old males, were the lowest recorded in Europe, indicating an early maturity. The life-history parameters (rapid growth, early maturation, high fecundity) showed a very high potential for adaptation and colonisation. The cost and management required to regulate the species appear not easily feasible, particularly when combined with its high growth rate.

Using age-ratios to investigate the status of two Siberian Phylloscopus species in Europe

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 14:53:38

de Paul Dufour, Magnus Hellstrom, Christophe de Franceschi, Marc Illa, Gabriel Norevik, Paul Cuchot, Stephan Tillo, Mark Bolton, David Parnaby, Alex Penn, et al.
In Ibis, (en ligne) (December, 2024)
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Distinguishing between vagrancy and regular migration has proved to be challenging as vagrants may, in theory, act as pioneers in the establishment of new migration routes. Because migratory songbirds tend to follow the same orientation and migration route throughout their lives, age assessment can help to distinguish individuals which have already used a route (i.e. adults) from those using it for the first time (i.e. juveniles). The presence of a significant proportion of adult individuals would suggest the presence of regular migrants in a vagrancy context. To decipher the status of two species of Siberian warblers in Europe, the Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus and the Siberian Chiffchaff P. tristis, we assessed the age-ratios of (respectively) 324 and 117 individuals captured at different sites during the last decade. We compared whether the estimated age-ratios differed from those estimated in Common Chiffchaff P. collybita, a common and widespread breeding and migrating species in Europe, used here as a control species. With 1.8% of birds being adult (one confirmed, five probable), the vast majority of Yellow-browed Warblers occurring in Europe each autumn appear to be mostly, if not only, vagrants, implying that the species does not migrate regularly in Europe. These results are consistent with the very few spring records but still invite further research to unravel this remarkable phenomenon of large-scale vagrancy. Conversely, we estimated that 9.4% and 29.7% of Siberian Chiffchaffs captured, respectively, during migration in Sweden and on regular wintering sites in southern France are adult birds, suggesting that the species could migrate towards southern Europe to winter, using a migration route in a markedly different direction from those known previously. These results urge more research to explore the origin, selection and causes of orientation variability in songbird species at the start of their first migration.

Ease and Limitations in Using Environmental DNA to Track the Spread of Invasive Host–Parasite Complexes: A Case Study of the Freshwater Fish Pseudorasbora parva and the Cryptic Fungal Parasite Sphaerothecum destruens

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:25:17

de Théo Deremarque, Rodolphe Elie Gozlan, Ravo Ravaozafindrasoa, Giuliano Mucci, Lucie Delalex, Jean-Michel Foissy, Michael Cagnant, Mathieu Clair, Justina Givens, Fabienne Justy, et al.
In Fishes, 9(12) (December, 2024), 477
En ligne : www.mdpi.com[...]

The spread of non-native species threatens biodiversity and exacerbates societal challenges like food security. To address this, effective conservation programs require detection methods that are easy to implement, accurate, and non-invasive. Over the past 15 years, environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques have gained popularity, surpassing traditional sampling methods. In this context, our study focused on tracking the invasive host–pathogen complex Pseudorasbora parva and Sphaerothecum destruens using eDNA metabarcoding. We collected water samples from freshwater canals over five months in the Camargue region, and once in Corsica Island, both in southern France. Total DNA was extracted from filtered water samples, and PCR-amplicons were sequenced using Illumina or Nanopore technologies. Our results revealed a high detection rate of P. parva in lentic ecosystems, aligning with habitat preferences of this small freshwater fish. Additionally, the detection rate in Camargue increased in May and June, likely due to the peak of the spawning season, which leads to more DNA being released into the environment (i.e., concentration and interaction of individuals). While eDNA successfully detected this invasive fish, we were unable to detect its cryptic fungal parasite, S. destruens, highlighting the challenges of identifying intracellular and cryptic fungal pathogens through eDNA methods.

Blood levels of metallic trace elements are influenced by sex, age and habitat in the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis)

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 11:34:53

de Leslie-Anne Merleau, Aurélie Goutte, Anthony Olivier, Marion Vittecoq, Paco Bustamante, Carole Leray, Olivier Lourdais
In Science of The Total Environment, 954 (December, 2024), 177487
En ligne : linkinghub.elsevier.com[...]

Metallic trace elements (MTEs) constitute a major source of chemical pollution and represent a threat to aquatic ecosystems and organisms. Important variation in contamination may exist at a local scale in relation to the environment (hydrosystem, trophic ressources) and individual traits (age, sex). Heretofore, the factors influencing MTEs exposure of freshwater reptiles in temperate regions are not fully understood. Freshwater turtles have a relatively high trophic position and a long lifespan, thus being potentially highly exposed due to bioaccumulation and bioamplification processes. We investigated MTE blood concentrations from two populations of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) in the Camargue wetland (France). These populations, monitored since 1997, differ in their habitat and exposure (irrigation versus drainage canal). In this study, we detected 7 MTEs (Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Pb, Se, and Zn) which levels depended on site and individual characteristics. Hg was positively related to body size and age, indicating an increase of exposure in older individuals. We found differences between males and females with the interaction with body size for Pb and Se and with age for Pb. Nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes varied only marginally between individuals and were poorly associated with MTEs concentrations, showing that trophic position might not explain MTEs contamination for these populations. At the individual level, Hg, Pb, and Se blood values were repeatable over years. Further studies should concentrate on potential ecophysiological effects to such exposure, especially since we recently evidenced that these populations of E. orbicularis are highly exposed to organic contaminants, which can lead to synergistic effects.

Spatial variation of mercury contamination in yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) in the Western Mediterranean

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 11:30:11

de Laura Patier, Paco Bustamante, Karen D. McCoy, Gaël Guillou, Abdessalem Hammouda, Carole Leray, Gonzalo Fernando Martínez Salcedo, Ana Payo-Payo, Gauthier Poiriez, Raul Ramos, et al.
In Environmental Pollution, 362 (December, 2024), 124992
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant of major concern in marine and coastal environments. In the Mediterranean Sea, Hg concentrations in biota are higher than in other seas, even when seawater concentrations are similar. Seabirds, as marine top predators, can reflect Hg contamination on a large spatial scale. By sampling seabirds at 17 different breeding colonies, we evaluated Hg concentrations of yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) in the occidental Mediterranean basin in 2021 and 2022. More specifically, we investigated spatial variation of Hg contamination in both chicks and adults as well as associated toxicological risks through the use of blood and feathers, which reflect contamination over different periods of the year. The highest concentrations in chicks were found in Djerba (Tunisia) with blood Hg values of (mean ± SD) 1.69 ± 0.51 μg g−1 dry weight (dw). Adults were most contaminated in Djerba and Dragonera (Balearic Islands, Spain) with blood Hg concentrations of respectively 3.78 ± 2.54 and 5.25 ± 3.73 μg g−1 dw. Trophic ecology was investigated using stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N and δ34S as proxies of feeding habitat and diet), and showed that spatial variation in Hg was mainly driven by foraging habitat in both chicks and adults. Low Hg concentrations were related to the use of anthropogenic food sources. An effect of colony location was also found, suggesting spatial differences in local environmental pollution transfer up to seabirds. Our results also supported the use of δ34S to discriminate between marine and continental foraging habitats in generalist seabirds. This study provides new insights onto the spatial distribution of Hg contamination in a widespread seabird, reporting some of the highest Hg values recorded for this species. Populations with highest concentrations are of potential concern regarding toxicological risks.

Salinity tolerance of the invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus: From global to local, a new tool for implementing management strategy

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 16:11:59

de Guillaume Marchessaux, Nathalie Barre, Virginie Mauclert, Katia Lombardini, Eric D. H. Durieux, Dimitri Veyssiere, Jean-José Filippi, Jérémy Bracconi, Antoine Aiello, Marie Garrido
In Science of The Total Environment, 954 (December, 2024), 176291
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) raises concerns about the global proliferation of non-native species (NIS) driven by increasing temperatures. In 2023, the invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus experienced a significant range expansion in the French Mediterranean lagoons, now present in over 20 lagoons and numerous estuaries with different invasion gradients. It has been established that this species is eurytherm (tolerates a wide range of temperatures; 0–40 °C), rendering temperature a non-limiting factor for its proliferation. On the other hand, salinity is a critical factor to consider, as C. sapidus requires brackish water for copulation and saline water for egg maturation. In this study, we present the salinity tolerance of C. sapidus using the metabolic performance to define the tolerance of the species to a large range of salinities (13 levels from 0 to 65 psu). Results showed that C. sapidus tolerates a large range of salinities with a minimum critical threshold (CTmin) at 0 psu, an optimum at 18.5 psu, and a CTmax at 62.4 psu. Using the performance curve equation, we applied the curve to real salinity data measured each month in 2023 in 20 lagoons invaded. Using this approach, we were able to map, on a fine spatial scale, the distribution of suitable habitats for C. sapidus in the year 2023. Additionally, we have developed a tool to prioritize the lagoons based on their suitability, thereby providing a decision-making framework for management measures in each lagoon. It emerged that 50 % of lagoons were priority areas, 10 % were intermediate and 40 % required monitoring. On the basis of this approach, we can respond to European regulations to help decision-makers implement action plans and/or early detection programs for invasive species management.

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Le dernier rapport de la Plateforme intergouvernementale scientifique et politique sur la biodiversité et les services écosystémiques (IPBES) souligne l’inquiétude croissante concernant la prolifération mondiale des espèces non indigènes (ENI), exacerbée par l’augmentation des températures. En 2023, le crabe bleu invasif Callinectes sapidus a considérablement étendu son aire de répartition dans les lagunes méditerranéennes françaises (plus de 20 lagunes et plusieurs estuaires présentant différents gradients d’invasion). Il a été établi que cette espèce est eurytherme (tolérant une large gamme de températures allant de 0 à 40 °C), rendant la température non limitante pour sa prolifération. En revanche, la variation de salinité est un paramètre essentiel pour assurer sa reproduction et pour la maturation des œufs jusqu’à la ponte en milieu marin.
Cette étude présente la tolérance à la salinité de C. sapidus, en utilisant la performance métabolique pour définir sa tolérance à un large éventail de niveaux de salinité (13 niveaux allant de 0 à 65 PSU). Les résultats montrent que C. sapidus tolère une large gamme de salinités avec un seuil critique minimal (CTmin) à 0 PSU, un optimum à 18,5 PSU, et un CTmax à 62,4 PSU. En appliquant une courbe de performance aux données de salinité réelles mesurées mensuellement en 2023 dans 20 lagunes envahies, il a été possible de cartographier, à une échelle spatiale fine, la distribution des habitats favorables pour C. sapidus en 2023 (SHS). De plus, un outil de priorisation des lagunes selon leur degré d’habitabilité a été développé, fournissant ainsi un cadre décisionnel pour les mesures de gestion dans chaque lagune. Il en ressort que 50 % des lagunes sont des zones prioritaires, 10 % sont intermédiaires et 40 % nécessitent une surveillance. Cette approche permet de répondre aux réglementations européennes en aidant les décideurs à mettre en œuvre des plans d’action et/ou des programmes de détection précoce pour la gestion des espèces invasives.

Assessing methane emissions and soil carbon stocks in the Camargue coastal wetlands: Management implications for climate change regulation

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 14:29:14

de Maite Martínez-Eixarch, Pere Masqué, Anna Lafratta, Paul Lavery, Samuel Hilaire, Lluís Jornet, Cyrille Thomas, Arnaud Boisnard, Néstor Pérez-Méndez, Carles Alcaraz, et al.
In Science of The Total Environment, 950 (November, 2024), 175224
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Coastal wetlands are crucial in climate change regulation due to their capacity to act as either sinks or sources of carbon, resulting from the balance between greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mainly methane (CH4), and soil carbon sequestration. Despite the paramount role of wetlands in climate regulation few studies investigate both aspects. The Camargue is one of the largest wetlands in Europe, yet the ways in which environmental and anthropic factors drive carbon dynamics remain poorly studied. We examined GHG emissions and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and accumulation rates in twelve representative wetlands, including two rice fields, to gain insights into the carbon dynamics and how it is influenced by hydrology and salinity. Mean CH4 rates ranged between – 87.0 and 131.0 mg m−2 h−1and the main drivers were water conductivity and redox, water table depth and soil temperature. High emission rates were restricted to freshwater conditions during summer flooding periods whereas they were low in wetlands subjected to summer drought and water conductivity higher than 10 mS cm−1. Nitrous oxide emissions were low, ranging from – 0.5 to 0.9 mg N2O m−2 h−1. The SOC stocks in the upper meter ranged from 17 to 90 Mg OC ha−1. Our research highlights the critical role of low-saline wetlands in carbon budgeting which potentially are large sources of CH4 but also contain the largest SOC stocks in the Camargue. Natural hydroperiods, involving summer drought, can maintain them as carbon sinks, but altered hydrology can transform them into sources. Artificial freshwater supply during summer leads to substantial CH4 emissions, offsetting their SOC accumulation rates. In conclusion, we advocate for readjusting the altered hydrology in marshes and for the search of management compromises to ensure the compatibility of economic and leisure activities with the preservation of the inherent climate-regulating capacity of coastal wetlands.

Changes in waterbird occurrence and abundance at their northern range boundaries in response to climate warming: importance of site area and protection status

Fri, 8 Nov 2024 16:33:51

de Elie Gaget, O. Ovaskainen, U. Bradter, F. Haas, L. Jonas, A. Johnston, T. Langendoen, A. S. Lehikoinen, T. Pärt, D. Pavón-Jordán, et al.
In Animal Conservation, (en ligne) (November, 2024)
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Climate warming is driving changes in species distribution, but habitat characteristics can interact with warming temperatures to affect populations in unexpected ways. We investigated wintering waterbird responses to climate warming depending on habitat characteristics, with a focus on the northern boundary of their non-breeding distributions where winter climatic conditions are more extreme. At these Nordic latitudes, climate warming is expected to drive positive changes in species occurrence and abundance, with likely differences in species-specific responses. We analyzed the occurrence and abundance of 18 species of waterbirds monitored over 2,982 surveys at 245 inland wetlands over a 25-year period in Sweden. We used hierarchical modeling of species communities (HMSC) which enabled us to relate species-specific changes to both functional traits and phylogenetic relatedness. We investigated occurrence and abundance changes in response to average temperature, temperature anomalies, site area, site protection status (Natura 2000), and land use in agricultural and urban surfaces. Unsurprisingly, both average temperatures and temperature anomalies were the most important variables influencing positively waterbird occurrence and abundance. For 60% of the species, the effect of temperature anomalies was even stronger in large or protected wetlands. Geese and mallard occurred more often at sites surrounded by agricultural and urban surfaces, respectively, but their occurrence in these habitats was not affected by interactive effects with climate warming. Species abundance was greater inside protected areas only for 11% of the species, but occurrence probability was higher inside protected areas for 44% of the species. Overall, we observed that species thermal affinity was a strong predictor for positive species response to temperature anomalies, and that species sharing similar phylogenetic history had similar relationships with environmental variables. Protection of large wetlands and restoration of the surrounding habitats are two targets for climate change adaptation strategies to facilitate future responses of waterbirds to climate warming.

Les oiseaux rares au Maroc. Rapport de la Commission d’Homologation Marocaine Numéro 30

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 10:48:06

de Patrick Bergier, Mehdi Sadak, Commission d'Homologation Marocaine, Jacques Franchimont, Yves Kayser, Benoît Maire, Alain Mathurin
In Eléments d'Ornithologie Marocaine, 30 (Novembre 2024), 41

In this session, the MRBC analyzed 161 records of which 140 were accepted. First accepted mentions for the country analysed in this report included those of Spur-winged goose, Red-crested Pochard x Ferruginous Duck hybrid, Greater painted-snipe, Reed cormorant, and Hooded vulture.

Niche filling predicts evolutionary trajectories in insular bird communities

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 10:13:53

In Functional Ecology, (en ligne) (October, 2024)
En ligne : doi.org[...]

In our study, we explore how the phenotypes (morphology and behaviour) of endemic bird species that live on islands evolve over time. There are two main ideas about these phenotypic changes: one idea is that birds evolve to fill specific roles in their environment (niche filling), and the other is that they become generalists, adapting to a wide range of conditions (niche expansion).
To test these ideas, we looked at 378 bird species from 24 islands, including 177 prehistoric anthropogenically extinct species. We used a 3D functional space approach to compare the evolution of several traits (like body size and beak shape) of these birds to their ancestors.
We found that 57% of the island bird species evolved to fill specific gaps in their environment, supporting the niche filling idea. When we adjusted for body size, about half of the birds still showed unique traits compared to their ancestors. As an example, we found that the important morphological changes of endemic Hawaiian geese and ducks (genera Branta, Thambetochen, Ptaiochen) are likely related to the absence of large herbivorous mammals in the archipelago, which they have probably replaced in functional space. In that perspective, our study also found that certain types of birds, like herbivores and nectar-feeders, evolved distinct body sizes more often.
Our study provides insights into how bird species on islands evolve within their communities and underscores the importance of considering recently extinct species to fully understand the diversity and evolution of island bird communities. Overall, our study calls for a global effort to assess the functional diversity lost due to recent bird extinctions and to better understand evolutionary processes on islands.

European eel (Anguilla anguilla) survival modeling based on a 22-year capture-mark-recapture survey of a Mediterranean subpopulation

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 11:42:03

de Amélie Hoste, Colin Bouchard, Jean-Christophe Poggiale, Delphine Nicolas
In Journal of Fish Biology, Online version (October, 2024)
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Since the 1980s, the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) has declined by over 90% in recruitment across its European and North African distribution area. This diadromous fish spawns at sea and migrates into continental waters, where it grows for three to more than 30 years, depending on habitat conditions and location. During their growth, different habitat use tactics can locally influence the life-history traits of eels, including their survival rates. Thus, the spatio-temporal dimension of this species is crucial for management. Based on a rare Mediterranean long-term survey of more than 20 years (2001–2022) in an artificial drainage canal connected to a vast brackish lagoon (the Vaccarès lagoon), we aimed to study the dynamics of one subpopulation's life-history traits. We used Bayesian multistate capture-mark-recapture (CMR) models to assess the temporal variability in survival and abundance at both seasonal and inter-annual scales, considering life-stage structure. High survival rates and low detection probabilities were found for the undifferentiated and female yellow stages. In contrast, female silver eels exhibited lower survival rates and higher capture probabilities. Estimating detection probabilities and survival rates enabled accurate assessment of relative abundance across different life stages and time periods. Our findings indicated a substantial decrease in the abundance of undifferentiated and female yellow eels in the early 2000s, whereas the abundance of female silver eels remained consistently low yet stable throughout the study period. Considering the life stage seemed essential to study the dynamics of the eel during its continental growing period. The present results will provide key elements to propose and implement suitable sustainable environmental management strategies for eel conservation.

The global loss of avian functional and phylogenetic diversity from anthropogenic extinctions

Fri, 4 Oct 2024 16:27:39

de Thomas J. Matthews, Kostas A. Triantis, Joseph P. Wayman, Thomas E. Martin, Julian P. Hume, Pedro Cardoso, Søren Faurby, Chase D. Mendenhall, Paul Dufour, François Rigal, et al.
In Science, 386(6717) (4 October 2024), 55-60
En ligne : www.science.org[...]

Humans have been driving a global erosion of species richness for millennia, but the consequences of past extinctions for other dimensions of biodiversity—functional and phylogenetic diversity—are poorly understood. In this work, we show that, since the Late Pleistocene, the extinction of 610 bird species has caused a disproportionate loss of the global avian functional space along with ~3 billion years of unique evolutionary history. For island endemics, proportional losses have been even greater. Projected future extinctions of more than 1000 species over the next two centuries will incur further substantial reductions in functional and phylogenetic diversity. These results highlight the severe consequences of the ongoing biodiversity crisis and the urgent need to identify the ecological functions being lost through extinction.

Un plan national de gestion en faveur des limicoles prairiaux

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 16:48:30

de Jean-Baptiste Mouronval, Arnaud Béchet, Emmanuel Joyeux, Charlotte Francesiaz
In Zones Humides Infos, 106 (Septembre, 2024), 13-14

Les plans nationaux de gestion (PNG) sont l’équivalent pour des espèces exploitées en état de conservation défavorable, des plans nationaux d’action (PNA) dédiés aux espèces réglementairement protégées et menacées. Au sein de I’Union européenne, la moitié des espèces de l’annexe II de Ia directive oiseaux sont dans cette situation, et parmi elles les cinq limicoles visés par le PNG en cours de rédaction: Barge à queue noire (Limosa hmosa), Vanneau huppé (Vanellus vanellus), Chevalier gambette (Tringa totanus), Courlis cendré (Numenius arquata) et Bécassine des marais (Gailinago gallinago). En déclin, menacés ou vulnérables à I’extinction en Europe, ces limicoles sont considérés comme prioritaires pour Ia mise en place de mesures conservatoires par I’Union européenne (Nadeg, 2020f) et I’Accord sur Ia conservation des oiseaux d’eau migrateurs d’Afrique-Eurasie (AEWA). Les quatre premiers font ou ont fait l‘objet de plans de gestion européens ou de plans internationaux d’action de I’AEWA tous sont concernés par l’actuel plan de conservation européen des limicoles nicheurs prairiaux (Leyer et a!., 2018) et par le programme Life transfrontalier GrassBirdHa bitats , dont l’une des actions consiste à élaborer et mettre en œuvre un plan stratégique de conservation des oiseaux nicheurs des prairies humides à I’échelle de Ia région atlantique de l‘Europe.

La Grue cendrée en France. Migration et hivernage. Saison 2023-2024

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 10:04:49

de Aurélien Deschatres, Jocelyn Champagnon, Gascogna Collectif Grus, Réserve d’Arjuzanx, Sébastien Merle, Alain Salvi
In La Grue cendrée en France, Septembre (01/09/2024), 16
En ligne : champagne-ardenne.lpo.fr[...]

De saison en saison, la Grue cendrée s’affirme comme une espèce phare de notre pays. Elle attire un public nombreux sur les sites qu’elle fréquente. Les observateurs, toujours fascinés par ce grand migrateur spectaculaire, sont toujours plus nombreux à reporter leurs observations sur les portails d’observations naturalistes et en particulier sur Faune France (https://www.faune-france.org/). Les grues qui nichent en grande partie sur le nord de l’Europe traversent notre pays en majorité entre le Grand Est et l’Aquitaine, mais elles sont également nombreuses à longer les côtes méditerranéennes ou à emprunter le couloir rhodanien. Signalons qu’une vingtaine de couples niche en Lorraine depuis de très nombreuses années sans que cette population n’augmente véritablement. Ce document retrace succinctement la migration et fait un point précis sur les effectifs hivernants de notre pays pour cette saison 2023-2024.

La Spatule blanche Platalea leucorodia en Dombes : origine, déplacements, place dans le contexte ouest-européen

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 16:18:41

de Maurice Benmergui, Marine Galy, Thomas Blanchon, Jocelyn Champagnon, Lok Tamar, Stefano Volponi
In Alauda, 92(3) (Septembre, 2024), 203-224

La Spatule blanche se reproduit depuis 2006 dans Ia Dombes, région composée de plus de 1 300 étangs piscicoles extensifs situés à quelques dizaines de kilomètres de l’agglomération lyonnaise. Sa population est l’une des plus petites et des plus fragiles de France, car soumise a l’aléa d’un système particulier d’exploitation des étangs, d’assèchement (a assec ii) et de drainage estival, qui semble compromettre Ia stabilité des colonies. La Dombes est historiquement Ia première et reste l’une des régions les plus continentales où se reproduit Ia Spatule blanche en France : le littoral le plus proche est celui de Ia Méditerranée, avec Ia Camargue, située à environ 300 km au Sud. Depuis 1991, cette espèce est baguée dans le cadre de plusieurs programmes européens de conservation. Plusieurs de ces oiseaux bagués fréquentent Ia Dombes. A partir des observations réalisées d’après 53 individus, entre 1991 et 2020, nous tentons de remonter aux origines géographiques des individus présents en Dombes. Les résultats révèlent, que les oiseaux contrôlés et bagués au nid proviennent de Camargue (67,9 %), des Pays-Bas (11,3 %), d’Italie (9,4 %), de Croatie (3,8 %), d’Allemagne (3,8 %) et de Belgique (1,9 %). Hormis Ia France, 13 pays accueillent des spatules en escale : l’Espagne (28,3 %); les Pays-Bas (20,8 %); l’Allemagne (9,4 %); l’Italie, Ia Belgique et la Mauritanie (7,5 % chacun); le Maroc (5,7 %); le Portugal et la Tunisie (3,8 % chacun); Ia Suisse, l’Autriche, le Sénégal et l’Algérie (1,9 % chacun). Les étapes migratoires correspondent globalement à celles des oiseaux camarguais qui empruntent Ia route côtière pour rejoindre I ’Espagne, le Maroc et le Banc d’Arguin mauritanien pour y hiverner. L’âge de première visite des Spatules en Dombes est dominé par Ia classe des oiseaux de 3-4 ans (39,6 %), puis celle des 5-6 ans (24,5 %). La durée minimale de séjour postnuptial est de 33 jours mais reste variable et 26 % des spatules restent plus de deux mois. Bien que marginales par rapport au nombre élevé d’oiseaux bagués en Europe du Nord, en Camargue, en Italie ou en Croatie, les contrôles réalisés dans Ia Dombes démontrent de possibles échanges entre : ces populations. Celle de Ia Dombes apparait, comme celle de Camargue, comme une population d’origine mixte, issue du groupe Mer du Nord-Atlantique d’une part et, du groupe Méditerranée Centrale d’autre part (Champagnon et al., 2019). Les oiseaux italiens et croates quant à eux appartiennent au groupe de Ia Méditerranée centrale, mais leur présence dans Ia Dombes, fortuite, témoigne d’une certaine fidélité à Ia région tant en migration qu’en période de reproduction. A ce jour, seuls deux oiseaux d’origine camarguaise sont nicheurs dans les colonies de Ia Dombes confirmant l’influence de Ia population camarguaise sur celle reproductrice de Ia Dombes. Un autre événement original est Ia dispersion postnuptiale d’une fraction des oiseaux camarguais vers les étangs de Ia Dombes et qui peut atteindre ponctuellement 200 à 300 individus. Nous discutons l’intérêt pour Ia Dombes de rejoindre les régions et pays réunis sur Ia question de Ia conservation de l’espèce dans un contexte climatique pouvant fragiliser notamment certaines populations littorales, ainsi que d’affirmer l’importance écologique et régionale de Ia biodiversité d’une région qui vient d’être désignée parmi les 18 zones humides emblématiques de France dans le nouveau Plan d’Action Zones Humides 2022-2026.

Conservation of more evolutionary unique amphibian communities in Türkiye: The role of protected areas

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 14:29:06

de Dilara Arslan, Anthony Olivier, Süreyya Cevat İsfendiyaroğlu, Yanina Benedetti, Burak Akdağ, Kerim Cicek, Federico Morelli
In Journal of Environmental Management, 368 (September, 2024), 122001
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

The alarming decline of amphibians, sometimes marked by sudden extinctions, underlines the urgent need for increased conservation efforts. Conservationists recognize that more action, particularly the setting of national targets, is needed to ensure the future persistence and recovery of species and habitats. Protecting habitats that harbor evolutionarily diverse species preserves divergent genetic information within ecosystems. Türkiye holds 36 amphibian species at the intersection of two continents, creating three biodiversity hotspots and phylogenetic transitional areas. In this study, we aimed to determine the hotspot regions and to evaluate the effectiveness of the protected areas in Türkiye in preserving amphibian populations. First, we estimated four community indexes (species richness and three evolutionary distinctiveness measures) for amphibian communities in Türkiye divided into 371 grid cells with a ca 50 × 50 km size. Then, the spatial extent of protected areas is evaluated from two perspectives: current (has a protection status) and candidate protected areas (Key Biodiversity Areas, not protected) coverage in those grid cells. Finally, these two approaches' effectiveness in protecting areas was assessed by modeling four diversity metrics using GLS models. Current protected areas protect about 6% of the total amphibian distribution in Türkiye, while Key Biodiversity Areas would cover 30% if declared protected areas. We estimated that the coastal areas of Türkiye are identified as hotspots based on the four measured amphibian community indexes. Our study also highlights that Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) can contribute to conserving high levels of amphibian richness and evolutionary distinctiveness of species across Türkiye. However, existing protected areas (PAs) networks were insufficient to protect amphibians.

Mercury contamination and potential health risk to French seabirds: a multi-species and multi-site study

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 14:08:25

de Prescillia Lemesle, Alice Carravieri, Gauthier Poiriez, Romain Batard, Aurélie Blanck, Armel Deniau, Gilles Faggio, Jérôme Fort, Fabrice Gallien, William Jouanneau, et al.
In Science of The Total Environment, 952 (November, 2024), 175857
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring, highly toxic element whose circulation in ecosystems has been intensified by human activities. Hg is widely distributed, and marine environments act as its main final sink. Seabirds are relevant bioindicators of marine pollution and chicks are particularly suitable for biomonitoring pollutants as they reflect contamination at short spatiotemporal scales. This study aims to quantify blood Hg contamination and identify its drivers (trophic ecology inferred from stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N), geographical location, chick age and species) in chicks of eight seabird species from 32 French sites representing four marine subregions: the English Channel and the North Sea, the Celtic Sea, the Bay of Biscay and the Western Mediterranean. Hg concentrations in blood ranged from 0.04 μg g−1 dry weight (dw) in herring gulls to 6.15 μg g−1 dw in great black-backed gulls. Trophic position (δ15N values) was the main driver of interspecific differences, with species at higher trophic positions showing higher Hg concentrations. Feeding habitat (δ13C values) also contributed to variation in Hg contamination, with higher concentrations in generalist species relying on pelagic habitats. Conversely, colony location was a weak contributor, suggesting a relatively uniform Hg contamination along the French coastline. Most seabirds exhibited low Hg concentrations, with 74 % of individuals categorized as no risk, and < 0.5 % at moderate risk, according to toxicity thresholds. However, recent work has shown physiological and fitness impairments in seabirds bearing Hg burdens considered to be safe, calling for precautional use of toxicity thresholds, and for studies that evaluate the impact of Hg on chick development.

The Breeding colonies, population growth and breeding success of the Dalmatian pelican Pelecanus crispus in Greece: a country-wide perspective, 1967-2021

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 14:29:09

de Giorgos Catsadorakis, Olga Alexandrou, Dionyssia Hatzilacou, Ioannis Kasvikis, Maria Katsikatsou, Spyros Konstas, Myrsini Malakou, Dimitrios Michalakis, Theodoros Naziridis, Haris Nikolaou, et al.
In European Journal of Ecology, 10(1) (April, 2024)
En ligne : journals.ku.edu[...]

Greece holds the third larger breeding population of Dalmatian Pelican in the world. We present data about the establishment and growth, breeding performance and conservation status for all six colonies of the species in Greece for 40 years. Main features of wetlands and colonies are described. We discuss the local, regional and global natural and anthropogenic factors that may have affected colony growth.
After 1982 colony surveys were carried out with various methods, adapted to the particularities of each wetland and availability of resources, and targeted estimating number of nests and number of near-fledged young via direct counting either during on-site visits or from vantage points, and recently, counts on photos taken by drones flown one or more times during breeding.
Number of nests in Lake Mikri Prespa rose from ca. 100 to 1200-1500 and levelled-off. DPs from Prespa started breeding successfully in Kerkini in 2004 after placement of artificial nesting rafts. The Karla Reservoir was colonised in 2011, just two years after it started filling with water. The DP colony on Lake Chimaditis, an important stop over and feeding site, probably initiated around 2016 and continues growing. The two colonies at the western coastline have limited exchanges with those in the eastern part of the country. Amvrakikos increased and levelled off recently as conservation and management measures restricted disturbance, whilst emigrants re-established the old colony at Messolonghi in 2011 which continues to grow. The overall breeding population in Greece grew from ca 100 to over 2000 br pairs showing an annual growth rate of 7.9%. Younger colonies show high annual growth rates clearly attributed to immigration, while older colonies have growth rates less than 10%.
Interacting natural and anthropogenic factors are assumed to have contributed to pelican increase in Greece the last 40 years: better legal protection status, increasingly effective protection, patrolling and conservation measures; public awareness campaigns; provision of artificial nesting structures; increased winter survival due to higher temperatures owed to climate change; less disturbance and persecution due to decline of fisheries; increasing abundance and availability of fish due to eutrophication and climate change; increasing numbers of sympatric great cormorants rendering pelican fishing more efficient; appearance of new wetlands and change of wetlands due to human intervention works.

Migration of humans fleeing conflict in the Lake Chad region may increase pressures on natural resources in Lake Fitri (Chad): A case study on waterbirds

Thu, 4 Jul 2024 15:39:30

de Nicolas Carenton, Pierre Defos du Rau, Abakar Saleh Wachoum, Delphine Ducros, Marie Suet, Clemence Deschamps, Maxime Rotoudjimbaye Betoloum, Julien Birard, M' Baïti Narcisse Djimasngar, Yves Kayser, et al.
In Journal of Applied Ecology, (Online version) (July, 2024)
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Sustainable harvest of wildlife is a major food security and conservation issue. In Africa, where wildlife is harvested mainly for subsistence, this remains a challenge. In this study, using waterbirds as model for natural resources, we assessed the sustainability of harvest through fishing bycatch on Lake Fitri (Chad). We estimated the abundance of 24 target taxa through aerial distance sampling over four consecutive years (2018–2021) and in parallel estimated the number of birds harvested through interviews of a sample of 105 out of approximately 5500 fishermen. By modelling their potential excess growth, we found a high risk of overexploitation for four species, including the world-threatened Black Crowned Crane Balearica pavonina, likely due to an influx of fishermen to Lake Fitri fleeing the Boko Haram security crisis. Synthesis and applications: This work is likely the first quantitative approach of bird harvest sustainability in Africa. It should contribute to fill a methodological and an information gap in the strategic planification of several multilateral environmental agreements like the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement and the Ramsar Convention. In particular, this work could help implementing adaptive management of natural resources (including birds) in Ramsar site management plans. African wetlands such as Lake Fitri may not be able to provide enough natural resources in the medium term for movements of displaced civilians forced by armed conflict into such biodiversity strongholds.

Among-colony variation in plastic ingestion by Yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) across the western Mediterranean basin

Wed, 5 Jun 2024 15:49:23

de Florence Nono Almeida, Carole Leray, Charly Souc, Sara Scotto, Slaheddine Selmi, Abdessalem Hammouda, Raul Ramos, Alexandra ter Halle, Karen D. McCoy, Marion Vittecoq
In Marine pollution bulletin, 204 (July, 2024), 116508
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

The Mediterranean region is both a hotspot for biodiversity and for the accumulation of plastic pollution. Many species are exposed to this pollution while feeding, including a wide diversity of seabirds. Our objective was to investigate spatial variation in the quantity and types of plastic ingested by Yellow-legged gulls using information obtained from regurgitated pellets collected in 11 colonies. Anthropogenic debris, and particularly plastic, was found in pellets from all colonies, but the amount varied considerably. This among-colony difference was stable over the two years of study. The presence of marine prey and the proportion of agricultural area around the colonies significantly influenced the number of ingested plastics. As landfills close and garbage management improves, the availability of anthropogenic waste should decline. Following the response of gulls to these changes will be particularly useful for monitoring plastic pollution and for understanding the response of opportunistic wildlife to environmental modifications.

No detrimental effects of wing-harnessed GPS devices on the breeding performance of Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellis): A multi-colony evaluation

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 16:19:01

de Charly Souc, Carole Leray, Thomas Blanchon, Thomas Dagonet, Marion Vittecoq, Raul Ramos, Karen D. McCoy
In Ibis, (en ligne) (June, 2024)
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

A recent study revealed that wing-harnessed tracking devices negatively affected reproductive success of Great Black-backed Gulls Larus marinus. To evaluate the generality of this effect in large gulls, we investigated the reproductive performance associated with the same type of GPS-mounted system in four Mediterranean breeding colonies of the Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis in 2022. We found no significant difference in reproductive parameters among adults handled with a mounted device, adults handled with no device, and controls, and no interaction with colony of origin. The impact of the GPS harness system on short-term reproduction is therefore not generalizable among larid species, and should be tested and reported whenever a new tracking programme is employed.

Recent observations of Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax in Tunisia

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 16:44:30

de Hichem Azafzaf, Sami Rebah, Moujib Gabous, Yassin Fadhly, Claudia Feltrup‐Azafzaf, Edouard Jean, Yves Kayser
In African Bird Club, 31(1) (June, 2024), 98-100

L'observation du Crave à bec rouge Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax au Dyr El Kef, au nord de la ville du Kef en Tunisie occidentale est documentée.

The Distance to Reference Communities Index (DRCI): a new tool to assess communities' restoration success

Mon, 27 May 2024 15:18:01

de Hugo Fontes, Christian Marquis, Franck Torre, Patrick Grillas, Thierry Dutoit, François Mesléard
In Restoration Ecology, (Online version) (May, 2024), e14194
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

The concept of a reference ecosystem is fundamental in restoration ecology, especially in assessing the success of ecological restoration projects. In response to criticism, it has undergone conceptual evolutions in its definition and use in the last decades. Even though there is still a need to develop statistical methods and analyses to account for reference variability. Here, we focus on two original and one literature-based calculation methods for designed indexes, which all aim to compare a community to be assessed (undergoing restoration) with a variable set of reference communities. These methods either use the average reference situation (species composition and abundance) as the restoration target or on the contrary, allow any reference site to be considered a relevant target. We compare the results of these methods by analyzing a simulated dataset. We then illustrate the application of the most relevant index by a real case study that compared a created Mediterranean temporary pond to a panel of 27 reference ponds located in the south of France. The results show that the Distance to Reference Communities Index (DRCI) correctly measures differences in species composition and abundance between an assessed and a reference panel of communities. It takes into account the variability of the reference communities, while the use of other indexes focuses on unrealistic average and fixed reference values. DRCI is complementary to a detailed ecological interpretation and to the use of other commonly used indexes, by giving a synthetic metric.

La transition agroécologique : quel accompagnement dans les Réserves de biosphère françaises ?

Wed, 22 May 2024 10:13:00

de Christine Hervé, Catherine Cibien, Carla Barlagne, Clara Therville, Coline Rozanès, Jean-Baptiste Mouronval, Nathalie Charles, Arsène Vinglassalon, Xavier Bletterie, Elise Audouin, et al.
In Les regards de la SFE2, Mai (2024), 1-17
En ligne : sfecologie.org[...]

Remobilisant des connaissances scientifiques de nature à contribuer à une mise en mouvement des territoires, le MAB France a lancé un projet de recherche-action participatif pour sensibiliser et accompagner les réserves de biosphère volontaires à concevoir une transition agroécologique sur leur territoire. L’accompagnement, au sens d’une facilitation à l’appropriation des connaissances théoriques et l’ajustement de nouvelles pratiques, y trouve une place importante. Cet article propose une analyse née du collectif de chercheurs, chargés de mission et agriculteurs porteurs de l’accompagnement réunis dans ce projet. Il essaie, sur la base de régularités identifiées dans les différents projets, d’en définir les contours, les difficultés et les espoirs qu’il porte.

Exposure of wetlands important for nonbreeding waterbirds to sea-level rise in the Mediterranean

Fri, 17 May 2024 16:11:40

de Fabien Verniest, Thomas Galewski, Olivier Boutron, Laura Dami, Pierre Defos du Rau, Anis Guelmami, Romain Julliard, Nadège Popoff, Marie Suet, Loic Willm, et al.
In Conservation Biology, 2024 (May, 2024), e14288
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Sea-level rise (SLR) is expected to cause major changes to coastal wetlands, which are among the world's most vulnerable ecosystems and are critical for nonbreeding waterbirds. Because strategies for adaptation to SLR, such as nature-based solutions and designation of protected areas, can locally reduce the negative effects of coastal flooding under SLR on coastal wetlands, it is crucial to prioritize adaptation efforts, especially for wetlands of international importance for biodiversity. We assessed the exposure of coastal wetlands important for nonbreeding waterbirds to projected SLR along the Mediterranean coasts of 8 countries by modeling future coastal flooding under 7 scenarios of SLR by 2100 (from 44- to 161-cm rise) with a static inundation approach. Exposure to coastal flooding under future SLR was assessed for 938 Mediterranean coastal sites (≤30 km from the coastline) where 145 species of nonbreeding birds were monitored as part of the International Waterbird Census and for which the monitoring area was delineated by a polygon (64.3% of the coastal sites monitored in the Mediterranean region). Thirty-four percent of sites were threatened by future SLR, even under the most optimistic scenarios. Protected study sites and study sites of international importance for waterbirds were, respectively, 1.5 and 2 times more exposed to SLR than the other sites under the most optimistic scenario. Accordingly, we advocate for the development of a prioritization scheme to be applied to these wetlands for the implementation of strategies for adaptation to SLR to anticipate the effects of coastal flooding. Our study provides major guidance for conservation planning under global change in several countries of the Mediterranean region.

Assessing exposure to wind turbines of a migratory raptor through its annual life cycle across continents

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 13:26:22

de Giacomo Assandri, Gaia Bazzi, Ana Bermejo-Bermejo, Anastasios Bounas, Enrico Calvario, Carlo Catoni, Ines Catry, Teresa Catry, Jocelyn Champagnon, Federico De Pascalis, et al.
In Biological Conservation, 293 (May, 2024), 110592
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Unsustainable fossil fuel emissions have prompted a global shift towards renewable energy sources, such as wind. This has led to a strong expansion of wind power generation infrastructures, often conflicting with biodiversity conservation. Relatively large flying animals, such as birds and bats, have frequently been reported to collide with wind turbines, resulting in casualties that can depress population size and lead to local extinctions. Migratory species that move across continents through their year-round displacements may be especially at risk. We comprehensively assessed wind turbine exposure for a colonial migratory raptor of European conservation interest, the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni, based on the distribution and size of >1800 colonies and a large GPS-tracking dataset (>350 individuals) for three distinct biogeographical populations (from Iberian, Italian, and Balkan peninsulas). 26 % of the European population has at least one wind turbine within the foraging areas around colony sites, Italian colonies being most at risk. The main European network of protected areas, the Natura 2000 network, failed to mitigate the potential negative impact of wind turbines on breeding populations. GPS-tracking revealed that exposure was negligible in the African non-breeding areas (Sahel region), particularly high during migration, and lower during breeding for Iberian and Balkan individuals but not for Italian ones. Different countries should prioritize different measures to mitigate collision risk with wind power generation infrastructures. This case study can be leveraged by conservationists and renewable energy stakeholders to mitigate conflicts between biodiversity conservation and expected wind energy infrastructure development in the near future.

Dynamique très positive pour les laro-limicoles coloniaux méditerranéens de 2011 à 2021

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 11:57:39

de Olivier Scher, Arnaud Béchet, Christophe Pin, Thomas Blanchon, Elvin Miller, Florian Escot, Rémi Tiné, Rémi Jullian, Florian Ollivier, Dominique Clément, et al.
In Ornithos, 31(3) (Mai-Juin, 2024), 113-137

Huit espèces de laridés et de limicoles nicheurs se rencontrent le long du littoral sableux de la cóte méditerranéenne française continentale. Leur écologie est variée mais, dans Ia mesure où ils nichent en colonies mono- ou plurispécifiques sur des îlots, ils sont confrontés aux mêmes problématiques de conservation durant la saison de reproduction. Ces espèces, que nous nommons ici par convenance "laro limicoles coloniaux", rassemblent le Goéland railleur Chroicocephalus genei, la Mouette rieuse C. ridibundus, la Mouette mélanocéphale lchthyaetus melanocephalus, les Sternes pierregarin Sterna hirundo, naine Sternula albifrons, caugek Thalasseus sandyicensis, hansel Gelochelidon nilotica et l’Avocette élégante Recurvirostra avosetta. A l'exception de la Mouette rieuse, toutes sont inscrites à l’annexe I de Ia Directive Oiseaux, parmi lesquelles deux — le Goéland railleur et la Sterne hansel — ont un statut "Vulnerable" sur la liste rouge de l'UICN à l'échelle nationale. Compte tenu de l’abondance de ces oiseaux sur leur façade méditerranéenne, les régions Occitanie et Provence-Alpes-Cóte-d’Azur ont une responsabilité particulière pour leur conservation.

Les oiseaux nicheurs rares et menacés en France en 2022 : 24e rapport du réseau ENRM

Tue, 14 May 2024 09:33:42

de Gwenael Quaintenne, Antoine Arnaud, Mathurin Aubry, Arnaud Béchet, Maurice Benmergui, Mathieu Bourgeois, Bernard Cadiou, Pierre Camberlein, Justin Chambrelin, Jocelyn Champagnon, et al.
In Ornithos, 31(2) (Mars-Avril, 2024), 49-94

L’observatoire des oiseaux nicheurs « rares et menacés » en France s’emploie, depuis 1994, à suivre l’évolution d’espèces dont l’état de conservation est jugé fragile ou préoccupant, mais aussi d’espèces rares, localisées ou nouvellement nicheuses, dont certaines montrent depuis quelques années des dynamiques de population singulières, illustrées entre autres par des essors numériques fulgurants. Ce 24e rapport du suivi des espèces nicheuses rares et menacées (ENRM) en France présente les éléments-clés de la saison de reproduction 2022, grâce à la contribution de près de 200 structures et associations naturalistes et plus de 1 000 observateurs.
Parmi les éléments marquants de cette saison de nidification 2022 des espèces nicheuses rares et menacées en France, retenons l’actualisation des tailles de population du Cochevis de Thékla et du Traquet oreillard dans les Pyrénées-Orientales et le sud de l’Aude par le GOR et la LPO Aude (complétée pour le Traquet Oreillard par une actualisation des effectifs en PACA). Depuis leurs estimations de 2013, ces espèces méditerranéennes accusent un déclin de 50 % de leurs effectifs. Affiliées aux garrigues basses et ouvertes et aux milieux steppiques, ces espèces sont particulièrement affectées par la fermeture du milieu associée à la déprise pastorale et aux modifications de l’occupation du sol (urbanisation et plantation de résineux). Autre élément notable, les premières citations dans cette synthèse de l’épidémie d’Influenza aviaire hautement pathogène, avec des effets marqués sur le succès de la reproduction de certaines espèces qui se ressentiront les années suivantes : chez les Fous de bassan des Sept-Îles (avec la mort de près de 20000 adultes et un taux d’échec de la reproduction de près de 90 %), dans deux colonies de Sternes caugeks des Hautsde-France ou encore dans les colonies de Vautours fauves. Si les effectifs du Râle des genêts, de la Guifette noire ou encore de la Sterne de Dougall sont au plus bas, tout n’est pas noir cependant et nombre d’espèce suivies dans cette synthèse affichent des records absolus d’effectifs. La saison de reproduction a été exceptionnelle en termes de nombre de couples pour la Sterne caugek, la Sterne hansel, la Mouette mélanocéphale, tandis que les petites populations bretonnes de Guillemot de Troïl et de Pingouin torda continuent leur progression, dans un contexte d’augmentation globale des populations régionales. Sous les auspices des plans nationaux d’action et des programmes européens Life dédiés à leur conservation, les populations de rapaces menacés se restaurent lentement et gagnent en effectifs : Gypaète barbu (+2 couples), Vautour percnoptère (+3), Aigle de Bonelli (+2), Balbuzard pêcheur (+7) et Faucon crécerellette (+73). La saison de reproduction de la Glaréole à collier est également jugée exceptionnelle, l’espèce ayant profité d’un moindre dérangement (activités agricoles et inondations) des marais asséchés en lien avec la sécheresse et d’une occurrence importante de colonies dans des espaces protégés. Pour les espèces les plus rares, citons : l’absence de couple de Harle huppé sur Chausey, après 4 années d’échec de la reproduction ; la découverte d’un nouveau noyau de population de Marouettes de Baillon au marais d’Orx (Landes) et deux couples supplémentaires de Pygargue à queue blanche recensés en 2022.

Virome release of an invasive exotic plant species in southern France

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:01:58

de Oumaima Moubset, Denis Filloux, Hugo Fontes, Charlotte Julian, Emmanuel Fernandez, Serge Galzi, Laurence Blondin, Selim Ben Chehida, Jean-Michel Lett, François Mesléard, et al.
In Virus evolution, 10(1) (April, 2024), veae025
En ligne : academic.oup.com[...]

The increase in human-mediated introduction of plant species to new regions has resulted in a rise of invasive exotic plant species (IEPS) that has had significant effects on biodiversity and ecosystem processes. One commonly accepted mechanism of invasions is that proposed by the enemy release hypothesis (ERH), which states that IEPS free from their native herbivores and natural enemies in new environments can outcompete indigenous species and become invasive. We here propose the virome release hypothesis (VRH) as a virus-centered variant of the conventional ERH that is only focused on enemies. The VRH predicts that vertically transmitted plant-associated viruses (PAV, encompassing phytoviruses and mycoviruses) should be co-introduced during the dissemination of the IEPS, while horizontally transmitted PAV of IEPS should be left behind or should not be locally transmitted in the introduced area due to a maladaptation of local vectors. To document the VRH, virome richness and composition as well as PAV prevalence, co-infection, host range, and transmission modes were compared between indigenous plant species and an invasive grass, cane bluestem (Bothriochloa barbinodis), in both its introduced range (southern France) and one area of its native range (Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA). Contrary to the VRH, we show that invasive populations of B. barbinodis in France were not associated with a lower PAV prevalence or richness than native populations of B. barbinodis from the USA. However, comparison of virome compositions and network analyses further revealed more diverse and complex plant-virus interactions in the French ecosystem, with a significant richness of mycoviruses. Setting mycoviruses apart, only one putatively vertically transmitted phytovirus (belonging to the Amalgaviridae family) and one putatively horizontally transmitted phytovirus (belonging to the Geminiviridae family) were identified from B. barbinodis plants in the introduced area. Collectively, these characteristics of the B. barbinodis-associated PAV community in southern France suggest that a virome release phase may have immediately followed the introduction of B. barbinodis to France in the 1960s or 1970s, and that, since then, the invasive populations of this IEPS have already transitioned out of this virome release phase, and have started interacting with several local mycoviruses and a few local plant viruses.

An extensive database on the traits and occurrences of amphibian species in Turkey

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 09:34:40

de Dilara Arslan, Burak Akdağ, Çağdaş Yaşar, Anthony Olivier, Yanina Benedetti, Federico Morelli, Kerim Cicek
In Scientific Data, 11(1) (March, 2024), 292
En ligne : www.nature.com[...]

Amphibians are the most endangered taxa among vertebrates, and they face many threats during their complex life cycles. The species’ life history traits and occurrence database help understand species responses against ecological factors. Consequently, the species-level-trait database has gained more prominence in recent years as a useful tool for understanding the dimensions of communities, assembly processes of communities, and conserving biodiversity at the ecosystem level against environmental changes. However, in Turkey, there are deficiencies in the knowledge of the ecological traits of amphibians compared to other vertebrate taxa, as most studies have focused on their distribution or taxonomic status. Consequently, there is a need to create such a database for future research on all known extant amphibians in Turkey. We compiled a species-level data set of species traits and occurrences for all amphibians in Turkey using 436 literature sources. We completed 36 trait categories with 5611 occurrence data for 37 amphibian species in Turkey. This study provides an open, useful, and comprehensive database for macroecological and conservation studies on amphibians in Turkey.

Compte rendu ornithologique : Camargue, Crau, Alpilles, pour les années 2013 à 2018

Fri, 8 Mar 2024 16:35:40

de Yves Kayser, Thomas Blanchon, Thomas Galewski, Jocelyn Champagnon, Marc Thibault, Gregoire Massez, Christophe Pin, Nicolas Sadoul, Rémi Tiné, Jérémiah Petit, et al.
In Alauda, 92(1) (2024), 3-96

Ce 26e rapport ornithologique de Camargue s'inscrit dans la continuité d'une longue tradition commencée en 1930, peu après la création de la Réserve Botanique et Zoologique de Camargue, devenue par la suite Réserve Nationale de Camargue. L'ornithologie a toujours tenu une place importante en Camargue. Entre 1930 et 2012, 25 rapports ont été publiés. Ce rapport ornithologique couvre l'ensemble de la Camargue, de la Crau et des Alpilles et les années 2013 à 2018. La pression d'observation n'a cessé d'augmenter avec l'augmentation des données disponibles. Alors que l'édition précédente était basée sur 400 000 données d'observation, plus de 900 000 données d'observation ont été réalisées sur la période 2013 à 2018. Certains faits importants comme le déplacement de la colonie de Flamants roses Phoenicopterus roseus de l'étang du Fangassier (Salin-de-Giraud) sur les salins d'Aigues-Mortes. Ce constat est toujours lié aux difficultés de mise en eau suite au démantèlement des stations pompages ayant eu lieu après la vente progressive de 6500 ha de terrains par la Compagnie des Salins du Midi au Conservatoire du Littoral. À cela, s'est ajouté la présence régulière de prédateurs sur le site du Fangassier comme le Renard roux Vuipes vulpes ou le Grand-duc d’Europe Bubo bubo. Ces six années ont vu l’apparition de neuf nouvelles espèces sur la zone étudiée. En hivernage, une nette baisse du nombre d'Oies cendrées Anser anser été constatée avec des effectifs passant de 4800 individus en 2013 à 2400 en 2018. Les effectifs de Fuligule milouin Aythya ferina sont également en chute constante. Quant à l'hivernage du Fuligule morillon Aythya fuligula, il est pour ainsi dire devenu relictuel. Plusieurs nouvelles observations hivernales de Crabiers chevelus Ardeola ralloides ont été effectuées sur la période. Le nombre de Grues cendrées Grus grus hivernantes poursuit sa progression pour dépasser les 15000 oiseaux en 2018. Une nette baisse des effectifs nicheurs de Crabier chevelu Ardeola ralloides a été observée. L'effectif est passé de plus de 600 couples en 2014 à 189 en 2018. Il en est de même pour le Héron cendré Ardea cinerea qui voit le nombre de nicheurs passer de 793 couples en 2014 à 418 en 2018. En revanche, certaines espèces comme le Grand Cormoran Phalacrocorax carbo, la Spatule blanche Platalea leucorodia ou la Cigogne blanche Ciconia ciconia montrent des augmentations progressives du nombre de reproducteurs et d’autres, comme l'Ibis falcinelle Plegadis faicinellus continue leur progression spectaculaire. La Talève sultane Porphyrio porphyrio est à nouveau présente dans bon nombre de marais d’eau douce suite à la vague de froid de 2012 qui avait nettement freiné son expansion. Il a été constaté en Crau un fort taux de consanguinité chez le Ganga cata Pterocles alchata induisant un nombre de jeunes peu élevé survivant au premier hiver. La Glaréole à collier Glareola pratincola se maintient autour de 70 couples chaque année, par contre, un nombre important de jeunes a été élevé en 2017 (1,9 jeune à l'envoi par couple). Chez les laro-limicoles coloniaux de Camargue, la baisse du nombre de nicheurs continue chez le Goéland leucophée Larus michahellis alors que l'Avocette élégante Recurvirostra avosetta, le Goéland railleur Chroicocephalus genei et la Sterne naine Sternula albifrons ont connu des effectifs records depuis 1956. L’Aigle de Bonelli Aquila fasciata a connu une très mauvaise année de nidification en 2018 avec aucun jeune à l'envol. Durant les périodes hivernales et migratoires, il a été mis en évidence une très forte augmentation du nombre de données concernant le Busard pâle Circus macrourus et le Pouillot à grands sourcils Phylloscopus inornatus. Les observations de Pouillot sibérien Phyloscopus collybita tristis ont aussi augmenté. Enfin, une très forte hausse du nombre de contacts (tant au niveau des sites où l'espèce est présente qu'à celui du nombre de données) a été enregistrée chez le Bruant proyer Emberiza calandra en période de nidification.

Relationship between wintering site and survival in a migratory waterbird using different migration routes

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 17:03:41

de Hugo Rafael Soares Ferreira, Jocelyn Champagnon, José A. Alves, Tamar Lok
In Oecologia, February (February, 2024)
En ligne : doi.org[...]

When wintering at different sites, individuals from the same breeding population can experience different conditions, with costs and benefits that may have implications throughout their lifetime. Using a dataset from a longitudinal study on Eurasian Spoonbills from southern France, we explored whether survival rate varied among individuals using different wintering sites. In the last 13 years, more than 3000 spoonbills have been ringed as chicks in Camargue. These birds winter in five main regions that vary in both migratory flyway (East Atlantic vs. Central European) and migration distance (long-distance vs. short-distance vs. resident). We applied Cormack–Jolly–Seber models and found evidence for apparent survival to correlate with migration distance, but not with flyway. During the interval between the first winter sighting and the next breeding period, long-distance migrants had the lowest survival, independently of the flyway taken. Additionally, as they age, spoonbills seem to better cope with migratory challenges and wintering conditions as no differences in apparent survival among wintering strategies were detected during subsequent years. As dispersal to other breeding colonies was rarely observed, the lower apparent survival during this period is likely to be partly driven by lower true survival. This supports the potential role of crossing of natural barriers and degradation of wintering sites in causing higher mortality rates as recorded for a variety of long-distance migrants. Our work confirms variation in demographic parameters across winter distribution ranges and reinforces the importance of longitudinal studies to better understand the complex demographics of migratory species.

On the need and difficulty of evaluating management strategies improving species persistence

Fri, 1 Mar 2024 15:22:39

de Elie Gaget, Thomas Galewski, Jon E. Brommer, Isabelle Le Viol, Frédéric Jiguet, Nicola Baccetti, Tom Langendoen, Blas Molina, Filipe Moniz, Caroline Moussy, et al.
In Animal Conservation, 27(1) (February, 2024), 21-22
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Discussion élargie sur les besoins d'évaluer les mesures de gestion favorisant la persistance des espèces, mais aussi des difficultés à mettre en place de telles évaluations sur les canards.

Managed as wild, horses influence grassland vegetation differently than domestic herds

Thu, 8 Feb 2024 11:47:00

de Clémentine Mutillod, Elise Buisson, Laurent Tatin, Gregory Mahy, Marc Dufrene, François Mesléard, Thierry Dutoit
In Biological Conservation, 290 (January, 2024), 110469
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

The urgent need to preserve ecosystems over vast areas has placed rewilding with wild herbivores to the forefront. However, there are still few scientific experimental field studies dealing with its effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Since 1993, in France, a socially natural population of wild horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) has been managed for its conservation. This introduction is an opportunity to compare this new management system with the multi-secular extensive sheep breeding and the more recent conventional domestic horse breeding. We sought to discover if plant communities show differences depending on the grazers and the managing system. We surveyed 208 plots divided into six grazed sites (two sites per type of grazer), where all plants species and their percent cover were listed within 1m², and environmental variables – such as stones percent cover, slope - were measured within 100m². To focus on the grazer effects, we used a subsample of plots with similar environmental variables. To study the grazing system - management choices - effects, we ran the analyses using all the plots. At both scales, our results show that species richness, evenness and heterogeneity are significantly higher with wild horses than with sheep grazing. Intermediate value is measured for evenness concerning domestic horses at the grazing system scale. Species richness is significantly higher for domestic horses than sheep focusing on the grazer; intermediate values are measured for evenness and heterogeneity. At both scales, wild horses also favour dicots rather than monocots. Our results indicate that grazing by horses maintains and promotes grassland diversity, especially when horses are managed ‘as wild’ - allowing them to express their natural behaviour. However, further studies are needed focusing on populations of patrimonial plant species over time, other taxonomical groups and/or on functional diversity and ecosystem services to compare and test more finely the effects of an animal bred extensively and ‘as wild’.

Habitat management favouring hunted waterbird species prevents distribution changes in response to climate warming

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 18:04:06

de Elie Gaget, Thomas Galewski, J. E. Brommer, Isabelle Le Viol, F. Jiguet, N. Baccetti, T. Langendoen, B. Molina, F. Moniz, C. Moussy, et al.
In Animal Conservation, 27(1) (February, 2024), 5-16
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Climate warming is driving species to shift their geographical distribution poleward to track suitable climatic conditions. Two strategies have been suggested to help species respond to climate warming: facilitating distribution change or improving persistence. We questioned whether habitat management in favour of duck hunting activities interacted with duck responses to climate warming. We studied non-breeding waterbird community changes (110 species) over 28 years at 851 sites in South-West Europe, where habitat management is a common practice to attract and hunt ducks. We hypothesized that duck species targeted by habitat management do not need to track temperature changes as much as non-hunted species, because of the availability of suitable habitats provided by hunting land managers. We used the community temperature index (CTI) to assess the temporal responses of communities and species to climate warming. We compared the effect of hunting status with other functional traits on species responses, controlling for phylogenetic relatedness. The CTI trend has increased over the study period, indicating a community adjustment to climate warming. However, hunted ducks contributed to almost 40% of the negative contributions to this community adjustment, suggesting that hunted ducks do not shift their distribution as much as the other waterbirds do. Winter fidelity associated with the provision of attractive feeding grounds might explain why ducks did not seem to shift their distribution in response to climate warming. This study suggests the broad impact of human activities on wildlife, including on large-scale distribution processes, and questions the long-term consequences on duck populations.

Distance functions of carabids in crop fields depend on functional traits, crop type and adjacent habitat: a synthesis

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 10:01:51

de Fabian A. Boetzl, Douglas Sponsler, Matthias Albrecht, Péter Batáry, Klaus Birkhofer, Michal Knapp, Jochen Krauss, Bea Maas, Emily A. Martin, Clelia Sirami, et al.
In Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 291(2014) (January, 2024), 20232383
En ligne : royalsocietypublishing.org[...]

Natural pest and weed regulation are essential for agricultural production, but the spatial distribution of natural enemies within crop fields and its drivers are mostly unknown. Using 28 datasets comprising 1204 study sites across eight Western and Central European countries, we performed a quantitative synthesis of carabid richness, activity densities and functional traits in relation to field edges (i.e. distance functions). We show that distance functions of carabids strongly depend on carabid functional traits, crop type and, to a lesser extent, adjacent non-crop habitats. Richness of both carnivores and granivores, and activity densities of small and granivorous species decreased towards field interiors, whereas the densities of large species increased. We found strong distance decays in maize and vegetables whereas richness and densities remained more stable in cereals, oilseed crops and legumes. We conclude that carabid assemblages in agricultural landscapes are driven by the complex interplay of crop types, adjacent non-crop habitats and further landscape parameters with great potential for targeted agroecological management. In particular, our synthesis indicates that a higher edge–interior ratio can counter the distance decay of carabid richness per field and thus likely benefits natural pest and weed regulation, hence contributing to agricultural sustainability.

Using DPSIR framework for the implementation of wetlands observatory: case study Sebkhates of Aures wetlands complex (Northerneast, Algeria)

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 16:40:43

de Imene Benzina, Abdelkrim Si Bachir, Abdelkrim Arar, Anis Guelmami, Christian Perennou
In Present environment and sustainable development, 18(1) (2024)
En ligne : www.pesd.ro[...]

Wetlands are present within intricate ecological settings, exhibiting dynamic changes over time and across different areas with regard to their functional and structural diversity. Several approaches have been introduced for ecosystem analysis and management since 1990s, where Driver – Pressure – State – Impact – Response (DPSIR) framework is one of the widely used approaches for assessing and managing environmental problems. In this study, we proposed a DPSIR framework as a model in the Sebkhates of Aures wetland complex (SAWC, Northeast of Algeria), in order to create a regional wetland observatory to deliver ecosystem services within current state of changes resulted from socioeconomic drivers. DPSIR facilitates the identification of essential indicators to detect threats to the Sebkahtes of Aures wetlands complex (SAWC), influencing policymakers to enhance the protection and management of these wetlands. In line with the established DPSIR framework. This same approach and methodology could be applied to the other 15 wetlands complexes known in Algeria, culminating in the creation of a national wetland observatory. Furthermore, DPSIR can be employed as an analytical tool for policy making in the context of sustainable management of wetland ecosystems and can serve as a model in the establishment and development of various observatory programs in Algeria.

Structural effects of reedbed grazing and its cessation on reed-nesting songbird densities

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 16:48:40

de Thomas Pagnon, Clémence Pechinot, Léa Sgro, Jérémie DEMAY, Rémi Jullian, Régis Gallais, Brigitte Poulin, Cyril Marmoex
In Avian Research, 15 (2024), 100182
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Reedbeds are crucial breeding habitats for vulnerable songbird species. Irrespective of their protection status, these habitats may be threatened by organic matter accumulation, progressively leading to structural homogenization and habitat succession towards woodland. Managers prevent excessive litter build-up with various interventions opening-up the reedbeds, such as grazing, which may be detrimental or suitable for some reed bird species. We assessed the effects of extensive grazing by horses and its cessation in the medium and long terms on reedbed structure, and the consequences on reed-nesting songbird densities in Estagnol Nature Reserve, a protected wetland near the French Mediterranean coast. We compared reedbed structural features between grazed, newly ungrazed and old-ungrazed plots. During nine years, we censused four songbird species in spring and collected water level data in the same survey plots. Grazing reduced reedbed extent, rejuvenated the vegetation with more short green stems on a thinner litter, and produced higher structural heterogeneity and discontinuity compared to long-lasting non grazing. Newly ungrazed plot showed intermediate effects. All surveyed songbird total densities were similar among plots while species numbers and densities differed. Grazed reedbed was more attractive to Moustached Warblers (Acrocephalus melanopogon) and Great Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus), likely due to the large edges and the high vegetation structural heterogeneity. However, Moustached Warblers were more negatively affected by higher water level in grazed reedbed, presumably because flooding prevents litter foraging. The newly ungrazed reedbed was not preferred by any species. All warbler species were found under low density in the old-ungrazed reedbed, where Reed Buntings (Emberiza schoeniclus) were exclusively found. Food availability related to thick litter layer may explain this predilection. Common Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) were found everywhere in similar densities. We conclude that reedbed management by extensive horse grazing and also its long-term cessation may benefit several songbird species. Within a context of wetland degradation and disappearance, both management strategies are useful to establish and maintain suitable habitats for reed-nesting songbird communities.

Tracking Changes and Shifting Homes: Within-Season Displacement of Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus between Mediterranean Colonies

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:44:11

de Abdennour Boucheker, Riad Nedjah, Mouloud Boulkhssaim, Christophe Germain, Araceli Garrido, Miguel Angel Rendón, Juan A. Amat, Manuel Rendón-Martos, Roger Prodon, Arnaud Béchet, et al.
In Ardeola, 71(1) (January, 2024), 43-60
En ligne : bioone.org[...]

Las variaciones en la calidad del hábitat en el espacio y el tiempo llevan a las aves a rastrear estos cambios para optimizar su estado físico. Investigamos los movimientos entre colonias de los flamencos comunes Phoenicopterus roseus entre colonias de cría del norte del Mediterráneo, establecidas desde hace décadas, y una nueva colonia de cría en el sur del Mediterráneo, en un sitio bastante impredecible (Ezzemoul, Argelia). Entre los flamencos observados como reproductores en Ezzemoul en 2006 y 2009, 59 y 26 individuos anillados, respectivamente, fueron observados antes durante la misma temporada de cría en otra colonia del norte del Mediterráneo y posteriormente en la colonia del sur del Mediterráneo, proporcionando así la primera evidencia de desplazamientos a gran escala dentro de la temporada (> 1.000 km) de una colonia a otra. Sugerimos que el fracaso de la cría y una densidad de nidos mucho mayor en las colonias del norte, establecidas desde hace mucho tiempo, desencadenaron estos movimientos. El éxito reproductivo y la condición corporal de los polluelos en Ezzemoul fueron mayores que en Fuente de Piedra (España), lo que indica que a gran escala espacial y en un marco de tiempo más largo, el éxito de reproducción dependiente de la densidad en las colonias de flamencos comunes puede inducir un cambio de una distribución despótica ideal a una distribución libre ideal.—Boucheker, A., Nedjah, R., Boulkhssaïm, M., Germain, Ch., Garrido, A., Rendón, M.A., Amat, j.A., Rendón-Martos, M., Prodon, R., Béchet, A. y Samraoui, B. (2024). Rastreando cambios y desplazamientos entre sitios de nidificación: Desplazamientos de flamencos comunes Phoenicopterus roseus entre colonias mediterráneas dentro de la temporada de cría. Ardeola, 71: 43-60.

Differential colour-ring loss among Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) colonies and its consequence on survival estimates

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 13:27:03

de Anastasios Bounas, Giorgos Catsadorakis, Dionyssia Hatzilacou, Theodoros Naziridis, Jocelyn Champagnon, Alain J. Crivelli
In Avian Research, 15 (2024), 100166
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

The analysis of bird ringing data often comes with some potential sources of error and bias, as ring wear and/or loss could affect mark-recapture analyses and produce erroneous estimates of survival. Furthermore, ring wear and loss rates may differ between and within species based on the habitat they use or the species' life-history traits and behaviour as well as the type of the ring. In this study we use resighting data from a long-term double marking experiment to directly estimate the rate of colour-ring loss among different Dalmatian Pelican colonies over time, evaluate any possible factors that could contribute to differential ring loss and assess how it may bias the results of mark-resighting analyses. Based on 14,849 resightings from 1275 individuals and using multi-state continuous-time hidden Markov models (HMMs) we showed that probability of ring loss was markedly different among colonies, ranging from 0.10 to 0.42 within the first year of marking, whereas the cumulative probability of losing a ring after ten years ranged 0.64 to 0.99. These rates are among the highest estimated when compared to previous studies in waterbirds. Our approach assessing the intra-specific variance in ring loss provided several factors potentially involved, such as the use of glue and the fledgling age accuracy and we could further hypothesise the effect of environmental factors. Finally, our results showed that ring loss can be a significant challenge for the assessment of the species' population dynamics using mark-recapture methods as survival was consistently underestimated when not accounting for ring loss and varied significantly among different colonies.

The overlooked importance of vagrancy in ecology and evolution

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 14:57:10

de Paul Dufour, Alexander C. Lees, James Gilroy, Pierre-André Crochet
In Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 39(1) (January, 2024), 19-22
En ligne : www.cell.com[...]

Vagrancy is the occurrence of individuals outside the normal geographic range of their species. These rare and unpredictable events have long been neglected by the scientific community, belying a growing body of evidence that vagrancy can have an important role in eco-evolutionary processes at both population and community scales.

Identifying generic proxies for assessing ecosystem properties and conservation status of semi-natural grasslands

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 13:39:09

de Marine Pacé, Anne Bonis, Didier Alard, Cian Blaix, Maxime Burst, Manuella Catterou, Sylvain Diquelou, Thierry Dutoit, Hugo Fontes, Servane Lemauviel-Lavenant, et al.
In Ecological Indicators, 158 (January, 2024), 111586
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Despite the recommendations of the 1992 European Habitat Directive regarding the evaluation of the conservation status of ecosystems, information on ecosystem functioning is still poorly integrated in long-term monitoring of European semi-natural grasslands. We investigated how to evaluate several ecosystem properties in relation to services provided by grasslands - plant and litter biomass and chemical composition, soil C and N content – by identifying non-destructive proxies involving little or no additional field sampling effort, or calculated from vegetation species composition. These proxies need to be i) informative, i.e. that can be used to approach one or more ecosystem properties based on linear or non-linear relationship models, and ii) generic, i.e. applicable across a wide range of semi-natural grassland habitats and environmental conditions. Based on a large set of field data collected in a variety of semi-natural grasslands in France, we showed that good proxies for ecosystem properties can be identified when the range of climate or soil moisture conditions was reduced. This suggests that these environmental factors influenced the functional pattern of semi-natural grassland ecosystems. The majority of proxies identified so far, including the community weighted mean of leaf dry matter content (LDMCCWM), the height of the herb layer, and litter thickness, are linked to ecosystem properties through non-linear relationships. They are generic in that they are applicable to several grassland habitat types. The height of the herb layer reflects standing plant biomass relatively well, but different non-linear models have to be used depending on climate and soil moisture conditions. Calculating LDMCCWM from species composition data provides a good approximation of the digestibility and P content of plant biomass. Similarly, litter thickness can be used to approach the digestibility and K content of plant biomass in wet grasslands. No generic proxy was found to approximate litter and soil characteristics across the wide range of grasslands habitats under study. By identifying generic and low-constraint proxies for several ecosystem properties, this work provides guidelines for assessing the functioning of semi-natural grasslands - a key criterion of their conservation status - with limited additional field effort and cost compared to plant community monitoring programs.

A multi-sensor approach to monitor the ongoing restoration of edaphic conditions for salt marsh species facing sea level rise: An adaptive management case study in Camargue, France

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 17:02:48

de Aurélie Davranche, Céline Arzel, Pierre Pouzet, A. Rita Carrasco, Gaëtan Lefebvre, Dimitri Lague, Marc Thibault, Alice Newton, Cyril Fleurant, Mohamed Maanan, et al.
In Science of The Total Environment, 908 (January, 2024), 168289
En ligne : hal.science[...]

The Camargue or Rhône delta is a coastal wetland in southern France of which parts formerly devoted to salt production are undergoing a renaturation process. This study assessed a multisensor approach to investigate the link between sediment size distribution, habitat development mapped with Worldview 2, flooding durations estimated with time series of SENTINEL 2 images and elevation modelled with a LIDAR point cloud in former saltworks. A Random Forest classification algorithm was used to map the vegetation distributions of Sarcocornia fruticosa and Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, main representatives of the NATURA 2000 “Mediterranean and thermo-Atlantic halophilous scrubs (Sarcocornetea fruticosi)” habitat on the site. The best habitat map was obtained when considering the species separately. The random forest Out-of-bag errors were 1.43 % for S. fruticosa and 2.18 % for A. macrostachyum. Both species were generally distributed on different elevation and flooding duration zones considering mean values. Flooding duration was estimated with the Water In Wetland index (WIW) based on 15 Sentinel-2 scenes. Two models related to sediment grain size distribution were developed: one predicting the flooding duration and one predicting the halophilous scrub distribution. Maps of flooding duration, sediment grain size distribution and elevation highlighted two main zones in the study area: a western section with coarser sediments, shorter flooding durations and higher elevations under sea influence; an eastern section with finer sediments, longer hydroperiods and lower elevations under a historic river influence. This multidisciplinary approach offers perspectives for using space-based data over large scales to monitor changes in edaphic conditions of coastal areas facing natural and anthropogenic forcings. The results call for further investigations to predict the dynamic distribution of other coastal habitats following climate change impacts, such as sea level rise.

Large-scale mapping of existing and lost wetlands: Earth Observation data and tools to support restoration in the Sebou and Medjerda river basins

Fri, 5 Jan 2024 09:31:27

de Anis Guelmami
In Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration, December (December, 2023)
En ligne : link.springer.com[...]

Les zones humides méditerranéennes sont les écosystèmes les plus riches et les plus productifs de la région et sont essentielles pour l'adaptation au changement climatique et l'atténuation de ses effets. Cependant, malgré leur importance, elles ont subi une destruction importante au fil du temps. On estime qu’environ la moitié des zones humides naturelles ont disparu depuis les années 1970, et la tendance régionale ne montre aucun signe de ralentissement. Il est donc urgent de mettre en œuvre des solutions concrètes pour préserver les zones humides restantes et restaurer celles qui ont disparu. La disponibilité croissante de données d'Observation de la Terre (OT) libres et gratuits a permis de cartographier ces écosystèmes et de suivre leur état et leurs tendances. Dans cet article, nous démontrons comment ces outils peuvent aider à la pré-identification des sites candidats pour la restauration des zones humides à grande échelle, à travers la cartographie et la délimitation des habitats humides existants et perdus, leur usage actuel et l'estimation des efforts nécessaires pour recréer ceux ayant été perdus et transformés. L’approche a été testée dans le bassin versant du Sebou, au Maroc, ainsi que celui de la Medjerda, transfrontalier entre l'Algérie et la Tunisie. Les produits cartographiques obtenus ont permis d'identifier une superficie de zones humides perdues potentiellement restaurables de plus de 7000 km² et 1700 km², dans les deux bassins respectivement. Ces résultats présentent une grande valeur pour la gestion des ressources en eau et l'aménagement du territoire car ils peuvent améliorer et aider les efforts de priorisation pour la restauration des zones humides aux échelles locales, nationales et régionale. Ils peuvent servir de données de base pour identifier les sites candidats à la mise en œuvre d'actions de restauration des zones humides en tant que Solutions fondées sur la Nature, régénérer leurs habitats et réhabiliter les services écosystémiques qu'elles fournissent à la société.

Ants in restoration ecology: Why, what's and the way forward

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 15:41:18

de Tania De Almeida, Xavier Arnan, Yvan Capowiez, Mickaël Hedde, François Mesléard, Thierry Dutoit, Olivier Blight
In Land Degradation and Development, December (December, 2023)
En ligne : cnrs.hal.science[...]

Global changes call for more nature‐based solutions, especially in nature conservation involving ecological restoration. Current methods essentially based on civil engineering are both expensive and costly in non‐renewable energy consumption and pollution terms. The non‐sustainability of these techniques is leading to the direct use of certain species to restore degraded ecosystems. Ants, because of their central role in ecosystem functioning and their occurrence on almost all terrestrial ecosystems, are promising candidates for environmental monitoring and such ecological restoration projects. We provide here a narrative review of the ecological functions performed by ants, and we take stock of how ants are currently considered in passive and active restoration. We then propose a trait‐based approach to facilitate their use by practitioners in future restoration projects. We list and discuss both life‐history traits relevant for environmental monitoring and functional traits known to affect abiotic (physical and chemical soil properties) and biotic (plant and fauna communities) components.

Evaluation of moth community changes and northward shifts in response to climate warming in Korea using both local and global occurrences

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 14:18:14

de Tae-Sung Kwon, Sung-Soo Kim, Elie Gaget, Won IL Choi, Dae-Seong Lee, Young-Seuk Park
In Global Ecology and Conservation, December (December, 2023), e02763
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Although climate warming arguably induces changes in species distribution, thereby causing poleward shifts in various taxa, comprehensive research on the response of moths to climate warming is lacking. This study compared the distribution of macro-moths between historical (1978–2002) and recent (2011–2016) periods in South Korea using the macro-moth data collected at 18 survey sites to elucidate the changes in community composition. We used the community temperature index (CTI) to quantify the effect of temperature change on moth community changes. The CTI represents the average value of the species temperature index (STI; mid-value of thermal range) calculated using our local observations and global occurrences reported in the online database of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Our analysis revealed no significant difference in species richness between historical and recent surveys. However, some taxa, such as Uraniidae, Nolidae, Sphingidae, and Lasiocampidae, exhibited high turnover rates, while the number of sphingid moths with large body sizes greatly decreased. The temperature changes at the survey sites became pronounced with an increase in the survey interval (year) between historical and recent surveys (temperature increase = 0.465 ℃ ∙ 10yr-1), while the CTI change exhibited a weak signal for northward shift of moth species. The CTI using the local data indicated 0.09km/year of northward shift of moths, which is considerably slower than the northward shift (9.6km/year) of the isothermal bands. However, the CTI using global occurrence data, expected to improve the estimation of species thermal niches, did not show any sign of northward shift. When observed, the northward shifts of moths were primarily identified in the cold-adapted species with low STI values, suggesting that cold-adapted species are more sensitive and vulnerable to climate warming than warm-adapted species. These results indicate that the current distribution changes of species were uneven, and the species adapted to cold regions are the ones primarily responding to the temperature increase by migrating northward and to high elevations.

Les oiseaux rares au Maroc. Rapport de la Commission d’Homologation Marocaine Numéro 29

Wed, 6 Dec 2023 16:55:39

de Patrick Bergier, Mehdi Sadak
In Eléments d'Ornithologie Marocaine, December (December, 2023), 50

In this session, the MRBC analyzed 161 records of which 140 were accepted. First accepted mentions for the country analysed in this report included those of Spur-winged goose, Red-crested Pochard x Ferruginous Duck hybrid, Greater painted-snipe, Reed cormorant, and Hooded vulture.

Silent domestication of wildlife in the Anthropocene: The mallard as a case study

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:28:51

de Jocelyn Champagnon, Johan Elmberg, Matthieu Guillemain, Philip Lavretsky, Robert G. Clark, Par Soderquist
In Biological Conservation, 288 (December, 2023), 10
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

In the Anthropocene, human activities have been a dominant force affecting wildlife, natural habitats, and climate worldwide. Over time, increasing incidences of wildlife-human interactions may have positive outcomes for some generalist species, but studies continue to uncover that most predictably these generalist wild species also suffer from such interactions. In particular, the line between domestic and wild continues to blur as gene flow between these groups intensifies in the Anthropocene. We explore the meaning of wildness, focusing on the mallard, currently the most abundant duck species in the world. Mallard has been connected to humans for tens of thousands of years. Considered an exemplary generalist species with the capacity to adapt to rapidly changing environments, evidence gathered from a variety of disciplines suggests that some management efforts over the last centuries have resulted in the deterioration of the mallard's prolific nature, and that the apparent success in terms of current population size and wide distribution could mask a genetic collapse. Highlighting warning signs from the mallard system, in this Perspectives paper we discuss how active management of habitats and populations runs the risk of compromising species' wildness, and we suggest precautionary and counter-measures in the context of species management and conservation.

Effects of mosquito control using the microbial agent Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems: a systematic review

Fri, 5 Jan 2024 09:31:36

de Magnus Land, Mirco Bundschuh, Richard J. Hopkins, Brigitte Poulin, Brendan G. McKie
In Environmental Evidence, 12(1) (2023-11-22), 26
En ligne : environmentalevidencejournal.biomedcentral.com[...]

The bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis (Bti) is commercially produced in various formulations for use as a larvicide worldwide, targeting especially the aquatic larval stage of mosquitoes. However, there is a concern that repeated Bti treatments may have both direct and indirect impacts on non-target organisms (NTOs) and the ecosystems they inhabit. This review evaluates the evidence for such impacts.
Literature was searched using six bibliographic databases, two search engines, and on specialist web sites. Eligibility screening was performed in two steps on (1) title/abstract, with consistency among reviewers assessed by double-screening 557 articles and (2) full text. Articles included after full text screening were critically appraised independently by two reviewers. Disagreements were reconciled through discussions. Key parameters of included studies are presented in narrative synthesis tables, including risk of bias assessments. Meta-analyses comparing treated with untreated ecosystems and using either the raw mean difference or log response ratio as effect size were performed.
Ninety-five articles covering 282 case studies were included in the review. From these, we identified 119 different response variables, which were divided into nine outcome categories. Most studies investigated NTO abundance or life history (reproduction related outcomes), but diversity and community composition are also well represented as outcome categories. The studies are highly variable in methodology, rigor, and spatiotemporal scale, spanning 1 day to 21 years and from < 1 m2 to > 10,000 m2. Our metanalyses revealed a consistent negative effect of Bti treatment on abundances of Chironomidae and Crustacea, and also on chironomid emergence, although from a more restricted set of studies and regions. For most remaining response variables, we judged metaanalysis unfeasible, due to low study numbers or insufficient reporting of methods and results.
There is now a significant body of studies documenting effects of mosquito control using Bti on NTOs or other ecosystem properties, especially associated with negative effects on Chironomidae, as apparent from our meta-analyses. Accordingly, we suggest the potential for negative NTO or other ecosystem effects of Bti treatment should not be discounted a priori. Once a decision to proceed with Bti treatment has been taken, priority should be given to a well-designed program of ongoing monitoring and assessment. The paucity of rigorous studies conducted with low bias risk for most response variables undermines our capacity for evaluating how common many

Pesticide concentrations in a threatened freshwater turtle (Emys orbicularis): Seasonal and annual variation in the Camargue wetland, France

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:28:58

de Leslie-Anne Merleau, Olivier Lourdais, Anthony Olivier, Marion Vittecoq, Gabriel Blouin-Demers, Fabrice Alliot, Louisiane Burkart, Yvann Foucault, Carole Leray, Emmanuelle Migne, et al.
In Environmental Pollution, Online November (November, 2023), 11
En ligne : linkinghub.elsevier.com[...]

Wetlands are among the most threatened ecosystems on the planet and pollution is a major factor causing the decline of wetland biodiversity. Despite the increasing use of pesticides, their fate and effects on freshwater reptiles remain largely unknown. We studied the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), a long-lived species at risk with a high exposure potential to pesticides. Between 2018 and 2020, we measured 29 pesticides and metabolites in 408 blood samples of turtles from two populations in the Camargue wetland (France). We were able to quantify 24 compounds and at least one pesticide or one degradation product in 62.5% of samples. Pesticide occurrences and concentrations were low, except for a herbicide widely used in rice cultivation and locally detected in water: bentazone that reached high blood concentrations in E. orbicularis. The occurrence and the concentration of pesticides in E. orbicularis blood depended mainly on the site and the sampling date in relation to pesticide application. Individual characteristics (sex, age, body condition) did not explain the occurrence or the concentration of pesticides found in turtle blood. Assessing the exposure of aquatic wildlife to a cocktail of currently-used pesticides is a first and crucial step before studying their effects at the individual and population levels.

La Camargue, un delta face au défi climatique

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 17:02:52

de Jean Jalbert
In Annales des mines - Responsabilité et environnement., 112 (Octobre 2023), 104-107
En ligne : www.annales.org[...]

Le delta du Rhône, comme tous les deltas du monde, est sur la ligne de front des changements climatiques. À la suite de son endiguement consécutif à des inondations majeures à la fin de XIXe siècle, cette vaste plaine deltaïque a été le siège d’un extraordinaire récit de conquête et de maîtrise : digues, pompes et réseaux hydrauliques ont permis de dompter ce pays rétif, de s’affranchir des principales contraintes – inondations, sel, submersions marines – pour enfin « mettre en valeur » ce territoire, y développer une agriculture productive, sécuriser ses habitants. Pourtant cette période de stabilité touche probablement à son terme. Sous les effets puissants du changement climatique, ce territoire rappelle aux humains que la richesse d’un delta vient précisément de sa dynamique, des flux qui le traversent. Flux d’eau douce et de sédiments, flux d’eau salée, flux biologiques, flux humains... Il nous rappelle sa nature profonde : un territoire mouvant, mobile par essence, siège de l’impermanence des choses. Et si la Camargue était un parfait laboratoire pour inventer un nouveau récit, celui de l’adaptation et de la résilience ?

Influence of changes in local environmental variables on the distribution and abundance dynamics of wintering Teal Anas crecca

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 15:02:39

de David Vallecillo, Matthieu Guillemain, Colin Bouchard, Sébastien Roques, Jocelyn Champagnon
In Biodiversity and conservation, 32 (Septembre, 2023), 23
En ligne : link.springer.com[...]

Explaining changes in waterfowl distribution and abundance is requested by wetland managers for a better understanding of their population dynamics and habitat use. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of interannual changes in wetland management, both through direct data and proxies, on the distribution dynamics of Teal day-roosts in the Camargue, a large wetland complex in southern France. We constructed a statespace model accounting for a conditional detection probability by aerial observers during duck counts, since changes in observers have a strong influence on variations in detection probability. First, we showed that the distribution of Teal day-roosts within the Camargue delta has changed over the last 35 years. Second, on a sub-sample of 18 years, we showed that annual changes in Teal abundance depended on salinity and open water area at the day-roost, and on the availability of potential feeding grounds surrounding the day-roost (available wetland area within 5 km). No association was detected between changes in Teal abundance and changes in the typology of wetland hydrology, or with changes in site protection status (i.e. hunted to protected). Our results reinforce the importance of considering management at the scale of functional units, by considering the complementarity of nocturnal feeding areas (mainly hunted areas) specifically managed for waterfowl, and diurnal roosts (mainly nature reserves, which have high conservation value for other animal and plant species). A good understanding of the factors affecting the localisation of waterfowl day-roosts is becoming more important in the context of climate change, which is likely to redistribute local birds with rising sea levels and increasing salinity in wetlands.

Direct and indirect estimates of dispersal support strong juvenile philopatry and male-biased dispersal in a freshwater turtle species (Emys orbicularis)

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 15:36:57

de Remi Fay, Sébastien Ficheux, Arnaud Béchet, Aurélien Besnard, Pierre-André Crochet, Raphael Leblois, Alain Crivelli, Remi Wattier, Anthony Olivier
In Freshwater Biology, Online (September 2023), 12
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Dispersal has major impacts on population dynamics, population genetics and evolution, and also is critical for population management and conservation. Dispersal is frequently sex- and age-specific, but current knowledge is strongly taxonomically biased toward birds and mammals. Here, we provide estimates of dispersal in a threatened freshwater turtle species, the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis. Based on 15 years of capture-mark-recapture (CMR) monitoring and DNA samples from 194 individuals, we quantified both demographic and genetic dispersal between three sites separated by 1.5–3.5 km. We also investigated the effect of age and sex on dispersal. Direct (CMR) and indirect (genetic) approaches provided consistent results, showing that the studied sites are connected with a flow of about one to three dozen migrants per generation. Dispersal was both age- and sex-biased in this species, with frequent dispersal of adult males and a strong philopatry of juveniles (of both sexes) and adult females. The network of canals and marshes allow effective dispersal to occur among the three study sites despite the relatively large distance separating them (≤3.5 km). The strong philopatry of juveniles contrasts with the frequently higher dispersal rate in young birds and mammals and shows the relevance of investigating dispersal in various taxonomic groups. Our results provide useful information for the conservation of European pond turtle populations.

La Grue cendrée en France. Migration et hivernage.Saison 2022-2023

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 15:36:51

de Aurélien Deschatres, Jocelyn Champagnon, Gascogna Collectif Grus, Réserve d’Arjuzanx, Sébastien Merle, Alain Salvi
In La Grue cendrée en France, Septembre (Septembre, 2023), 16
En ligne : champagne-ardenne.lpo.fr[...]

Natal colony influences age-specific movement patterns of the Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis)

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 18:08:30

de Charly Souc, Nicolas Sadoul, Thomas Blanchon, Marion Vittecoq, Christophe Pin, Eric Vidal, Alain Mante, Remi Choquet, Karen D. McCoy
In Movement Ecology, 11(1) (August, 2023), 11
En ligne : doi.org[...]

As for other life history traits, variation occurs in movement patterns with important impacts on population demography and community interactions. Individuals can show variation in the extent of seasonal movement (or migration) or can change migratory routes among years. Internal factors, such as age or body condition, may strongly influence changes in movement patterns. Indeed, young individuals often tend to move across larger spatial scales compared to adults, but relatively few studies have investigated the proximate and ultimate factors driving such variation. This is particularly the case for seabirds in which the sub-adult period is long and difficult to follow. Here, we examine migration variation and the factors that affect it in a common Mediterranean seabird, the Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis).

Planning from scratch: A new modelling approach for designing protected areas in remote, data‐poor regions

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 15:18:22

de Delphine Ducros, Rodolphe Devillers, Antoine Messager, Marie Suet, Abakar Saleh Wachoum, Clemence Deschamps, Babakar Matar Breme, Ib Krag Petersen, Yves Kayser, Nicolas Vincent‐Martin, et al.
In Journal of Applied Ecology, Online (August, 2023), 13
En ligne : besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Human pressure on ecosystems has strongly increased over the last decades and now impacts even the most remote regions. To help mitigate these impacts, it is crucial to designate protected areas in regions that retain a high level of ecological integrity. However, ecological data remain scarce for many such areas, making the systematic design of new protected zones challenging.
Following a request from local managers, we developed an original methodological approach to help design new zoning for a pre-existing protected area in a remote, data-poor Sahelian wetland of southern Chad, a vast area rich in biodiversity and exploited by diverse human activities. The method involved first collecting extensive aerial survey data (6252 records) on birds and mammals and then analysing this through a combination of distance sampling and density surface modelling. The biodiversity data, combined with ecological predictors, helped model species distribution layers that were then incorporated with socio-economic constraints into the systematic conservation planning tool Marxan.
This approach produced an array of protected zoning options that met three levels of conservation objectives set by experts, corresponding to proportions of individuals from given species to protect in the proposed protected area. Frequent exchanges with local managers allowed the analyses to be refined, resulting in seven potential scenarios to be considered for conservation purposes.
Synthesis and applications. In a context of high data scarcity, lack of access and short-term conservation objectives, this combined approach that optimizes newly obtained data via a suite of modelling tools can facilitate identifying and protecting natural areas in regions most in need of urgent conservation policy.

A soft tick vector of Babesia sp. YLG in Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) nests

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 14:18:11

de Claire Bonsergent, Marion Vittecoq, Carole Leray, Maggy Jouglin, Marie Buysse, Karen D. McCoy, Laurence Malandrin
In Peer Community Journal, 3 (August, 2023)
En ligne : peercommunityjournal.org[...]

Babesia sp. YLG has recently been described in Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) chicks and belongs to the Peircei clade in the new classification of Piroplasms. Here, we studied Babesia sp. YLG vectorial transmission by ticks in the simplified environment of a single seabird breeding colony where the Yellow-legged gull is the sole vertebrate host, Ornithodoros maritimus (syn. Alectorobius maritimus) the sole tick species, and Babesia sp. YLG is the only blood parasite species detected in chicks of the colony. We collected ticks over four years, maintained certain individuals through moulting or oviposition, and dissected fresh ticks to isolate different organs and test for the presence of the parasite using molecular assays. We report the first strong evidence of a Piroplasmidae transmitted by a soft tick. Indeed, Babesia sp. YLG DNA was detected in the salivary glands of nymphs, females and males, a necessary organ to infect for transmission to a new vertebrate host. Parasite DNA was also found in tick ovaries, which could indicate possible transovarial transmission. Our detection of Babesia sp. YLG DNA in several male testes and in endospermatophores, and notably in a parasite-free female (uninfected ovaries and salivary glands), raise the interesting possibility of sexual transmission from infected males to uninfected females. Future work in this system will now need to focus on the degree to which the parasite can be maintained locally by ticks and the epidemiological consequences of infection for both O. maritimus and its avian host.

Field margins as substitute habitat for the conservation of birds in agricultural wetlands

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 15:21:50

de Pierre Mallet, Arnaud Béchet, Clelia Sirami, François Mesléard, Thomas Blanchon, Francois Calatayud, Thomas Dagonet, Elie Gaget, Carole Leray, Thomas Galewski
In Peer Community Journal, 3 (August, 2023)
En ligne : peercommunityjournal.org[...]

Breeding birds in agricultural landscapes have declined considerably since the 1950s and the beginning of agricultural intensification in Europe. Given the increasing pressure on agricultural land, it is necessary to identify conservation measures that consume little productive land. We tested the compensation hypothesis which states that field margins may represent substitute habitats for bird species in agricultural wetlands. We monitored bird species in 86 crop fields in rice paddy landscapes of Camargue (southern France), a wetland of international importance for birds. We investigated whether the area of three types of field margins (reed strips, grass strips and hedgerows) within a 500 meter buffer around the centroid of each crop fields had an effect on the abundance of bird species from three groups defined based on their primary habitat (reedbeds, grasslands, and forest edge species). We controlled for the area of each type of semi-natural habitat (wetlands, grasslands, and woodlands), crop diversity (rice, wheat, alfalfa, rape, and market gardening) and mean crop field size. Results show partial support of the compensation hypothesis with species-dependent responses to primary and substitute habitat area. Some species within the reedbed and grassland bird guilds are favored by the area of their primary habitat as well as by the area of field margins, in line with the compensation hypothesis. Eurasian reed warbler is favored by the area of both wetlands and reed strips. Corn bunting is favored by grassland and grass strip areas. We could not confirm the compensation hypothesis for other species. However, this may be due to the fact that most of these species did not respond to their primary habitat. These results therefore suggest that field margins may represent substitute habitats for some species but further studies, in contexts where species are strongly associated with their primary habitat, would be needed to confirm the generality of this hypothesis. Our results also suggest that species response to increasing the area of a field margin type may vary among guilds and even within guilds. Therefore, it may be difficult to favor all species within a given landscape and management actions may need to be tailored to whichever species are locally associated with the highest conservation priority. To tackle this challenge, it may be necessary to design landscape management actions at different spatial scales.

Estimating migration speed of glass eels during their colonization of a Mediterranean lagoon

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 12:06:19

de Colin Bouchard, Delphine Nicolas
In Journal of Fish Biology, 103(5) (November, 2023), 9
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Migration speed can have important evolutionary consequences as it can affect the timing of arrival, remaining energy reserves, and habitat choice. Environmental conditions and individual phenotypic traits can impact the migration speed of individuals. In this way, estimating migration speed is of particular importance, especially for species under strong management strategies and colonizing highly diversified habitats, as is the case for the European eel. However, estimating the migration speed of glass eels, which is the life stage when eels colonize continental habitats, presents challenges due to typically low re-capture probabilities and difficulties in tagging individuals. Using recruitment time series at two sites, one at the sea connection and another inland, we estimated the temporal lag between the two migration peaks to compute migration speed. Because we worked on the Mediterranean coasts and in a lagoon, the weak tidal amplitudes may inhibit individuals from efficiently performing the selective tidal stream transport. We obtained migration speed values coherent with the few values available in the literature for Atlantic estuaries. The values we obtained that are lower than those obtained for Atlantic estuaries are also coherent with the weak tides along the Mediterranean coasts and lead to necessary further studies to understand the migratory behavior of glass eels in such hydro-systems.

Anticiper les changements climatiques pour protéger la biodiversité des zones humides

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 12:00:01

de Fabien Verniest, Isabelle Le Viol
In The Conversation, 207483 (Juillet, 2023)
En ligne : theconversation.com[...]

Les aires protégées jouent un rôle clé dans la conservation de la biodiversité. Alors que de nombreuses devraient voir le jour d’ici à 2030 suite à l’accord de Kunming-Montréal, il est essentiel de penser leur emplacement afin d’anticiper au mieux les futures menaces pour la biodiversité.
Ainsi, en Méditerranée, de très nombreuses zones humides menacées par d’importants changements futurs de climat et d’usage des terres ne sont toujours pas protégées. Cette situation pourrait compromettre l’adaptation au changement climatique des oiseaux qu’elles abritent.

Past, present, and future of the Living Planet Index

Fri, 2 Jun 2023 18:01:57

de Sophie E. H. Ledger, Jonathan Loh, Rosamunde Almond, Monika Bohm, Christopher F. Clements, Jessica Currie, Stefanie Deinet, Thomas Galewski, Monique Grooten, Martin Jenkins, et al.
In npj Biodiversity, 2(1) (June, 2023), 1-13
En ligne : www.nature.com[...]

As we enter the next phase of international policy commitments to halt biodiversity loss (e.g., Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework), biodiversity indicators will play an important role in forming the robust basis upon which targeted, and time sensitive conservation actions are developed. Population trend indicators are one of the most powerful tools in biodiversity monitoring due to their responsiveness to changes over short timescales and their ability to aggregate species trends from global down to sub-national or even local scale. We consider how the project behind one of the foremost population level indicators - the Living Planet Index - has evolved over the last 25 years, its value to the field of biodiversity monitoring, and how its components have portrayed a compelling account of the changing status of global biodiversity through its application at policy, research and practice levels. We explore ways the project can develop to enhance our understanding of the state of biodiversity and share lessons learned to inform indicator development and mobilise action.

A synthesis of biological invasion hypotheses associated with the introduction–naturalisation–invasion continuum

Thu, 9 Mar 2023 11:31:22

de Ella Z. Daly, Olivier Chabrerie, Francois Massol, Benoit Facon, Manon C.M. Hess, Aurelie Tasiemski, Frédéric Grandjean, Matthieu Chauvat, Frédérique Viard, Estelle Forey, et al.
In Oikos, 5 (May, 2023), 29
En ligne : hal.science[...]

With the advent of the Anthropocene, biological invasions have reached an unprecedented level, and the number of species introductions is still increasing in an ever-changing world. Despite major advances in invasion science, significant debate and lack of clarity remain surrounding the determinants of success of introduced species, the magnitude and dimensions of their impact, and the mechanisms sustaining successful invasions. Empirical studies show divergent impacts of alien populations on ecosystems and contrasting effects of biotic and abiotic factors on the dynamics of alien populations, which hinders the creation of a unified theory of biological invasions. Compounding these issues is the plethora of hypotheses that aim to explain invasion success, which can be unclear and contradictory. We propose a synthesis that categorizes hypotheses along a timeline of invasion. We sorted invasion hypotheses along the invasion timeline, and considered population, community and ecosystem levels. This temporal sorting of invasion concepts shows that each is relevant at a specific stage of the invasion. Although concepts and empirical findings on alien species may appear contradictory, when mapped onto an invasion timeline, they may be combined in a complementary way. An overall scheme is proposed to summarise the theoretical dynamics of ecosystems subjected to invasions. For any given case study, this framework provides a guide through the maze of theories and should help choose the appropriate concepts according to the stage of invasion.

Ecological Basis of Ecosystem Services and Management of Wetlands Dominated by Common Reed (Phragmites australis): European Perspective

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 15:37:06

de Hana Čížková, Tomáš Kučera, Brigitte Poulin, Jan Kvĕt
In Diversity, 15(5) (May, 2023), 629
En ligne : www.mdpi.com[...]

The common reed (Phragmites australis) is a frequent dominant species in European wetlands. Yet, its performance can vary in response to different combinations of environmental factors. This accounts for P. australis decline on deep-water sites, its stable performance in constructed wetlands with subsurface horizontal ﬂow and its expansion in wet meadows. Reed stands provide habitats for nesting, feeding or roosting of vulnerable bird species. Conservation measures aim at preventing or stopping the decline of P. australis stands, increasing their micro-habitat heterogeneity and reducing the reed penetration into wet meadows. Service-oriented measures aim at providing suitable conditions for direct use of reed stalks for roof thatching or as a renewable energy crop or the use of the reed-dominated habitats for waterfowl hunting, cattle grazing or ﬁshing. The compatibility between nature conservation and different socioeconomic uses can be promoted by collective agreements, agri-environmental contracts or payments for ecosystem services of the reedbeds. In situations with multiple uses, a modelling approach considering the participation of all the stakeholders concerned can be a useful tool for resolving conﬂicts and developing a shared vision of the respective socio-ecosystem.

Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria Carriage in Rodents According to Habitat Anthropization

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 16:17:49

de Marion Vittecoq, Eric Elguero, Lionel Brazier, Nicolas Renaud, Thomas Blanchon, François Roux, François Renaud, Patrick Durand, Frederic Thomas
In EcoHealth, 20 (May, 2023)
En ligne : doi.org[...]

It is increasingly suggested that the dynamics of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in the wild are mostly anthropogenically driven, but the spatial and temporal scales at which these phenomena occur in landscapes are only partially understood. Here, we explore this topic by studying antimicrobial resistance in the commensal bacteria from micromammals sampled at 12 sites from a large heterogenous landscape (the Carmargue area, Rhone Delta) along a gradient of anthropization: natural reserves, rural areas, towns, and sewage-water treatment plants. There was a positive relationship between the frequency of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and the level of habitat anthropization. Although low, antimicrobial resistance was also present in natural reserves, even in the oldest one, founded in 1954. This study is one of the first to support the idea that rodents in human-altered habitats are important components of the environmental pool of resistance to clinically relevant antimicrobials and also that a “One Health” approach is required to assess issues related to antimicrobial resistance dynamics in anthropized landscapes.

Patterns of genetic variation in native and non-native populations of European catfish Silurus glanis across Europe

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 16:31:45

de Paul Castagné, Ivan Paz-Vinas, Stéphanie Boulêtreau, Jessica Ferriol, Geraldine Loot, Charlotte Veyssière, Robert Arlinghaus, Robert Britton, Marlène Chiarello, Emili Garcia-Berthou, et al.
In Biodiversity and conservation, Online April (April, 2023)
En ligne : link.springer.com[...]

Biological invasions are a major component of global change worldwide. But paradoxically, an invasive species might also have threatened populations within its native range. Designing efficient management policies is needed to prevent and mitigate range expansions of invasive alien species (IAS) in non-native areas, while protecting them within their native range. Characterizing genetic variation patterns for IAS populations and deciphering the links between their native and introduced populations is helpful to (i) assess the genetic state of both native and non-native populations, (ii) reveal potential invasion pathways, (iii) define IAS management strategies in invaded areas, and (iv) identify native populations requiring conservation measures. The European catfish (Silurus glanis) is the largest European predatory fish. Introduced since the seventies from Eastern to Western Europe, it has colonized many waterbodies. Yet, little is known about the genetic status of non-native populations and the invasion pathways used by the species. Besides, some native populations are threatened, requiring conservation actions. Here, we describe current patterns of genetic variability of native and non-native S. glanis populations across Europe. Using microsatellite markers, we first assessed genetic variation within and between native and non-native populations. Second, we performed genetic clustering analyses to determine the genetic structure of multiple catfish populations across Europe and highlight their potential links. We revealed that native populations are more genetically diverse than non-native populations, and highlight complex introduction pathways involving several independent sources of introduction, which likely explain the invasion success of this large predatory fish across western Europe.

Where will Lycian salamanders, genus Lyciasalamandra, be in the near future in southwestern Anatolia, Turkey?

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 10:35:48

de Seyyed Saeed Hosseinian Yousefkhani, Burak Akdağ, Dilara Arslan, Kerim Cicek
In Herpetology Notes, 16 (April, 2023), 241-251
En ligne : www.biotaxa.org[...]

Lycian salamanders, genus Lyciasalamandra, are a group of seven allopatric, endangered species restricted to the Mediterranean coast of Anatolia, Turkey and certain adjacent Aegean islands. In this study, we created maps to prediction the potential ranges for six of these species using a maximum-entropy algorithm to identify the most significant environmental factors that shape their distribution. These projections were created under current climate conditions and for three future periods (2011–2040, 2041–2070, and 2071–2100), using two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), middle-of-the-road (SSP370) and pessimistic (SSP585). We found that temperature and precipitation are the most important factors influencing the distribution of these salamanders in southwestern Turkey. Under both SSP scenarios, we found that five Lyciasalamandra species are likely to shift or reduce their ranges in the near future, while one species (L. antalyana) was predicted to expand its range. For the five negatively affected species, whose ranges are already highly ranges, this predicts that climate change combined with high anthropogenic pressure poses a serious risk of extinction. Significant population declines are predicted, particularly for L. billae and L. luschani. We hope that our findings can serve as a resource for the long-term conservation of these species and aid decision-makers in the development of effective management strategies.

Compositional breakpoints of freshwater plant communities across continents

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 10:00:42

de Jorge García-Girón, Jani Heino, Lars Baastrup-Spohr, John Clayton, Mary de Winton, Tõnu Feldmann, Camino Fernandez-Alaez, Frauke Ecke, Patrick Grillas, Mark V. Hoyer, et al.
In Limnetica, 42(2) (March, 2023), 1
En ligne : www.limnetica.net[...]

Compositional breakpoints of freshwater plant communities across continents unravelling patterns and mechanisms of biogeographical transitions is crucial if we are to understand compositional gradients at large spatial extents, but no studies have thus far examined breakpoints in community composition of freshwater plants across continents. Using a dataset of almost 500 observations of lake plant community composition from six continents, we examined, for the first time, if such breakpoints in geographical space exist for freshwater plants and how well a suite of ecological factors (including climatic and local environmental variables) can explain transitions in community composition from the subtropics to the poles. Our combination of multivariate regression tree (MRT) analysis and k-means partitioning suggests that the most abrupt breakpoint exists between temperate to boreal regions on the one hand and freshwater plant communities harbouring mainly subtropical or Mediterranean assemblages on the other. The spatially structured variation in current climatic conditions is the most likely candidate for controlling these latitudinal patterns, although one cannot rule out joint effects of eco-evolutionary constraints in the harsher high-latitude environments and post-glacial migration lags after Pleistocene Ice Ages. Overall, our study supports the foundations of global regionalisation for freshwater plants and anticipates further biogeographical research on freshwater plant communities once datasets have been harmonised for conducting large-scale spatial analyses.

La reproduction de l’Épervier d’Europe Accipiter nisus en Camargue (sud de la France)

Sat, 18 Mar 2023 19:15:13

de Yves Kayser
In Nos Oiseaux, 551 (March, 2023), 39-49

La reproduction de l’Épervier d’Europe a été étudiée en Camargue sur 19 sites entre 1988 et 2010. Cette étude a permis de cerner différents aspects de la nidification et du régime alimentaire de ce rapace, qui sont comparables à ceux décrits dans d’autres travaux réalisés en Europe.

Anticipating the effects of climate warming and natural habitat conversion on waterbird communities to address protection gaps

Tue, 7 Feb 2023 15:47:00

de Fabien Verniest, Isabelle Le Viol, Romain Julliard, Laura Dami, Anis Guelmami, Marie Suet, Wed Abdou, Hichem Azafzaf, Nadjiba Bendjedda, Taulant Bino, et al.
In Biological Conservation, 279 (March, 2023), 10
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Thermal adjustment of waterbird communities to climate warming is crucial but hampered by natural habitat conversion, increasing their climatic debt. As it is, in contrast, facilitated in protected areas, assessing the adequacy of the current protected areas network with respect to future climate and land-use changes and identifying priority sites to protect is of major importance. In this study, we assess the thermal adjustment limitations that non-breeding waterbird communities might experience by the end of the 21st century in the Mediterranean region to highlight priorities for wetland protection. Priorities were set by combining the exposure of waterbird communities to natural habitat conversion and climate warming with their thermal specialization. The latter was calculated using winter abundance data of 151 species from 2932 sites of the International Waterbird Census in 21 Mediterranean countries. Exposure was assessed using future projections of temperature and land-use under four CMIP6 scenarios (SSP1–2.6, SSP2–4.5, SSP3–7.0, and SSP5–8.5). We found that strictly protected areas are located in wetlands whose waterbird communities, without protection, would likely experience high limitations in thermal adjustment in the coming decades. This highlights that the location of existing protected areas may effectively support the thermal adjustment of waterbird communities to future climate warming. However, 490 sites considered at risk lack protection, including 32 sites of international importance for waterbirds, stressing the need to strengthen the protected areas network in these sites in priority. Our study provides important guidance for conservation planning in the Mediterranean region to support waterbird responses to climate change. /
Dans notre étude, nous avons évalué les difficultés potentielles des communautés d’oiseaux d’eau hivernants à ajuster leur composition aux futurs changements de température en combinant la spécialisation thermique de la communauté avec deux métriques d’exposition à l’augmentation future des températures hivernales et à la perte future d’habitats naturels à l’horizon 2090 selon quatre scénarios futurs différents. Nous avons ainsi constaté que les aires protégées, et notamment celles strictement protégées, sont situées dans des zones humides dont les communautés d'oiseaux d'eau, sans protection, auraient probablement connu de fortes difficultés d'ajustement thermique au cours des prochaines décennies. Cela met en évidence la pertinence de l'emplacement des aires protégées existantes qui pourront faciliter de manière efficace l'adaptation thermique des communautés d'oiseaux d'eau au réchauffement climatique futur. Cependant, nous avons également identifié 490 sites à risque et ne bénéficiant d'aucun statut de protection, dont 32 sites d'importance internationale pour les oiseaux d'eau, ce qui souligne la nécessité de renforcer le réseau d'aires protégées méditerranéen dans ces sites en priorité.

Factors driving larval abundance and adult size of the threatened Lestes macrostigma (Odonata): keys for water management and habitat restoration

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 15:20:41

de Philippe Lambret, Martin Jeanmougin, Robby Stoks
In Journal of Insect Conservation, 27 (February, 2023)
En ligne : link.springer.com[...]

Freshwater insects have dramatically declined during the last decades. Lestes macrostigma is a damselfly of temporary brackish ponds, and is threatened in Europe. Better understanding its larval ecological requirements is imperative to inform conservation management measures and habitat restoration programs. We studied in a set of 33 temporary ponds the effect of 14 biotic and abiotic variables (including hydroperiod, pond surface area, water salinity, oviposition plant availability and predator relative abundance) on L. macrostigma larval abundance and adult size at emergence. Contrarily to our expectations, salinity level and oviposition plant availability did not drive the species larval abundance. Instead, the later the flooding date of the pond in autumn/winter the higher the larval abundance in the next spring. This effect seemed mediated by the aeshnid dragonfly larvae, as the size and relative abundance of these predators were lower in later flooded ponds. Larval abundance of L. macrostigma also increased with decreasing pond surface area. Lestes macrostigma adults tended to be bigger when they emerged from ponds with higher water levels, likely because deeper waters have lower water temperatures; this larger size may positively affect adult lifespan and fecundity. Our results contribute to explaining the species strong inter-annual variation in population abundance and further illustrate the threat of artificial early flooding of ponds for Mediterranean species.

Les oiseaux nicheurs rares et menacés en France en 2021

Tue, 23 May 2023 17:45:53

de Gwenael Quaintenne, Arnaud Béchet, Maurice Benmergui, Hervé Bergère, Bernard Cadiou, Pierre Camberlein, Virginie Couanon, Fabrice Croset, Emmanuelle Csabai, Gérard Debout, et al.
In Ornithos, 30(1) (Janvier- Fevrier, 2023), 1-41

Analyses du régime alimentaire du Grand-duc ascalaphe dans le sud de l’Oued Ad Deheb

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 15:28:21

de Yves Kayser, Patrick Bergier, Éric Durand, Halima Bousadik, Abdeljebbar Qninba, Michel Thévenot
In Eléments d'Ornithologie Marocaine, eom2301 (February, 2023), 10

The diet of the Pharaoh Eagle-owl Bubo ascalaphus has been the subject of several studies in Morocco; we provide new data (458 prey items) from the extreme south of the country - region of the inland Oued Ad Deheb - and compare our results with those of other Moroccan or neighbouring countries. As in most arid or desert regions in the interior of Morocco or north-west Africa, we encountered four groups of prey: mammals largely dominate here (69% of prey), followed by arthropods (21%), reptiles (7%) and birds (3% of prey).

National wetland mapping using remote-sensing-derived environmental variables, archive field data, and artificial intelligence

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 17:39:52

de Sébastien Rapinel, Léa Panhelleux, Guillaume Gayet, Rachel Vanacker, Blandine Lemercier, Bertrand Laroche, François Chambaud, Anis Guelmami, Laurence Hubert-Moy
In Heliyon, 9(2) (February, 2023), 17
En ligne : www.cell.com[...]

While wetland ecosystem services are widely recognized, the lack of fine-scale national inventories prevents successful implementation of conservation policies. Wetlands are difficult to map due to their complex fine-grained spatial pattern and fuzzy boundaries. However, the increasing amount of open high-spatial-resolution remote sensing data and accurately georeferenced field data archives, as well as progress in artificial intelligence (AI), provide opportunities for fine-scale national wetland mapping. The objective of this study was to map wetlands over mainland France (ca. 550,000 km2) by applying AI to environmental variables derived from remote sensing and archive field data. A random forest model was calibrated using spatial cross-validation according to the precision-recall area under the curve (PR-AUC) index using ca. 135,000 soil or flora plots from archive databases, as well as 5 m topographical variables derived from an airborne DTM and a geological map. The model was validated using an experimentally designed sampling strategy with ca. 3000 plots collected during a ground survey in 2021 along non-wetland/wetland transects. Map accuracy was then compared to those of nine existing wetland maps with global, European, or national coverage. The model-derived suitability map (PR-AUC 0.76) highlights the gradual boundaries and fine-grained pattern of wetlands. The binary map is significantly more accurate (F1-score 0.75, overall accuracy 0.67) than existing wetland maps. The approach and end-results are of important value for spatial planning and environmental management since the high-resolution suitability and binary maps enable more targeted conservation measures to support biodiversity conservation, water resources maintenance, and carbon storage.

Changes in plastic ingestion by yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) over the breeding season

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 16:13:56

de Florence Nono Almeida, Carole Leray, Justine Boutry, Alexandra ter Halle, Marion Vittecoq, Jennifer F. Provencher, Karen D. McCoy
In Marine pollution bulletin, 187 (February 2023), 9
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Gulls can be particularly vulnerable to ingesting plastics when using anthropogenic food sources, with potential consequences for survival and reproductive success. Although birds are known to switch foraging habitats over the breeding season to provide higher quality food for chick provisioning, it is unclear what this means regarding the ingestion of plastics. Here, we tested whether breeding gulls decrease the amount of plastic ingested during reproduction by collecting pellets from a series of monitored nests at a large yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) colony in southern France. We found at least one plastic item in 83.9 % of the analyzed pellets, with the most abundant plastic type being polyethylene-based sheet plastic. As predicted, we found a slight decrease in the number of plastic items in pellets at chick hatching. These results suggest that gulls, like other birds, may adjust foraging habits to provide more digestible, less risky, food to chicks.

Exploring the speciation continuum of slow worms: location and extent of the Anguis fragilis/veronensis hybrid zone in southeastern France

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 15:09:13

de Christophe Dufresnes, Patricia Sourrouille, Anthony Olivier, Jean-Marie Ballouard, Marie-France Leccia, Rémi Tiné, Marc Cheylan, Maxime Le Henanff, Jean Nicolas, Sébastien Caron, et al.
In Amphibia-Reptilia, Online (January, 2023), 1-13
En ligne : brill.com[...]

With five currently recognized species that form several secondary contact zones, slow worms (Anguidae: Anguis) offer a valuable model to study the fate of evolutionary lineages in the face of hybridization and genetic introgression. The relationships between the Western Slow Worm Anguis fragilis and the Italian Slow Worm Anguis veronensis are particularly puzzling. Their respective distributions remain poorly known on the edges of their parapatric ranges, as both species lack external differentiation. Contra earlier mitochondrial phylogenies, new phylogenomic inferences have shown that A. fragilis and A. veronensis are sister taxa, thus casting doubts on their specific status. In this study, we analyze the A. fragilis/veronensis transition in southeastern France, based on one mitochondrial (ND2) and two nuclear (PRLR and HA1) genetic markers in 81 specimens from 61 localities. The ranges of A. fragilis and A. veronensis roughly extends northwest and southeast of the Rhône-Durance valleys, respectively, with clear signs of introgressive hybridization in the areas of contact (notably the eastern parts of the lower Rhône valley). Based on the three molecular markers analyzed, gene flow does not seem to reach outside the narrow hybrid zone, which likely indicates (incomplete) intrinsic reproductive isolation. Hence, we provisionally suggest maintaining A. veronensis as a separate species from A. fragilis. More generally, patterns of genetic divergence, external differentiation, and hybridization (both historical and contemporary) in Anguis ssp. supports a speciation continuum spanning from cryptic, genetically compatible alloparapatric lineages to phenotypically distinct, deeply diverged and fully reproductively isolated taxa able to coexist in sympatry.

Scientific Reports of Port-Cros National Park, n°37. Stratégie scientifique 2023-2032 du Parc national de Port-Cros (Provence, France) (2023)

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 15:53:42

de Marion Peirache, Alain Barcelo, Annie Aboucaya, Magalie Alaphilippe, Franck Alary, Violaine Arnaud, Sophie Arnaud-Haond, Guillelme Astruc, Giulia Azzolini, Rémi Beau, et al.
[S.l.] : Parc National de Port-Cros Hyères, 2023

La stratégie scientifique du Parc national de Port-Cros (PNPC), espace protégé terrestre et marin situé en Provence (France, Méditerranée), est un document cadre permettant de disposer d’une définition des besoins dans le domaine scientifique au sein du PNPC, et de retenir les axes prioritaires d’action pour l'ensemble des disciplines scientifiques (biologie, écologie, économie, droit, géographie, histoire, sociologie, etc.) durant la période 2023-2032, dans le cadre d’une vision à long terme. Elle déborde largement de la simple définition du programme des actions scientifiques du PNPC puisqu’elle intègre l'ensemble de la chaîne de production de la connaissance, depuis sa genèse jusqu'à sa diffusion.

The first resighting of a montenegro – ringed dalmatian pelican Pelecanus crispus in Bulgaria

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 10:02:28

de Andrej Vizi, Svilen Cheshmedzhiev, Jocelyn Champagnon, Alain Crivelli
In Larus, 58 (2023), 47-49
En ligne : hrcak.srce.hr[...]

One Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus individual, marked with a green ring with inscription A025, was spotted on the Rozov Kladenec reservoir in centraleast Bulgaria in January 2022. This bird was ringed as a pullus on 27 March 2021 at Skadar Lake, Montenegro. This resighting is the first documented evidence that Dalmatian Pelicans hatched at Skadar Lake winter in the continental Balkans.

Waterbird diversity at the Sebkhet of Aures wetlands complex, North East Algeria

Wed, 7 Dec 2022 10:06:14

de Imene Benzina, Abdelkrim Si Bachir, Christian Perennou
In Ornithologische Beobachter (Der), 119(4) (December, 2022), 318-329

We collected a database on wintering waterbirds in the Sebkhet of Aures wetlands complex (SAWC), based on surveys during the period 1978–2019 as well as on a bibliographic search of theses, dissertations, and other reports. The main data are from 12 Ramsar wetlands within the SAWC. We found 57 waterbird species from 9 orders and 14 families. The most abundant species were Greater Flamingo, Pied Avocet, Common Crane, and several anatidae. The Gareat El Taref wetland hosted the high- est waterbird diversity, with 31 species and a Shannon index H’ = 3.30. The lowest waterbird diversity was found in Chott Tinsilt (8 species, H’ = 1.56). 77% of the waterbird species were winter guests. Out of 12 biogeographical regions, species classified as Palearctic were the most common (41% of species). Out of six trophic categories, polyphagous species were the most common (44%). Among the 57 species, 21 are protected at a national level. According to the IUCN Red List, 48 species are of «least concern», whereas the Slender-billed Curlew is classified as «critically endangered» species; the White-headed Duck is «endangered»; three species are considered «vulnerable» (Marbled Teal, Common Pochard, Audouin’s Gull); and four species are considered «near threatened» (Northern Lapwing, Red Knot, Black-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew). The collected data should be used as a basis for the conservation of key species and of sites of great ornithological value.

L'atlas des oiseaux migrateurs de France : méthodologie et exemple de monographie

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:59:48

de Louis Sallé, Jérémy Dupuy, Yves Kayser
In Ornithos, 29(6) (Nov-Décembre, 2022), 369-377

The Mediterranean Island Wetlands (MedIsWet) inventory: strengths and shortfalls of the currently available floristic data

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 11:14:32

de Mauro Fois, Alba Cuena Lombraña, N Araç, M Artufel, E Atak, V Attard, Gianluigi Bacchetta, Salvatore Cambria, K Charfi, D Dizdaroğlu, et al.
In Flora Mediterranea, 32 (12/2022), 339-349
En ligne : www.herbmedit.org[...]

MedIsWet (Conservation of the island wetlands of the Mediterranean Basin) is a MAVA funded project which aims at investigating all seasonal or permanent island wetlands both natural and artificial, with a minimum extent of 0.1 hectares. More than 16,000 wetlands from almost all the Mediterranean, including islands from France, Italy, Malta, Croatia, Cyprus, Tunisia, Turkey, Greece and Spain were mapped. Over 2,500 of them were inventoried in the field and more than 500 scientific contributions catalogued. In total, more than 35,000 plant occurrences were uploaded, in a standardised and comparable way, on the national open-source web portals. These can be related to the recorded threats, uses and other spatially retrievable information. Here, we show strengths and shortfalls of the already available information about the floristic records. Although further improvements are needed, we discuss how these data can be used for research and policy actions and to develop conservation projects.
Key words: databases, floristic records, field surveys, rapid assessment, hydro-hygrophilous vegetation.

Conservation Status of the Hispaniolan Slider, Trachemys decorata, at Lake Trou Caïman, Eastern Haiti: First Data on an Endemic, Poorly Studied, and Endangered Species

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 11:14:29

de Jeffey M Paul, Lens J Saint-Louis, Anthony Olivier, Wilson Célestin, Frank Cézilly
In Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 17(3) (December, 2022), 612-622
En ligne : www.herpconbio.org[...]

The Hispaniolan Slider (Trachemys decorata) is a freshwater turtle of conservation interest, endemic to the island of Hispaniola. Although the species is known to be threatened with habitat destruction, hybridization with congeneric species, and commercial harvesting, little information is available on natural populations. Here we report the results of a pilot study conducted at Lake Trou Caïman, Haïti. From October 2017 to February 2018, we captured 44 individuals (mostly in areas dominated by cattails, Typhaceae) and had access to 48 additional individuals held in captivity by fishers and local people. Captive individuals were significantly larger than wildcaught ones. Based on individuals with a carapace length > 100 mm, sex-ratio did not differ from parity in either wild-caught or captive individuals. Females tended to be larger and heavier than males. The frequency of damaged carapace or plastron and/or wounds was significantly higher in captive individuals compared to individuals freshly captured in the lake, indicating poor husbandry. About 10% of all individuals showed orange supratemporal stripes, suggestive of hybridization with the Central Antillean Slider (T. stejnegeri) or the Red-eared Slider (T. scripta elegans). Based on interviews with 31 local fishers, we estimated that at least 1,600 T. decorata are harvested each year at Lake Trou Caïman. We discuss our results in relation to the conservation and management of T. decorata in Haiti

A dynamic model for assessing soil denitrification in large-scale natural wetlands driven by Earth Observations.

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 11:40:44

de Columba Martínez-Espinosa, Sabine Sauvage, Ahmad Al Bitar, Jose Miguel Sánchez Pérez
In Environmental Modelling and Software, 158 (December, 2022), 12
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

The Wetland Soils Denitrification Model (WSDM) developed here for natural wetlands, is a physical based model that proposes: (i) the inclusion of soil moisture and temperature from satellite-based Earth Observations at diurnal temporal resolution and (ii) the distinction of soils under different wetland typologies (i.e., flooded forests, freshwater marshes, brackish wetlands, peatlands, and complex wetlands). Despite uncertainties involved, these two features are key to upscale nitrification/denitrification dynamics in natural wetlands at landscape, regional and global scales. In this study, the performance of WSDM was validated with soils in flooded forests and freshwater marshes in the central Amazonian floodplain. WSDM multiannual time series (2012–2019) show that climate anomalies intensify denitrification events. Flooded forests were identified with the highest annual denitrification rates. Annual denitrification and N2O emissions estimated in this study are in line with previous studies.

Evaluation of the distance sampling technique to monitor gregarious species: A simulation exercise

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 10:44:44

de Arthur Jacquemin, David Vallecillo, Matthieu Guillemain, Pierre Defos du Rau, Jocelyn Champagnon
In Wildlife Society Bulletin, Online (November, 2022), 19
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Wildlife count data are used to provide estimates of population abundance. To quantify changes in the size of populations, it is necessary to determine the precision of abundance estimates. Ground or aerial survey methods are often intended to be a census and thus do not provide estimates of precision. One solution is to switch approaches to a different sampling and estimation procedure, such as distance sampling. Using an example of the long-term waterfowl censuses in the Camargue, a major wintering area in southern France, we used simulation to quantify the precision and cost effectiveness of transitioning to a distance sampling approach. Based on abundance and distribution data for 14 species of waterbirds (Anatidae and coot [Fulica atra]) in the Camargue, we evaluated 5 distance sampling scenarios with parallel line transects corresponding to 5 different sampling intensities. Our results suggested that, if the objective of counts is to estimate the abundance of all waterfowl together, switching from pseudo-total to distance sampling counts would be realistic on both statistical and financial grounds. The most advantageous scenario would correspond to a sampling effort with transect lines spaced 1,000 m apart, which would allow a coefficient of variation of 0.20 for total waterfowl abundance with a 27% increase in flight costs compared to the current method. Heterogeneity in the size of detected bird groups contributed to the variability in our results, however, adjusting sampling effort from 1,750 m spaced transect to 760 m allowed reduced variation by 55%. We recommend proceeding to test flights which would allow some site-specific parameters to be refined before changing methods. However, the distance sampling method as simulated here would prove impractical to evaluate the abundance and distribution of one species alone.

Impacts of environmental conditions and management of sluice gates on glass eel migration

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 17:40:58

de Colin Bouchard, Olivier Boutron, Jordane Labremon, Hilaire Drouineau, Patrick Lambert, Delphine Nicolas
In Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Online (November, 2022), 108139
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Anthropogenic barriers such as tidal gates impair animal migration and ecological continuity. For migratory fishes, barriers may alter or impeach both upstream and downstream migrations. Juveniles of European eels, namely glass eels, have to pass those barriers when migrating upstream, whereas they have limited swimming capacities and are dependent on several environmental variables. Hydrological conditions, which can be modified by barrier management, are critical for glass eels. Here, we investigated the links between hydrological conditions and barrier management and the recruitment of glass eels at a connection between the Mediterranean Sea and a lagoon. To do that, we modeled the recruitment of glass eels over ten seasons accounting for temporal variations and co-variable effects. We modeled three aspects of recruitment: presence, level, and composition. We found that monthly and inter-annual effects explained the main part of the variations in glass eel recruitment but accounting for environmental effects improved our models, with a positive effect of temperature, for instance. We associated low levels of catches and recruitment of rather old individuals to high water flow rates when water flows out of the lagoon. Those results call for further studies on how sluice gate management may improve glass eel recruitment and seem to indicate that local stakeholders should adjust the number of open gates depending on the water level on both sides of the barrier.

Coupling future climate and land-use projections reveals where to strengthen the protection of Mediterranean Key Biodiversity Areas

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 11:24:17

de Fabien Verniest, Thomas Galewski, Romain Julliard, Anis Guelmami, Isabelle Le Viol
In Conservation Science and Practice, Online (October, 2022), 17
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Identifying sites that are both important for biodiversity and likely to be heavily affected by anthropogenic pressures in the future is crucial to settle priorities in the implementation of conservation measures, such as the designation of new protected areas. Although assessing the exposure of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas to global change would support such identification, it has never been performed to our knowledge. In addition, previous exposure assessments have been limited to few metrics of climate change and have not considered other global change components. Here, we assess the extent to which terrestrial (including inland water) Key Biodiversity Areas are exposed to future climate change and land-use modifications in 29 countries of the Mediterranean region, and identify countries where additional protection efforts are most needed. To this end, we calculated two local and two regional exposure metrics using projections of climate and land-use for late 21st century under four scenarios that were used in the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5). These four exposure metrics were subsequently combined into an exposure index ranking sites from least to most exposed to climate and land-use changes. We highlight that the most exposed non-protected Key Biodiversity Areas are located in countries where the protection of this network is lowest (i.e., high number and percentage of non-protected sites). We also found that Key Biodiversity Areas were overall more exposed than the rest of the study zone and that the sites most in need of conservation actions were similar across future scenarios. Our study reinforces the pressing necessity to strengthen and extend conservation measures in Mediterranean Key Biodiversity Areas, especially in Middle-East and Maghreb countries whose Key Biodiversity Areas are both at risk to be strongly affected by anthropogenic pressures and insufficiently protected.

Using literature and expert knowledge to determine changes in the bird community over a century in a Turkish wetland

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 17:35:55

de Dilara Arslan, Lisa Ernoul, Arnaud Béchet, Ömer Döndüren, Mehmet Sıkı, Thomas Galewski, Dilara Arslan, Lisa Ernoul, Arnaud Béchet, Ömer Döndüren, et al.
In Marine and Freshwater Research, Online (October, 2022)
En ligne : www.publish.csiro.au[...]

Bird species have been studied and documented abundantly in the past decades and are good indicators of ecosystem conditions, providing useful information of the changes in the ecological state of wetlands over time. However, monitoring data for birds in wetland sites are often disparate and not homogeneous over time and among species, which complicates the interpretation of trends.
We examined historical literature from 1835 to 2019, complemented by an expert knowledge survey and citizen-science databases to estimate the abundance of species, and evaluated changes in the structure and composition by average bird abundances.Key results Our results suggested that land-cover and land-use changes have shaped the local bird community, with a decline in agricultural and grassland bird species as a result of changes in agricultural practices. Coastal wetland and marine birds have increased in abundance, most probably linked to the extension of saltpans and successful conservation measures.
hese trends in bird communities demonstrate the impacts of different land management strategies on biodiversity.Implications This methodology can be replicated in other Ramsar and wetland sites around the world to raise new conservation issues and improve site conservation.

L’importance des oiseaux dans l’alimentation du Grand-Duc Ascalaphe Bubo ascalaphus à l’oued Massa (Maroc) et au parc national du banc d'Arguin (Mauritanie)

Thu, 1 Sep 2022 16:20:44

de Yves Kayser, Emmanuel Rousseau, Olivier Pineau, Jean-Laurent Lucchesi, Patrick Bergier
In Alauda, 90(4) (Octobre, 2022), 313-321

The importance of birds in the diet of the Pharaoh Eagle-Owl Bubo ascalaphus at Oued Massa (Morocco) and Banc d’Arguin National Park (Mauritania). The diet of the Pharaoh Eagle-Owl Bubo ascalaphus was studied at Oued Massa, Morocco (220 prey items determined in 1995) and at Cape Tafarit, Banc d’Arguin National Park, Mauritania (2656 prey items identified between 1997 and 1999). Many birds are captured in these two sites. They represent 43.2% of the prey at Oued Massa (especially Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica 11.8% and sparrows Passer sp. 10.5% of the diet), and even 71.0% at Cap Tafarit with waders as the main prey (56.6%, especially Dunlin Calidris alpina 24.7%, Red Knot Calidris canutus 8.1% and Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula 6.4%). No other study on the diet of this owl shows such proportions of birds captured, highlighting the ability of the Pharaoh Eagle-Owl to exploit river or sea edges where large numbers of birds are concentrated.

Efficacy of created and restored nesting sites for the conservation of colonial Laridae in the south of France

Thu, 6 Oct 2022 10:32:17

de Timothée Schwartz, Aurélien Besnard, Christophe Pin, Olivier Scher, Thomas Blanchon, Arnaud Béchet, Nicolas Sadoul
In Conservation Biology, Online (September, 2022)
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

By rapidly modifying key habitat components, habitat restoration is at risk of producing attractive cues for animals without providing habitats of sufficient quality. As such, individual fitness components such as reproduction could be reduced and restored habitats could become ecological traps. This risk notably appears by using artificial constructions in restoration projects, yet few studies have evaluated their efficacy in a robust way. In this study, we investigated this by analysing 154 islets that were created or restored in order to improve the conservation status of seven colonial Laridae species in the south of France. During a 10-year study period (2007 to 2016), we compared occupancy dynamics and breeding parameters of these species between the restored sites and 846 unmanaged nesting sites. We also explored species’ preference for different nesting site characteristics and their respective effect on breeding parameters. We found that restored nesting sites were more attractive than unmanaged sites for all species except the black-headed gull. Colonization probability was higher in sites already used by other species the previous year. Abandonment probability was lower when breeding was successful the previous year in all species except the Sandwich tern, and decreased with the size of the colony the previous year in four of the seven species. Breeding parameters were significantly higher on managed sites. Distance from the shore was an important attractive characteristic of artificial nesting sites in all species. Other nesting site characteristics had species-specific effects on colonization, abandonment and breeding success. These results indicate that managed nesting sites are successful conservation tools for colonial Laridae in the Mediterranean and do not act as ecological traps. Our study shows that the test of the ecological trap hypothesis is a robust way to evaluate the success of restoration projects of breeding habitats.

Is hunting nonintentionally selective? A test using game bird capture‐dead recoveries

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 12:01:42

de Emilienne Grzegorczyk, Léa Bézier, Kévin Le‐Rest, Alain Caizergues, Charlotte Francesiaz, Jocelyn Champagnon, Matthieu Guillemain, Cyril Eraud
In Ecology and Evolution, 12(9) (September, 2022), 12
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Selective hunting has various impacts that need to be considered for the conservation and management of harvested populations. The consequences of selective harvest have mostly been studied in trophy hunting and fishing, where selection of specific phenotypes is intentional. Recent studies, however, show that selection can also occur unintentionally. With at least 52 million birds harvested each year in Europe, it is particularly relevant to evaluate the selectivity of hunting on this taxon. Here, we considered 211,806 individuals belonging to 7 hunted bird species to study unintentional selectivity in harvest. Using linear mixed models, we compared morphological traits (mass, wing, and tarsus size) and body condition at the time of banding between birds that were subsequently recovered from hunting during the same year as their banding, and birds that were not recovered. We did not find any patterns showing systematic differences between recovery categories, among our model species, for the traits we studied. Moreover, when a difference existed between recovery categories, it was so small that its biological relevance can be challenged. Hunting of birds in Europe therefore does not show any form of strong selectivity on the morphological and physiological traits that we studied and should hence not lead to any change of these traits either by plastic or by evolutionary response.

Quelques Lépidoptères peu cités ou nouveaux pour la faune de France (Lepidoptera, Meessiidae, Lyonetiidae, Depressariidae, Batrachedridae, Coleophoridae, Urodidae, Crambidae, Geometridae, Noctuidae)

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 11:25:05

de Jacques Nel, Yves Doux, Lionel Turand, Marc Thibault, Thierry Varenne
In RARE. Revue de l'Association roussillonnaise d'entomologie, 31(2) (2022), 136-142

Cinq espèces de Lépidoptères sont nouvelles pour la France : Infurcitinea minuscula Gozmány, 1960 [Meessiidae], Agonopterix carduncelli Corley, 2017 [Depressariidae], Batrachedra confusella Berggen & al., 2022 [Batrachedridae], Coleophora septembra Tabell, 2017 et Coleophora sarehma Toll, 1956 [Coleophoridae], et cinq autres peu citées : Leucoptera aceris (Fuchs, 1903) [Lyonetiidae] dans les Hautes-Alpes, Wockia asperipunctella (Bruand, 1850) [Urodidae] en région P.A.C.A, Eudonia laetella (Zeller, 1846) [Crambidae] dans les Alpes-de-HauteProvence, Paraboarmia viertlii (Bohatsch, 1883) [Geometridae] dans les Hautes-Alpes et Episema hispanica Boisduval, 1828 [Noctuidae] dans les Bouches-du-Rhône. Habitus et genitalia sont illustrés.

Description d’Hypenodes occidentalis sp. n. découverte dans les Bouches-du-Rhône (France) (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Hypenodinae)

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 11:25:01

de Jacques Nel, Marc Thibault, Thierry Varenne
In RARE. Revue de l'Association roussillonnaise d'entomologie, 31(2) (2022), 120 – 125.

Une nouvelle espèce du genre Hypenodes Doubleday, 1850, liée à des biotopes humides dans les Bouches-du-Rhône (France), Hypenodes occidentalis sp. n., est décrite et essentiellement comparée à H. pannonica Fibiger & al., 2010.

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 11:24:41

de C. Max Finlayson, S. Fennessy, Patrick Grillas, R. Kumar
In Marine and Freshwater Research, 73(10) (September, 2022), i-v
En ligne : doi.org[...]

This issue of Marine and Freshwater Research celebrates 50 years of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which was signed in 1971. It contains papers that describe the development of the Convention and its implementation, including the listing of wetlands of international importance and maintenance of their ecological character. The latter is a fundamental issue for wetland management as illustrated in papers that address a range of management issues, including the impact of climate change, and approaches for building awareness about their values, and concludes with a forward view for potentially reframing human–wetland relationships.

Long-term persistence and recycling of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis spores in wetlands sprayed for mosquito control

Thu, 1 Sep 2022 16:58:24

de Brigitte Poulin, Gaëtan Lefebvre, Samuel Hilaire, Laurence Després
In Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 243 (September, 2022), 10
En ligne : linkinghub.elsevier.com[...]

Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) is the main larvicide used to control mosquitoes worldwide. Although there is accumulating evidence of Bti having environmental effects on non-target fauna, relatively few field studies have documented the fate of Bti spores in the environment. Spore density was quantified over a 6-yr period (2012–2017) in Mediterranean marshes sprayed with Vectobac 12AS (32 ITU/ha) since 2006 to reduce the nuisance caused by Aedes caspius. Bti spores were naturally found in all habitat types. Spore density expressed as colony-forming units per gram of soil (CFU g− 1) increased significantly at treated sites by a factor of 22 to 500 times relative to control sites, with mean values of 7730 CFU g− 1 in halophilous scrubs, 38,000 in reed beds, 49,000 in bulrush beds and 50 000 in rush beds. Spore density varied little in the first months after the spraying season (April-October), but increased sharply in spring, just before the annual launch of mosquito control. Considering that Bti is an insect pathogen that cannot proliferate without a suitable insect host, this unexpected recrudescence in spring could be related to the warming of water that triggers activity and development of benthic organisms such as chironomids, which may contribute to Bti proliferation by ingesting accumulated spores at the surface of sediments. While spore density tends to decrease over time, presumably during the summer period as a result of increased UV exposure, three to four years were necessary for spore density to return to normal levels after mosquito-control interruption. This study is important because it demonstrates that environmental effects of mosquito-control using Bti can far exceed the short period of Bti efficacy against lentic mosquitoes. Considering that Bti is a microbial agent, these long-term effects should be addressed at multiple levels of ecosystem organization from a one-health perspective.

Use of voluntary environmental contracts for wetland governance in the European Mediterranean region

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 14:36:41

de Lisa Ernoul, Pablo Vera, Giancarlo Gusmaroli, Serena Muccitelli, Carolina Pozzi, Stefano Magaudda, Katarina Polajnar Horvat, Aleš Smrekar, Alessio Satta, Flavio Monti, et al.
In Marine and Freshwater Research, 73(10) (September, 2022), 8
En ligne : www.publish.csiro.au[...]

Ramsar sites are internationally protected wetlands designated to maintain an international network for biodiversity conservation and sustain human life. There are often conflicting interests for site management that lead to decisions based on sectoral policies or local approaches that have poor outcomes in terms of effectiveness and trade-offs. The European Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) requires European countries to foster an integrated approach for wetland management through collaborative governance processes. The environmental contract is a tool that has been developed and implemented to set the ground for voluntary-based commitments for the sustainable governance of water systems. This paper reports on the results of the first study investigating the implementation of voluntary environmental contracts at the Mediterranean European level. Our results indicate that Ramsar sites in the region have made great progress with the development of management plans, yet many sites still lack governance schemes involving stakeholders. Voluntary environmental contracts have been widely used in Ramsar sites in France and Italy, but only a few other European countries have started implementing them. We have identified the need to further adapt the tool to local and national contexts, as well as the need for legislation, to promote upscaling at the regional scale.

Spatio-temporal variations in glass eel recruitment at the entrance pathways of a Mediterranean delta

Thu, 8 Dec 2022 16:03:27

de Colin Bouchard, Hilaire Drouineau, Patrick Lambert, Olivier Boutron, Delphine Nicolas
In ICES Journal of Marine Science, 79(6) (August, 2022), 1874-1887
En ligne : doi.org[...]

Understanding spatio-temporal dynamics of glass eel recruitment is necessary to characterize eel population status and the stock of future elvers. Despite numerous studies that have characterized recruitment across Europe, multiple systems along the Mediterranean coasts need a deeper look. We built a Bayesian State-Space Model to investigate the temporal variations in glass eel recruitment in the Rhône delta (France). The model was suited to address the spatial heterogeneity due to the complexity of this system constituted by numerous entrance pathways. Over 13 years, we found inter-annual variations without a particular trend. Here, an overall migration peak occurred in February–March for the system, but substantial spatial variations in the resulting recruitment were visible. Spatial variations in the inter-annual dynamics and migration peak pointed out the necessity to account for spatial heterogeneity in the dynamics of glass eel recruitment. The highlighted inter-annual variations are consistent with analysis of coincident time-series in other sites in Europe (e.g. WGEEL), and the migration peak’s timing is similar to peaks observed in other estuaries. Spatial variations in the migration peak suggest a potential effect of local environment conditions on the recruitment. Our model provided a suitable approach to investigate temporal variations while accounting for spatial heterogeneity.

Advancing biological invasion hypothesis testing using functional diversity indices

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 13:35:40

de David Renault, Manon C. M. Hess, Julie Braschi, Ross N. Cuthbert, Marta G. Sperandii, Manuele Bazzichetto, Olivier Chabrerie, Gabrielle Thiébaut, Elise Buisson, Frédéric Grandjean, et al.
In Science of The Total Environment, 834 (August, 2022), 155102
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Pioneering investigations on the effects of introduced populations on community structure, ecosystem functioning and services have focused on the effects of invaders on taxonomic diversity. However, taxonomic-based diversity metrics overlook the heterogeneity of species roles within and among communities. As the homogenizing effects of biological invasions on community and ecosystem processes can be subtle, they may require the use of functional diversity indices to be properly evidenced. Starting from the listing of major functional diversity indices, alongside the presentation of their strengths and limitations, we focus on studies pertaining to the effects of invasive species on native communities and recipient ecosystems using functional diversity indices. By doing so, we reveal that functional diversity of the recipient community may strongly vary at the onset of the invasion process, while it stabilizes at intermediate and high levels of invasion. As functional changes occurring during the lag phase of an invasion have been poorly investigated, we show that it is still unknown whether there are consistent changes in functional diversity metrics that could indicate the end of the lag phase. Thus, we recommend providing information on the invasion stage under consideration when computing functional diversity metrics. For the existing literature, it is also surprising that very few studies explored the functional difference between organisms from the recipient communities and invaders of the same trophic levels, or assessed the effects of non-native organism establishment into a non-analogue versus an analogue community. By providing valuable tools for obtaining in-depth diagnostics of community structure and functioning, functional diversity indices can be applied for timely implementation of restoration plans and improved conservation strategies. To conclude, our work provides a first synthetic guide for their use in hypothesis testing in invasion biology.

Site fidelity and determinants of wintering decisions in the Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus)

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 15:57:06

de Anastasios Bounas, Giorgos Catsadorakis, Theodoros Naziridis, Taulant Bino, Dionyssia Hatzilacou, Myrsini Malakou, Ortaç Onmuş, Mehmet Siki, Pavel Simeonov, Alain J Crivelli
In Ethology Ecology & Evolution, Online (July, 2022), 1-15
En ligne : doi.org[...]

Wintering site selection is a major decision in a bird’s annual life cycle since conditions experienced by individuals within a wintering site can influence individual fitness and ultimately population dynamics. If individuals show strong fidelity to specific sites, annual environmental effects can be reinforced. In this study we analyse winter resightings of ringed Dalmatian pelicans, collected during a 35-year-long ringing survey, to identify winter movement patterns of Dalmatian pelicans, assess the level of site fidelity both within and among consecutive wintering events and examine environmental factors that may contribute to an individual’s decision to move towards a specific site during the winter period. Our results showed that the decision of Dalmatian pelicans to move towards a specific site was mainly driven by the site’s size and temperature conditions. Larger wetlands can provide birds with higher resource abundance and offer more opportunities to exploit optimal roosting and feeding habitats, whereas wetlands that do not freeze during the winter are a definite requirement. Wintering movements were more likely to occur at short distances from a bird’s natal colony, whereas it was uncommon for birds born in wetlands located in the Adriatic and Ionian coast to move eastwards during the winter, suggesting a level of spatial substructure. Furthermore, we showed that the species exhibits very strong within-year and among-year wintering site fidelity, with birds moving less during the winter, whereas juvenile birds travel greater distances than the rest of the age classes examined. Our conclusions could guide an effective approach to site-based conservation management at key wintering sites.

The genus Callitriche (Plantaginaceae, Callitricheae) in Morocco

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 15:57:03

de Richard V. Lansdown, Laïla Rhazi, Er-riyahi Saber, Mohammed El Madihi, Patrick Grillas
In Phytotaxa, 555(1) (July, 2022), 53-72
En ligne : www.biotaxa.org[...]

This article presents information on the distribution and ecology of Callitriche species in Morocco, based on field survey, literature review, and examination of herbarium specimens. Taxa reported erroneously from the country are discussed and new information is presented on the morphology of C. mathezii and C. truncata subsp. truncata.

Diet of breeding Eleonora's falcon Falco eleonorae in Algeria: Insights for the autumn trans-Mediterranean avian migration

Wed, 6 Jul 2022 10:22:00

de Boudjema Samraoui, Yves Kayser, Laïd Touati, Farrah Samraoui, Abdennour Boucheker, Hamed A. El-Serehy, Kenz Raouf Samraoui
In Ecology and Evolution, 12(7) (July, 2022), 11
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

How environmental changes are affecting bird population dynamics is one of the most challenging conservation issues. Dietary studies of top avian predators could offer scope to monitor anthropogenic drivers of ecosystem changes. We investigated the diet of breeding Eleonora's falcon in an area of Northeastern Algeria in the years 2010–2012. Feathers and insect remains originating from prey plucking behavior were analyzed, providing insights into the seasonally changing diet of this raptor, as well as the trans-Mediterranean avian migration. A total of 77 species of birds (16 Sylviidae, 11 Turdidae, and 4 Emberizidae), 3 species of insects, and 1 lizard were identified among prey remains, reflecting a diverse diet. Diet composition and prey abundance varied seasonally, faithfully correlating with the passage of migrant birds as recorded from bird ring recoveries. Our findings suggest that dietary studies of predators might be deployed to investigate changes in bird migration. We discuss our results in the context of trans-Mediterranean migration, with early-season prey mainly comprising trans-Saharan migrants (Apus apus and Merops apiaster) and late-season prey being dominated by Mediterranean winter migrants (Erithacus rubecula, Turdus philomelos, Sylvia atricapilla, and Sturnus vulgaris). Notably, we observed a significant reduction in species richness of passerine remains in 2012, potentially highlighting a decline in the diversity of avian migrants.

Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 11:34:03

de Beth A. Reinke, Hugo Cayuela, Fredric J. Janzen, Jean-François Lemaître, Jean-Michel Gaillard, A. Michelle Lawing, John B. Iverson, Ditte G. Christiansen, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, Gregorio Sánchez-Montes, et al.
In Science, 376(6600) (June, 2022), 1459-1466
En ligne : www.science.org[...]

Comparative studies of mortality in the wild are necessary to understand the evolution of aging; yet, ectothermic tetrapods are underrepresented in this comparative landscape, despite their suitability for testing evolutionary hypotheses. We present a study of aging rates and longevity across wild tetrapod ectotherms, using data from 107 populations (77 species) of nonavian reptiles and amphibians. We test hypotheses of how thermoregulatory mode, environmental temperature, protective phenotypes, and pace of life history contribute to demographic aging. Controlling for phylogeny and body size, ectotherms display a higher diversity of aging rates compared with endotherms and include phylogenetically widespread evidence of negligible aging. Protective phenotypes and life-history strategies further explain macroevolutionary patterns of aging. Analyzing ectothermic tetrapods in a comparative context enhances our understanding of the evolution of aging.

Restoring marble trout genes in the Soča River (Slovenia)

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 15:20:49

de Patrick Berrebi, Dušan Jesenšek, Martin Laporte, Alain J. Crivelli
In Conservation Genetics, 23(3) (June, 2022), 481-494
En ligne : doi.org[...]

In Slovenia, the unique watershed naturally hosting the marble trout is the Soča River, called Isonzo in Italy. In 1993–1996 molecular data established the existence of extensive hybridization with stocked Atlantic domestic lineages which is a threat for this taxon and for the economy of the country established on the angling tourism. Different management actions have been developed for restoring marble genes since 1996: banning stocking of brown trout, revising fishing regulations for anglers and testing genetically brood stock in hatchery for stocking phenotypic and pure marble fry. This long fight against hybridization was genetically surveyed using allozymes, mitochondrial sequences and microsatellites according to the available technique at each period. Despite the irregularity of genotyping along nearly fifteen years after the new management started, it appears that the proportion of domestic lineage in the river dropped regularly of about 2% each year, a positive result for conservative management measures.

The Cassaïre wetland restoration project: defining the reference ecosystem

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 11:33:53

de Isabelle Muller, Johan Friry, Elise Buisson, François Mesléard
In Ecologia Mediterranea, 48(1) (June, 2022), 10

Defining a reference ecosystem for ecological restoration project is an essential step. The reference can correspond to the historical ecosystem, can be defined to solve environmental issues or can correspond to a socioecosystem. For the restoration of the Cassaïre site in the Camargue delta in southern France, the reference ecosystems chosen are: Mediterranean temporary wetlands and Mediterranean meso-xeric grasslands. The choice of these two reference ecosystems appears logical considering their contribution to regional biodiversity. Temporary wetlands and meso-xeric grasslands are rare, adapted to the Mediterranean climate, seriously endangered and host a high species richness. They are potentially achievable restoration targets because patches of these ecosystems remain in the Camargue area and close to the Cassaïre site. Moreover, an ecological history approach reveals deep human imprints on ecosystems and ensures that historical restoration targets (the state prior to human impacts) cannot be reached, because they are associated with hydraulic functioning (flooding of the Rhône and Durance) that no longer exists. The restored site is planned to be suitable for livestock grazing, thus presenting a new agricultural opportunity, while simultaneously offering new services, such as hunting.

Le Vautour percnoptère Neophron percnopterus, proie du Grand-Duc d'Europe Bubo bubo, dans le département du Tarn (sud de la France)

Wed, 6 Jul 2022 16:00:36

de Gilles Tavernier, Yves Kayser
In Nos Oiseaux, 69(2) (Juin 2022), 95-97

L'opportunisme alimentaire du Grand-duc est largement documenté, de même que l'impressionnant éventail de la grandeur de ses proies. Malgré cela, la capture d'un Vautour percnoptère, de surcroît hors de l'aire de reproduction de ce dernier, demeure exceptionnelle/

Lapin et Lezard occelé : une curieuse alliance

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 11:45:30

de Marc Cheylan, Florian Doré, Pierre Grillet, Anthony Olivier, Jean-Marc Thirion
In Espèces, 44 (Juin 22), 24-31
En ligne : especes.org[...]

Découverte d’une nouvelle espèce de chiroptère pour la Camargue : le Murin cryptique (Myotis crypticus)

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 09:46:10

de Lionel Bruhat, Anthony Olivier, Emmanuel Cosson
In Plume de naturalistes, 6 (Juin, 2022), 101-116
En ligne : www.plume-de-naturalistes.fr[...]

The Cryptic myotis is a recently described species that is still poorly known. In order to best assess its conservation status, it is important to specify its range. In the Camargue, despite a significant historical sampling effort, the species had never been contacted. In 2018, an acoustic survey conducted in relict alluvial forests revealed the presence of the species. Although contacted every month from March to October, the species seems to be rare in the Camargue and, in general, in the anthropised plain of the lower Rhône valley. We assume that the reduction and fragmentation of woodland areas could be one of the main causes. Further studies are needed to clarify the distribution and status of the species in the Camargue. In the future, land development projects impacting habitats favourable to the Cryptic myotis should take into account the issues inherent to this species.

Multiresistant Enterobacteriaceae in yellow-legged gull chicks in their first weeks of life

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 12:21:51

de Marion Vittecoq, Lionel Brazier, Eric Elguero, Ignacio G. Bravo, Nicolas Renaud, Alejandro Manzano-Marín, Franck Prugnolle, Sylvain Godreuil, Thomas Blanchon, François Roux, et al.
In Ecology and Evolution, 12(6) (June, 2022), 10
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Wild animal species living in anthropogenic areas are commonly carriers of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (AMRB), but their role in the epidemiology of these bacteria is unclear. Several studies on AMRB in wildlife have been cross-sectional in design and sampled individual animals at only one point in time. To further understand the role of wildlife in maintaining and potentially transmitting these bacteria to humans and livestock, longitudinal studies are needed in which samples are collected from individual animals over multiple time periods. In Europe, free-ranging yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) commonly live in industrialized areas, forage in landfills, and have been found to carry AMRB in their feces. Using bacterial metagenomics and antimicrobial resistance characterization, we investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of AMRB in a nesting colony of yellow-legged gulls from an industrialized area in southern France. We collected 54 cloacal swabs from 31 yellow-legged gull chicks in 20 nests on three dates in 2016. We found that AMRB in chicks increased over time and was not spatially structured within the gull colony. This study highlights the complex occurrence of AMRB in a free-ranging wildlife species and contributes to our understanding of the public health risks and implications associated with ARMB-carrying gulls living in anthropogenic areas.

Securing the Environmental Water Requirements of Seasonally Ponding Wetlands: Partnering Science and Management through Benefit Sharing

Mon, 30 May 2022 17:49:01

de Stefano Barchiesi, Antonio Camacho, Eva Hernández, Anis Guelmami, Flavio Monti, Alessio Satta, Osvaldo Jordán, Christine Angelini
In Wetlands, 42(5) (June, 2022), 46
En ligne : link.springer.com[...]

Although environmental flow regime assessments are becoming increasingly holistic, they rarely provoke water managers to enact the adaptive water reallocation mechanisms required to secure environmental water for wetlands. The conditions that cause science-based environmental flow assessments to succeed or fail in informing the management of environmental water requirements remain unclear. To begin to resolve these conditions, we used process tracing to deconstruct the sequence of activities required to manage environmental water in four case studies of seasonally ponding wetlands in Mediterranean and Mesoamerican watersheds. We hypothesized that, when the flexibility and equitability of the socioeconomic system do not match the complexity of the biophysical system, this leads to a failure of managers to integrate scientific guidance in their allocation of environmental water. Diagnostic evidence gathered indicates that science-management partnerships are essential to align institutional flexibility and socioeconomic equitability with the system’s ecohydrological complexity, and thus move from determination to reallocation of environmental water. These results confirm that institutions e.g., river basin organizations need to be supplemented by motivated actors with experience and skill to negotiate allocation and adaptive management of environmental water. These institutional-actor synergies are likely to be especially important in water scarce regions when the need to accommodate extreme hydrological conditions is not met by national governance capacity. We conclude by focusing on benefit sharing as a means to better describe the conditions for successful science-based environmental flow assessments that realize productive efficiency in environmental water allocation i.e., recognition of multiple values for both people and ecosystems.

Les oiseaux nicheurs rares et menacés en France en 2020

Fri, 20 May 2022 18:18:45

de Gwenael Quaintenne, Arnaud Béchet, Maurice Benmergui, Hervé Bergère, Jean-Jacques Boutteaux, Bernard Cadiou, Pierre Camberlein, Jocelyn Champagnon, Frederic Chapalain, Virginie Couanon, et al.
In Ornithos, 29(2) (Mars-Avril, 2022), 73-111

Mettre en pratique l’approche « Une seule santé »: Au-delà du « comment » se poser la question du « pourquoi »

Tue, 2 Aug 2022 16:43:27

de Marion Vittecoq
In Environnement, Risques & Santé, 21(3) (May, 2022), 201-204
En ligne : www.jle.com[...]

Putting the “One health” approach into action, not just how but why The reason to put the “One health” approach into practice may seem obvious. However, the different sectors and disciplines involved in this approach may not see it in the same light. In this article, we try to understand the underlying difﬁculty in answering a seemingly simple question. In particular, we highlight the different deﬁnitions of health as applied to humans, animals and ecosystems. We also note that, while plant health is included in the One health approach, it does not appear as clearly as animal health, which raises questions about the status of cultivated plants within this concept. We thus suggest showing how the different health sectors overlap rather than merely juxtaposing them. As there is no simple solution to converge the deﬁnitions and objectives of the different sectors involved, we also stress the need for a continuous and dynamic dialogue between the various actors. Finally, since working with the living world is an inherently ongoing process, we suggest that the objectives and implementation of initiatives to advance the “One health” approach should also be dynamic.

Les aires protégées françaises face aux approches conceptuelles « Une seule santé – Ecohealth »:

Tue, 2 Aug 2022 16:43:24

de Thierry Durand, Olivier Fleury, Marie Heuret, Thierry Mougey, Christian Schwoehrer, Marion Vittecoq
In Environnement, Risques & Santé, 21(3) (May, 2022), 227-234
En ligne : www.jle.com[...]

One health and Ecohealth in protected areas in France Protected areas (PAs) are intended to preserve the health of humans, animals and ecosystems and to meet the global challenges of biodiversity and climate change. The key role of French PAs as preferential sites for turning the “One health” concept into practice is highlighted.

Mediterranean Temporary Lagoon: proposal for a definition of this endangered habitat to improve its conservation

Fri, 20 May 2022 18:18:44

de Mathilde Latron, Aubin Allies, Olivier Argagnon, Nadine Bosc, Karine Faure, Hugo Fontes, Patrick Grillas, James Molina, Rutger de Wit, Guillaume Papuga
In Journal for Nature Conservation, Online (May, 2022), 126193
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Coastal lagoons have been recognised as a priority habitat for conservation and have benefited from several conservation plans. Under the Mediterranean climate, some of these lagoons might dry out during summer due to drought events. We propose the term Mediterranean Temporary Lagoons (MTLs) for these ephemeral water bodies and discuss their definition and characteristics. This term emerged in France among its coastal zone managers, who now commonly use it for conservation purposes. It is used in both natural systems as well as most artificial salt ponds in abandoned saltworks. In Europe, two directives have integrated lagoons as key targets to be preserved. Nonetheless, a certain discrepancy in the different definitions of lagoons has constrained joint actions. Indeed, while institutional definitions were originally derived from the scientific concept, their legislative and managerials meanings have been gradually modified and nowadays often differ from the original concept to create difficulties in the field. In addition, while it has been recommended to consider MTLs as a coastal lagoon habitat in the European Habitat Directive, its interpretation among EU member states is unsettled. Thus, clarifying lagoon habitats' terminology is required to ensure better management, monitoring and planning, and coordinate conservation actions. We discuss the inclusion of MTLs in habitat 1150 by confronting scientific and institutional literature and propose a new framework to better delimitate lagoon habitat around the Mediterranean basin, integrating MTLs. MTLs represent a specific habitat that hosts a pool of stenoecious macrophytes of conservation interest like Althenia filiformis, Riella helicophylla or Tolypella salina.

Cancer Susceptibility as a Cost of Reproduction and Contributor to Life History Evolution

Tue, 10 May 2022 10:36:15

de Antoine M. Dujon, Justine Boutry, Sophie Tissot, Jean-François Lemaître, Amy M. Boddy, Anne-Lise Gérard, Alexandra Alvergne, Audrey Arnal, Orsolya Vincze, Delphine Nicolas, et al.
In Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Online (May, 2022), 18
En ligne : www.frontiersin.org[...]

Reproduction is one of the most energetically demanding life-history stages. As a result, breeding individuals often experience trade-offs, where energy is diverted away from maintenance (cell repair, immune function) toward reproduction. While it is increasingly acknowledged that oncogenic processes are omnipresent, evolving and opportunistic entities in the bodies of metazoans, the associations among reproductive activities, energy expenditure, and the dynamics of malignant cells have rarely been studied. Here, we review the diverse ways in which age-specific reproductive performance (e.g., reproductive aging patterns) and cancer risks throughout the life course may be linked via trade-offs or other mechanisms, as well as discuss situations where trade-offs may not exist. We argue that the interactions between host–oncogenic processes should play a significant role in life-history theory, and suggest some avenues for future research.

Hotspots in the grid: Avian sensitivity and vulnerability to collision risk from energy infrastructure interactions in Europe and North Africa

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 16:10:04

de Jethro G. Gauld, João P. Silva, Philip W. Atkinson, Paul Record, Marta Acácio, Volen Arkumarev, Julio Blas, Willem Bouten, Niall Burton, Ines Catry, et al.
In Journal of Applied Ecology, 59(6) (June, 2022)
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Wind turbines and power lines can cause bird mortality due to collision or electrocution. The biodiversity impacts of energy infrastructure (EI) can be minimised through effective landscape-scale planning and mitigation. The identification of high-vulnerability areas is urgently needed to assess potential cumulative impacts of EI while supporting the transition to zero carbon energy. We collected GPS location data from 1,454 birds from 27 species susceptible to collision within Europe and North Africa and identified areas where tracked birds are most at risk of colliding with existing EI. Sensitivity to EI development was estimated for wind turbines and power lines by calculating the proportion of GPS flight locations at heights where birds were at risk of collision and accounting for species' specific susceptibility to collision. We mapped the maximum collision sensitivity value obtained across all species, in each 5 × 5 km grid cell, across Europe and North Africa. Vulnerability to collision was obtained by overlaying the sensitivity surfaces with density of wind turbines and transmission power lines. Results: Exposure to risk varied across the 27 species, with some species flying consistently at heights where they risk collision. For areas with sufficient tracking data within Europe and North Africa, 13.6% of the area was classified as high sensitivity to wind turbines and 9.4% was classified as high sensitivity to transmission power lines. Sensitive areas were concentrated within important migratory corridors and along coastlines. Hotspots of vulnerability to collision with wind turbines and transmission power lines (2018 data) were scattered across the study region with highest concentrations occurring in central Europe, near the strait of Gibraltar and the Bosporus in Turkey. Synthesis and applications. We identify the areas of Europe and North Africa that are most sensitive for the specific populations of birds for which sufficient GPS tracking data at high spatial resolution were available. We also map vulnerability hotspots where mitigation at existing EI should be prioritised to reduce collision risks. As tracking data availability improves our method could be applied to more species and areas to help reduce bird-EI conflicts.

Assessing spatiotemporal variation in abundance: A flexible framework accounting for sampling bias with an application to common pochard (Aythya ferina)

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 18:02:39

de Benjamin Folliot, Alain Caizergues, Adrien Tableau, Guillaume Souchay, Matthieu Guillemain, Jocelyn Champagnon, Clément Calenge
In Ecology and Evolution, 12(4) (April, 2022), 10
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Assessing trends in the relative abundance of populations is a key yet complex issue for management and conservation. This is a major aim of many large-scale censusing schemes such as the International Waterbird Count (IWC). However, owing to the lack of sampling strategy and standardization, such schemes likely suffer from biases due to spatial heterogeneity in sampling effort. Despite huge improvements of the statistical tools that allow tackling these statistical issues (e.g., GLMM, Bayesian inference), many conservationists still prefer to rely on stand-alone turn-key statistical tools, often violating the prerequisites put forward by the developers of these tools. Here, we propose a straightforward and flexible approach to tackle the typical statistical issues one can encounter when analyzing count data of monitoring schemes such as the IWC. We rely on IWC counts of the declining common pochard populations of the Northwest European flyway as a case study (period 2002–2012). To standardize the size of sampling units and mitigate spatial autocorrelation, we grouped sampling sites using a 75 × 75 km grid cells overlaid over the flyway of interest. Then, we used a hierarchical modeling approach, assessing population trends with random effects at two spatial scales (grid cells, and sites within grid cells) in order to derive spatialized values and to compute the average population trend at the whole flyway scale. Our approach allowed to tackle many statistical issues inherent to this type of analysis but often neglected, including spatial autocorrelation. Concerning the case study, our main findings are that: (1) the northwestern population of common pochards experienced a steep decline (4.9% per year over the 2002–2012 period); (2) the decline was more pronounced at high than low latitude (11.6% and 0.5% per year at 60° and 46° of latitude, respectively); and, (3) the decline was independent of the initial number of individuals in a given site (random across sites). Beyond the case study of the common pochard, our study provides a conceptual statistical framework for estimating and assessing potential drivers of population trends at various spatial scales.

Estimation des populations d’oiseaux nicheurs de France métropolitaine

Mon, 7 Mar 2022 13:21:35

de Jacques Comolet-Tirman, Gwenael Quaintenne, Jean-Philippe Siblet, Stanislas Wroza, Guillaume Bal, Jocelyn Champagnon, Laurent Couz, Michel-Alexandre Czajkowski, Pascal Denis, Bernard Frochot, et al.
In Alauda, 90(2) (Juin, 2022), 130-150

Connaître le nombre absolu d'oiseaux dans une population donnée peut sembler secondaire si l'on sait quantifier sa tendance ou décrire son état de conservation. Pourtant, il s'agit d'un paramètre crucial pour évaluer les risques d'extinction ou pour prendre des décisions en termes de politiques de conservation. Une connaissance détaillée de la taille des populations est également très utile pour contribuer au processus de rapportage européen. Cet article est une première réponse aux objectifs fixés par le CEPO: présenter les estimations les plus récentes et les plus fiables pour l'avifaune nicheuse de France métropolitaine et faire de ce document publié à intervalles réguliers une référence officielle et reconnue. 307 espèces nicheuses sont couvertes. Pour 300 espèces, une estimation est publiée ici avec son indice qualité allant de 1 (médiocre) à 3 (bon). Grâce aux indices qualité, le travail du CEPO permet de définir des priorités pour l'amélioration des connaissances.

Accounting for detection probability with overestimation by integrating double monitoring programs over 40 years

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 16:22:03

de David Vallecillo, Matthieu Guillemain, Matthieu Authier, Colin Bouchard, Damien Cohez, Emmanuel Vialet, Gregoire Massez, Philippe Vandewalle, Jocelyn Champagnon
In PLOS ONE, 17(3) (March, 2022), e0265730
En ligne : journals.plos.org[...]

In the context of wildlife population declines, increasing computer power over the last 20 years allowed wildlife managers to apply advanced statistical techniques that has improved population size estimates. However, respecting the assumptions of the models that consider the probability of detection, such as N-mixture models, requires the implementation of a rigorous monitoring protocol with several replicate survey occasions and no double counting that are hardly adaptable to field conditions. When the logistical, economic and ecological constraints are too strong to meet model assumptions, it may be possible to combine data from independent surveys into the modelling framework in order to understand population dynamics more reliably. Here, we present a state-space model with an error process modelled on the log scale to evaluate wintering waterfowl numbers in the Camargue, southern France, while taking a conditional probability of detection into consideration. Conditional probability of detection corresponds to estimation of a detection probability index, which is not a true probability of detection, but rather conditional on the difference to a particular baseline. The large number of sites (wetlands within the Camargue delta) and years monitored (44) provide significant information to combine both terrestrial and aerial surveys (which constituted spatially and temporally replicated counts) to estimate a conditional probability of detection, while accounting for false-positive counting errors and changes in observers over the study period. The model estimates abundance indices of wintering Common Teal, Mallard and Common Coot, all species abundant in the area. We found that raw counts were underestimated compared to the predicted population size. The model-based data integration approach as described here seems like a promising solution that takes advantage of as much as possible of the data collected from several methods when the logistic constraints do not allow the implementation of a permanent monitoring and analysis protocol that takes into account the detectability of individuals.

Les oiseaux rares au Maroc. Rapport de la Commission d’Homologation Marocaine Numéro 27

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 11:52:22

de Patrick Bergier, Mehdi Sadak, CHM, Yves Kayser
In Eléments d'Ornithologie Marocaine, 27 (Mars 2022), 41 pp.

In this session, the MRBC analyzed 103 records of which 86 were accepted. These included the first Moroccan sighting of a Lapland Bunting and the second of a Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

Patterns of microbial abundance and heterotrophic activity along nitrogen and salinity gradients in coastal wetlands

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 18:02:33

de Gema L. Batanero, Andy J. Green, Juan A. Amat, Marion Vittecoq, Curtis A. Suttle, Isabel Reche
In Aquatic Sciences, 84(2) (March, 2022), 22
En ligne : doi.org[...]

Coastal wetlands are valuable aquatic ecosystems with high biological productivity, which provide services such as a reduction in nitrogen loading into coastal waters and storage of organic carbon acting as carbon dioxide sinks. The predicted rise of sea level or freshwater extractions, particularly in the arid Mediterranean biome, will salinize many coastal wetlands. However, there is considerable uncertainty about how salinization will affect microbial communities and biogeochemical processes. We determined the abundance of total prokaryotes, cyanobacteria, and viruses and quantified the heterotrophic production of prokaryotes sensitive- (predominantly Bacteria) and resistant- (predominantly Archaea) to erythromycin in 112 ponds from nine coastal wetlands. We explored the main drivers of prokaryotic abundance and heterotrophic production using generalized linear models (GLMs). The best GLM, including all the wetlands, indicated that the concentration of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) positively affected the total abundance of prokaryotes and the heterotrophic erythromycin-resistant (ery-R) production. In contrast, heterotrophic erythromycin-sensitive (ery-S) production was negatively related to TDN. This negative relationship appeared to be mediated by salinity and virus abundance. Heterotrophic ery-S production declined as salinity and virus abundance increased. Consequently, we observed a switch from heterotrophic ery-S production towards ery-R production as salinity and virus abundance increased. Our results imply that microbial activity will change from heterotrophic bacterial-dominated processes to archaeal-dominated processes with anthropogenic nitrogen and salinization increases. However, more studies are required to link the mineralization rates of dissolved nitrogen and organic carbon with specific archaeal taxa to enable more accurate predictions on future scenarios in coastal wetlands.

On the arrival of fasciolosis in the Americas

Mon, 7 Mar 2022 13:21:35

de Antonio A. Vázquez, Annia Alba, Pilar Alda, Marion Vittecoq, Sylvie Hurtrez-Boussès
In Trends in Parasitology, 38(3) (March, 2022), 195-204
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Fasciola hepatica is a worldwide emerging and re-emerging parasite heavily affecting several regions in South America. Some lymnaeid snail species of American origin are among the major hosts of F. hepatica worldwide. Recent paleoparasitological findings detected its DNA in a 2300-year-old sample in Patagonia, countering the common hypothesis of the recent arrival of F. hepatica in the Americas during European colonization. Thus, the theory of an initial introduction in the 1500s can no longer be sustained. This article discusses how it was possible for F. hepatica to reach and spread in the Americas in relation to the availability and compatibility of hosts through natural and incidental introductions. Our study will serve to better understand the ongoing Neotropical scenario of fasciolosis.

Altering native community assembly history influences the performance of an annual invader

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 14:48:03

de Manon C.M. Hess, François Mesléard, Truman P. Young, Benoit de Freitas, Nathan Haveneers, Elise Buisson
In Basic and Applied Ecology, 59 (March, 2022), 70-81
En ligne : linkinghub.elsevier.com[...]

Understanding the determinants of early invasion resistance is a major challenge for designing plant communities that efﬁciently repel invaders. Recent evidence highlighted the signiﬁcant role of priority effects in early community assembly as they affect species composition, structure and functional properties, but the consequences of native community assembly history on the success of subsequent invasions has not been elucidated yet. In a greenhouse experiment, we investigated how (1) the identity of the ﬁrst native colonizing species (one of two grasses: Dactylis glomerata and Lolium perenne, or two legumes: Onobrychis viciifolia and Trifolium repens), each introduced four weeks before the rest of the native community, and (2) timing of species establishment (synchronous vs. sequential sowing), inﬂuenced early establishment success of Ambrosia artemisiifolia, an annual noxious weed in Europe. First colonizer identity and establishment timing both affected early biomass production and composition of the community, and had implications for A. artemisiifolia early invasion success. Invasion success decreased when all native individuals were sown simultaneously, quickly generating a high biomass production, while it increased when the productive N-ﬁxing legume T. repens was sown ﬁrst. These ﬁndings support that native species assembly history matters to invasion resistance in the early growth stages, thus opening the way to more effective invasive species management strategies in restoration.

Extreme variability in European eel growth revealed by an extended mark and recapture experiment in southern France and implications for management

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 13:54:37

de Jacques Panfili, Clarisse Boulenger, Camille Musseau, Alain J. Crivelli
In Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Online (February, 2022), 1-11
En ligne : cdnsciencepub.com[...]

The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is endangered due to its peculiar life-history cycle, ﬁshing pressure and difﬁculty in global population management. To improve our understanding of the population dynamics and reﬁne conservation policies, an extended mark and recapture experiment and glass eel stocking were conducted in the River Rhône Delta (France) over 8 years. Around 1100 yellow eels were PIT-tagged and released in 2007, 2.5 kg of glass eels were released each year from 2008 to 2012, and the population was monitored using ﬁshing between 2007 and 2015. After capture or recapture, the body parameters, sex and maturity were assessed. Age was estimated from otolith growth rings. At the end of the experiment, silver eels were between 352 and 875 mm long (age 17 to 185 months) and yellow eels between 170 and 868 mm long (age 12 to 123 months). Age estimates were validated using mark and recapture and showed 16% age underestimates and 5% inaccurate ages. The growth rates were extremely variable with lengths ranged by 2-fold at a given age. These results highlight the difﬁculty of eel population management, at least in the Mediterranean area.

Essential ecosystem service variables for monitoring progress towards sustainability

Thu, 3 Mar 2022 09:20:44

de Patricia Balvanera, Kate A Brauman, Anna F Cord, Evangelia G Drakou, Ilse R Geijzendorffer, Daniel S Karp, Berta Martin-Lopez, Tuyeni H Mwampamba, Matthias Schröter
In Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 54 (February, 2022), 1-9
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Global frameworks to guide consistent monitoring of changes in human–nature interactions across space and time are needed to better understand how healthy ecosystems support societies and to inform policy design. Monitoring Essential Ecosystem Service Variables (EESVs) can provide a comprehensive picture of how links between nature and people are changing. A first proposed set of EESV classes comprises: ecological supply, anthropogenic contribution, demand, use, instrumental values, and relational values. Development of specific indicators of these classes for three exemplary ecosystem services (food from fisheries, crop pollination and wildlife viewing) confirms their readiness for global operationalization. The EESV classes will advance our ability to monitor progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Different components of landscape complexity are necessary to preserve multiple taxonomic groups in intensively-managed rice paddy landscapes (2022)

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 10:02:41

de Pierre Mallet, Arnaud Béchet, Thomas Galewski, François Mesléard, Samuel Hilaire, Gaëtan Lefebvre, Brigitte Poulin, Clelia Sirami
2022, 8
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Increase in pesticide use and landscape homogenization are two key drivers of the decline in farmland biodiversity. The effects of these two drivers are often complex, interactive and vary among taxonomic groups. Our study tested the hypothesis that pesticide use influences the effect of different components of landscape complexity on different taxonomic groups. We sampled 32 rice paddy landscapes of 1 * 1 km in the Camargue (south of France), a wetland internationally recognized as an exceptional biodiversity hotspot. We assessed the abundance and diversity of 7 taxa (plants, bees, butterflies, hoverflies, carabids, spiders and birds) in 3 or 4 crop fields per landscape. For each landscape, we measured the length of different field margins (ditch, grass strip, hedgerow), the proportion of semi-natural areas and crop diversity. For each field, we measured management intensity by the treatment frequency index (TFI) of pesticides. We then tested our hypothesis across 118 fields. Our results show that different components of landscape complexity influence different taxonomic groups: crop diversity and the length of ditches influence bee abundance and species richness, the proportion of semi-natural areas influence spider abundance and species richness, and the length of grass strips influences bird abundance. Moreover, we show that local pesticide use modulates these effects, with more positive effects of landscape complexity in intensively-managed fields. However, we found no interactive effect between landscape complexity and field management for plants, butterflies, hoverflies and carabids. Our study therefore suggests that different components of landscape complexity need to be maintained in order to preserve multiple taxonomic groups. Moreover, it suggests that increasing landscape complexity is particularly relevant to restore biodiversity in intensively-managed fields. Agricultural policies should therefore support the simultaneous increase in semi-natural areas, field margins length and crop diversity to conserve a wide range of taxonomic groups in intensively-managed rice paddy landscapes.

Threat Ranking to Improve Conservation Planning: An Example from the Gediz Delta, Turkey

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 16:21:19

de Dilara Arslan, Kerim Cicek, Ömer Döndüren, Lisa Ernoul
In Land, 10(12) (December, 2021), 16
En ligne : www.mdpi.com[...]

Mediterranean wetlands are among the most threatened natural areas. The needs and demands of an increasing human population are modifying land use and converting natural habitats into artificial areas. In order to combat these trends, effective conservation planning needs to provide clear, systematic identification of threats to find sustainable conservation strategies. In this case study, we evaluated current threats in the Gediz Delta (Turkey) using a multi-method approach. First, we did a comprehensive literature review and stakeholder interviews to identify existing threats. We then did a complete survey of the Delta through intensive fieldwork. The threats were coded and ranked using the conservation standards. We used the threat ranking and field survey to map the most vulnerable areas of the Delta. The most commonly observed threats in the field were pollution and agriculture and aquaculture activities. According to the threat ranking, the most important threats are climate change and residential and commercial development. The habitats that are most at risk are agricultural grassland habitats. The results indicate a need to extend conservation actions in the inner part of the Delta. In addition, the multi-method threat ranking approach could serve as a model to improve conservation planning in other sites worldwide.

Le régime alimentaire de l'Epervier d'europe Accipiter nisus en Alsace et en Moselle-Est

Wed, 6 Apr 2022 11:14:37

de Yves Kayser
In Ciconia, 45(2-3) (2021), 91-106

5441 proies d'Épervier d'Europe ont été récoltées et déterminées en Alsace, ainsi que dans la partie mosellane des Vosges du Nord. Les restes alimentaires ont été collectés sur 17 sites de reproduction situés en plaine d'Alsace, 7 dans les Vosges du Nord, 3 dans les Vosges moyennes et 2 en forêt de Haguenau entre 1982 et 2016. 92 espèces d'oiseaux ont été identifiées et elles forment près de 98 % des proies consommées. A leur côté, 83 mammifères de 15 espèces 0,5 % des proies), 1 lézard, 2 batraciens, 28 insectes et 1 lombric ont été déterminés. 16 espèces d'oiseaux forment près de 70 % des captures et cinq d'entre-elles arrivent ä plus de 5 %: il s'agit du Moineau domestique avec 11,9 %, du Pinson des arbres avec 9,0 %, du Merle noir avec 7,2 %, de la Grive musicienne avec 6,4 % et de la Mésange charbonnière avec 6,1 %. La biomasse la plus importante est fournie par le Merle noir (14,5 %), suivi par [a Grive musicienne (10,6 %) et le Pigeon ramier (8,0 %). Le trio de tete est inchangé en période de reproduction alors qu'en dehors, le Merle noir devance le Moineau domestique et le Pinson des arbres.

Réflexion : Mettre en pratique l'approche "une seule santé", au delà du "comment" se poser la question du "pourquoi"

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 18:10:09

de Marion Vittecoq
In H & B, 7 (2021), 50-55

The dynamics of spawning acts by a semelparous fish and its associated energetic costs

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 16:21:23

de Cédric Tentelier, Colin Bouchard, Anaïs Bernardin, Amandine Tauzin, Jean-Christophe Aymes, Frédéric Lange, Charlotte Recapet, Jacques Rives
In Peer Community Journal, 1 (December, 2021), 21
En ligne : hal.inrae.fr[...]

During the reproductive season, animals have to manage both their energetic budget and gamete stock. In particular, for semelparous capital breeders with determinate fecundity and no parental care other than gametic investment, the depletion of energetic stock must match the depletion of gametic stock, so that individuals get exhausted just after their last egg is laid and fertilized. Although these budgets are managed continuously, monitoring the dynamics of mating acts and energy expenditure at a fine temporal scale in the wild is challenging. This study aimed to quantify the individual dynamics of spawning acts and the concomitant energy expenditure of female Allis shad (Alosa alosa) throughout their mating season. Using eight individual-borne accelerometers for one month, we collected tri-axial acceleration, temperature, and pressure data that we analysed to i) detect the timing of spawning acts, ii) estimate energy expenditure from tail beat frequency and water temperature, and iii) monitor changes in body roundness from the position of the dorsally-mounted tag relative to the vertical plane. Female shad had a higher probability to spawn during warmer nights, and their spawning acts were synchronized (both individually and inter-individually) within each active night. They experienced warmer temperature, remained deeper, swan more slowly and spent less energy during daytime than night time. Over one month of spawning, they performed on average 15.75 spawning acts, spent on average 6 277 kJ and died with a significant portion of residual oocytes. The acceleration-based indicator of body roundness was correlated to condition coefficient measured at capture, and globally decreased through the spawning season, although the indicator was noisy and was not correlated to changes in estimated energy expenditure. Despite significant individual variability, our results indicate that female shad exhausted their energetic stock faster than their egg stock. Water warming will increase the rate of energy expenditure, which might increase the risk that shad die with a large stock of unspent eggs. Although perfectible, the three complementary analyses of acceleration data are promising for in situ monitoring of energy expenditure related to specific behaviour

The future of temporary wetlands in drylands under global change

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 17:44:01

de Gema Parra, Francisco Guerrero, Javier Armengol, Luc Brendonck, Sandra Brucet, C. Max Finlayson, Luciana Gomes-Barbosa, Patrick Grillas, Erik Jeppesen, Fernando Ortega, et al.
In Inland Waters, Online (November, 2021), 1-12
En ligne : www.tandfonline.com[...]

The Andalusian International University held a workshop entitled Temporary wetlands’ future in drylands under the projected global change scenario in March 2020 in Baeza, Spain, with 26 participants from 10 countries. The workshop objectives were to promote international cooperation and scientific exchange on the conservation and protection of temporary wetlands. The participants highlighted the extreme conditions that temporary and permanent wetlands, ponds, and shallow lakes are currently facing and predicted a dismal future for these systems due to climate change. To foster a holistic view of these ecosystems, the workshop included wetland watersheds. It was concluded that the main threats are those affecting water quality and quantity as well as egg-seed banks, species population dynamics, and food webs. The inherent characteristics of waterbodies in drylands, including high resilience and resistance to harsh conditions, are already negatively impacted by direct human actions and climate change. Another threat is the time lag between scientific warnings about threats and the social and political concern leading to mitigating actions. Thus, more effective actions to protect and conserve temporary wetlands are essential. Research networks could help stimulate the necessary conservation actions, but the global recession due to the COVID-19 pandemic will pose a challenge as economies are burdened with urgent expenditure. This special issue of the journal Inland Waters is the outcome of the workshop presentations and is composed of the ensuing papers on wetlands in drylands.

On the need for integrating cancer into the One Health perspective

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 09:16:47

de Antoine Dujon, Joel S. Brown, Delphine Destoumieux‐Garzón, Marion Vittecoq, Rodrigo Hamede, Aurelie Tasiemski, Justine Boutry, Sophie Tissot, Catherine Alix‐Panabieres, Pascal Pujol, et al.
In Evolutionary Applications, 14(11) (November, 2021), 2571-2575
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Recent pandemics have highlighted the urgency to connect disciplines studying animal, human, and environment health, that is, the “One Health” concept. The One Health approach takes a holistic view of health, but it has largely focused on zoonotic diseases while not addressing oncogenic processes. We argue that cancers should be an additional key focus in the One Health approach based on three factors that add to the well-documented impact of humans on the natural environment and its implications on cancer emergence. First, human activities are oncogenic to other animals, exacerbating the dynamics of oncogenesis, causing immunosuppressive disorders in wildlife with effects on host–pathogen interactions, and eventually facilitating pathogen spillovers. Second, the emergence of transmissible cancers in animal species (including humans) has the potential to accelerate biodiversity loss across ecosystems and to become pandemic. It is crucial to understand why, how, and when transmissible cancers emerge and spread. Third, translating knowledge of tumor suppressor mechanisms found across the Animal Kingdom to human health offers novel insights into cancer prevention and treatment strategies.

Reducing publication delay to improve the efficiency and impact of conservation science

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 17:44:08

de Alec P. Christie, Thomas B. White, Philip Martin, Silviu O. Petrovan, Andrew J. Bladon, Andrew E. Bowkett, Nick A. Littlewood, Anne-Christine Mupepele, Ricardo Rocha, Katherine A. Sainsbury, et al.
In bioRxiv, Online (2021), 30
En ligne : biorxiv.org[...]

Evidence-based decision making is most effective with comprehensive access to scientific studies. If studies face delays or barriers to being published, the useful information they contain may not reach decision-makers in a timely manner. This represents a potential problem for mission-oriented disciplines where access to the latest data is paramount to ensure effective actions are deployed. We sought to analyse the severity of publication delay in conservation science — a field that requires urgent action to prevent the loss of biodiversity. We used the Conservation Evidence database to assess the length of publication delay (time from finishing data collection to publication) in the literature that tests the effectiveness of conservation interventions. From 7,415 peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed studies of conservation interventions published over eleven decades, we find that the mean publication delay (time from completing data collection to publication) was 3.6 years and varied by conservation subject — a smaller delay was observed for studies focussed on the management of captive animals. Publication delay was significantly smaller for studies in the non-journal literature (typically non-peer-reviewed) compared to studies published in scientific journals. Although we found publication delay has marginally increased over time (1912-2020), this change was weak post-1980s. Publication delay also varied inconsistently between studies on species with different IUCN Red List statuses and there was little evidence that studies on more threatened species were subject to a smaller delay. We discuss the possible drivers of publication delay and present suggestions for scientists, funders, publishers, and practitioners to reduce the time taken to publish studies. Although our recommendations are aimed at conservation science, they are highly relevant to other mission-driven disciplines where the rapid dissemination of scientific findings is important.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.

Impact of mosquito control operations on waterbirds in a Camargue nature reserve

Tue, 9 Nov 2021 09:20:12

de Brigitte Poulin, Claire Tetrel, Gaëtan Lefebvre
In Wetlands Ecology and Management, Online (October, 2021)
En ligne : rdcu.be[...]

The Domaine de la Palissade is a 700-ha nature reserve located at the mouth of the Rhône river in southern France. Since 2006, the tidal wetlands have been sprayed with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) and water level fluctuations minimized to reduce mosquito nuisance. Aerial spraying of VectoBac® 12AS (32 ITU/ha) is carried out 10 to 23 times a year, whenever Ochlerotatus caspius and Oc. detritus larvae develop, covering between 611 and 1937 cumulated hectares. Long-term trends (2000–2013) in monthly abundance of 50 bird species were compared with two nearby nature reserves that served as controls. A significant decrease in abundance of eight species (from 1958 to 941 monthly counts) was attributed to mosquito control operations and more specifically to: (1) aircraft disturbance caused by aerial spraying in a proportion of 36%, affecting mostly ducks; (2) stabilization of water levels in a proportion of 34%, affecting mostly grebes; and/or (3) reduced food resources caused by Bti effects in a proportion of 30%, affecting mostly waders. The European coot, affected negatively by all three factors, suffered the highest decline. Alternatively, the lower water levels and higher salinity resulting from the reduced exchanges with the Rhône River had a positive impact on five species, mostly gull and shorebirds (from 201 to 280 monthly observations). Overall, this study suggests a 23% significant decrease in waterbird abundance due to mosquito control, in spite of the collaboration between site managers and the operator of mosquito control to minimize negative effects on the non-target fauna.

Characterization and diversity of Babesia sp. YLG, a new member of the Peircei group infecting Mediterranean yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis)

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 14:36:39

de Claire Bonsergent, Marion Vittecoq, Carole Leray, Louisiane Burkart, Karen D. McCoy, Laurence Malandrin
In Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, Online (October, 2021), 101852
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Avian infecting piroplasms are largely under-studied compared to other hemoparasites, and this paucity of information has blurred our phylogenetic and biological comprehension of this important group as a whole. In the present study, we detected and characterized Babesia from yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) chicks from a colony in southern France. Based on morphological and molecular characterizations, a new Babesia species belonging to the Peircei group, a clade of avian-specific piroplasms, was identified. Due to the complexity of species delineations and the low number of parasites characterized in this clade to date, a species name was not yet attributed; we refer to it for now as Babesia sp. YLG (Yellow-Legged Gull). High prevalence (85% and 58% in 2019 and 2020, respectively) and high parasitemia (up to 20% of parasitized erythrocytes) were recorded in chicks, without any obvious clinical signs of infection. Although the 16 isolates had identical 18S rRNA gene sequences, 6 genetic variants were described based on partial cox1 sequencing, with evidence of chicks co-infected by two variants. Transmission of Babesia sp. YLG via the soft tick Ornithodoros maritimus is discussed.

Effect of inter-annual meteorological fluctuations and wild boar disturbance on the vegetation of Mediterranean temporary ponds

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 10:47:33

de Maria Carmela Caria, Patrick Grillas, Giovanni Rivieccio, Simonetta Bagella, Péter Török
In Applied Vegetation Science, 24(4) (October, 2021)
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Which are the effects of inter-annual meteorological fluctuations on plant species richness and vegetation dynamics in Mediterranean temporary ponds, shallow wetlands characterized by alternating phases of drought and flooding? Which are the effects of wild boar disturbance? How do the responses of specialist or non-specialist species of the habitat differ?
Location: NW Sardinia Island (Italy).
Methods: We assessed plant cover during six years within one 60 cm × 60 cm quadrat in each of five areas. To measure the effect of inter-annual meteorological fluctuations on vegetation, we used two indices: the evapotranspiration and the synthetic agrometeorological indicator. To quantify the effect of disturbance by boars, we compared two treatments: disturbed and non-disturbed (located outside and inside 1.5 m × 1.5 m exclosures respectively). As a whole, we monitored 60 plots (6 years × 2 treatments × 5 replications). We analyzed data using ANOVA, PERMANOVA and BIO-ENV.
Results: Plant species richness and composition showed significant differences between years and treatments. Species composition was correlated with the evapotranspiration before the vegetative peak during the last period and with the agrometeorological indicator during the whole vegetative period. Specialist species showed much weaker growth, quantified as cover, in the drier years. Starting from the third survey year, plant richness and cover of specialist species were significantly higher in disturbed than in not-disturbed plots. The extent of bare soil generally was not affected by the treatment.
Conclusion: Meteorological fluctuations affect plant species composition and vegetation dynamics in Mediterranean temporary ponds. The sensitivity of specialist species could make them particularly vulnerable to climate change. Nevertheless, they are resilient to unpredictable disturbances such as burrowing by wild boar. However, our results concerning the positive impact of wild boar disturbance on the vegetation cannot be generalized. Elsewhere, the lack of hunting activity could also be a problem for these habitats.

Grazing in temporary paddocks with hardy breed horses (Konik polski) improved species-rich grasslands restoration in artificial embankments of the Rhône river (Southern France)

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 08:27:18

de Cannelle Moinardeau, François Mesléard, Hervé Ramone, Thierry Dutoit
In Global Ecology and Conservation, Online (October, 2021), 16
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Extensive horse grazing with hardy breeds is largely used in conservation management for restoring species-rich semi-natural grasslands in Europe. As an example, the Donzère-Mondragon Rhône river embankments (south-eastern France) where horse grazing with Konik polski succeeded to maintain high species richness in patches of open and short grassland, but failed for patches of tall grassland dominated by the grass tussock species Brachypodium phoenicoides. In response, an increase of herd density by the creation of temporary paddocks was applied in tall grassland patches. Grazing pressure over time between patches was estimated via GPS fixed to mares, biomass, plant species richness measurements and from multispectral photographs, the normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was calculated. Finally, telemetric data were collected. We wondered if the use of extensive horse grazing with temporary paddocks occupation, increase plant species richness. After three years, our results show that the increase in stocking rate enabled a significant increase of plant species richness in the tall grassland patches, with a significant decline of B. phoenicoides in all paddocks. The NDVI was strongly correlated with herbaceous biomass and plant species richness, while the number of GPS points indicating the position of the mares was higher in areas where the NDVI was high. These results are discussed for improving horse grazing conservation systems efficiency on grasslands established in anthropized sites such as embankments and the use of the NDVI as an appropriate tool to help decision-making for large-scale applications.

Foreseen impact of climate change on temporary ponds located along a latitudinal gradient in Morocco

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 09:36:30

de Patrick Grillas, Laïla Rhazi, Gaëtan Lefebvre, Mohammed El Madihi, Brigitte Poulin
In Inland Waters, Online (Septembre, 2021), 1-16
En ligne : www.tandfonline.com[...]

Wetlands have been declining worldwide, with an estimated 64–71% loss over the last century. Climate change is increasing pressure on wetlands, aﬀecting their hydrology, and Mediterranean temporary ponds could be particularly vulnerable to these changes. We studied the expected changes in hydrology and plant community according to climatic change scenarios in 18 temporary ponds distributed in 6 areas along a latitudinal and climatic gradient in Morocco (750 km; 4° latitudinal gradient). Richness of pond species was signiﬁcantly correlated with water level and pond hydroperiod and showed a strong decline from north to south along with increased water stress. Using the Mar-O-Sel software (mar-o-sel.net), we simulated the future evolution of water balance and wetland hydroperiod (duration and frequency of ﬂooding) in these ponds for mid- and late-21st century. Climate projections were estimated based on 2 Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios assuming a stabilization (RCP4.5) or increase (RCP8.5) in greenhouse gas emissions. The mean water deﬁcit of the ponds currently ranges between −1380 and −1812 mm/yr and would increase by 16–67% in 2100 under the RCP8.5 scenarios. Pond richness is expected to decrease by 8–15 species in 2100, depending on area, as a result of shorter projected hydroperiods. Severity of change was not related to location of the ponds along the latitudinal (aridity) gradient, but rather to the interaction between the size of their catchment area and the thickness of the permeable soil layer.

The color of greater flamingo feathers fades when no cosmetics are applied

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 17:48:48

de Maria Cecilia Chiale, Miguel A. Rendon, Sophie Labaude, Anne-Sophie Deville, Juan Garrido-Fernandez, Antonio Pérez-Gálvez, Araceli Garrido, Manuel Rendón-Martos, Arnaud Béchet, Juan A. Amat
In Ecology and Evolution, Online (September, 2021), 7
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Greater flamingos use cosmetic coloration by spreading uropygial secretions pigmented with carotenoids over their feathers, which makes the plumage redder. Because flamingos inhabit open environments that receive direct solar radiation during daytime, and carotenoids bleach when exposed to solar radiation, we expected that the plumage color would fade if there is no maintenance for cosmetic purposes. Here, we show that the concentrations of pigments inside feathers and on the surface of feathers were correlated, as well as that there was a correlation between the concentrations of pigments in the uropygial secretions and on the surface of feathers. There was fading in color (becoming less red) in feathers that received direct solar radiation when there was no plumage maintenance, but not so in others maintained in darkness. When we controlled for the initial color of feathers, the feathers of those individuals with higher concentration of pigments on the feather surfaces were those that lost less coloration after experimental exposure of feathers to sunny conditions. These results indicate that exposure to sunlight is correlated with the fading of feather color, which suggests that individuals need to regularly apply makeup to be more colorful. These results also reinforce the view that these birds use cosmetic coloration as a signal amplifier of plumage color. This may be important in species using highly variable habitats, such as wetlands, since the conditions experienced when molting may differ from those when the signal should be functional, usually months after molting.

La Grue cendrée en france. Migration et hivernage. Saison 2020-2021

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 09:16:52

de Jocelyn Champagnon, Collectif Grus Gascogna, Patrick Dulau, Alain Gendeau, Sébastien Merle, Alain Salvi
In La Grue cendrée en France (Septembre 2021), 16
En ligne : champagne-ardenne.lpo.fr[...]

Ce document retrace succinctement la migration et fait un point précis sur les effectifs hivernants en France pour la saison 2020-2021.

Towards unravelling the Rosette agent enigma: Spread and emergence of the co-invasive host-pathogen complex, Pseudorasbora parva-Sphaerothecum destruens

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 10:18:44

de Combe Marine, Cherif Emira, Charrier Amélie, Barbey Bruno, Chague Martine, Carrel Georges, Chasserieau Céline, Foissy Jean-Michel, Gerard Barbara, Gozlan Zachary, et al.
In Science of The Total Environment, 806(2) (September, 2021)
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

The emergence of non-native fungal pathogens is a growing threat to global health, biodiversity, conservation biology, food security and the global economy. Moreover, a thorough understanding of the spread and emergence of pathogens among invasive and native host populations, as well as genetic analysis of the structure of co-invasive host populations, is crucial in terms of conservation biology and management strategies. Here we combined extensive catchment sampling, molecular detection tools and genomic signatures to i) assess the prevalence of the rosette agent Sphaerothecum destruens in invasive and native fish populations in contrasting french regions, and ii) characterize the genetic diversity and population structure of its co-invasive and asymptomatic carrier Pseudorasbora parva. Although S. destruens was not detected in all the fish collected its presence in contrasting freshwater ecosystems suggests that the disease may already be widespread in France. Furthermore, our results show that the detection of S. destruens DNA in its asymptomatic carrier P. parva is still limited. Finally, we found that P. parva populations show a homogeneous genetic and geographical structuring, which raises the possibility of the occurrence of successive introduction events in France from their native and invasive range.

Geographical variation in pace-of-life in a long-distance migratory bird: implications for population management

Wed, 1 Sep 2021 16:37:46

de Timothée Schwartz, Aurélien Besnard, Jesus M. Aviles, Teresa Catry, Andrzej Gorski, Orsolya Kiss, Deseada Parejo, Edmunds Račinskis, Laimonas Sniauksta, Milda Šniaukštienė, et al.
In Oecologia, 197 (August, 2021), 167–178
En ligne : doi.org[...]

Life-history theory predicts that animals should develop adaptive trade-offs between survival and reproduction to maximize their fitness. This results in a continuum of life-history strategies among species, ranging from slow to fast paces-of-life. The optimal pace-of-life has been shown to vary within environmental gradients, with a commonly observed pattern of a slow-to-fast continuum from the tropics to the poles. Within species, pace-of-life variability has however received much less attention. In this study, we investigated whether or not the pace-of-life of populations within a species follows the expected slow–fast continuum associated with latitude. We analysed the variability of life-history strategies among populations of the European roller Coracias garrulus, a long-distance migratory species, comparing breeding parameters and adult survival between populations across a latitudinal gradient. The findings showed a negative correlation between survival and clutch size in roller populations, with a slower pace-of-life in the northern populations and a faster pace-of-life in the southern populations: a reverse gradient to what might be expected from inter-specific studies. These results suggest that northern populations would benefit from measures enhancing adult survival probability, such as reduction in harvesting rates, while southern populations would respond better to actions favouring reproductive success, such as nesting site provisioning. This study highlights that life-history traits can vary substantially between populations of a single species with a large latitudinal breeding range, and pinpoint how knowledge about this variability may be key in anticipating different populations’ responses to threats as well as to conservation strategies.

Machine learning is a powerful tool to study the effect of cancer on species and ecosystems

Mon, 6 Sep 2021 15:37:39

de Antoine M. Dujon, Marion Vittecoq, Georgina Bramwell, Frederic Thomas, Beata Ujvari
In Methods in Ecology and Evolution, Online (August, 2021), 2041-210X.13703
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Cancer is an understudied but important process in wildlife. Cancerous cells are proposed to have had significant effect on the evolution of metazoan species due to their negative effect on host fitness. However, gaining knowledge on the impact of cancer on species and ecosystems is currently relatively slow as it requires expertise in both ecology and oncology. The field can greatly benefit from automation to reduce the need of excessive manpower and analyse complex ecological datasets.
In this commentary, we examine how machine learning has been used to gain knowledge on oncogenic processes in wildlife. Using a landscape ecology approach, we explore spatial scales ranging from the size of a molecule up to whole ecosystems and detail, for each level, how machine learning has been used, or could contribute to obtain insights on cancer in wildlife populations and ecosystems.
We illustrate how machine learning is a powerful toolbox to conduct studies at the interface of ecology and oncology. We provide guidance for the readers of both fields on how to implement machine learning tools in their research and identify directions to move the field forward using this promising technology. We demonstrate how applying machine learning to complex ecological datasets will (a) contribute to quantitating the effect of cancer at different life stages in wildlife; (b) allow the mining of long-term datasets to understand the spatiotemporal variability of cancer risk factors and (c) contribute to mitigating cancer risk factors and the conservation of endangered species.
With this study, we aim to facilitate the use of machine learning to wildlife species and to encourage discussion between the scientists of the fields of oncology and ecology. We highlight the importance of international and pluridisciplinary collaborations to collect high-quality datasets on which efficient machine learning algorithms can be trained.

Temporal trends and determinants of fish biomass in two contrasting natural lake systems: insights from a spring long-term monitoring scheme

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 15:10:58

de Anastasios Bounas, Giorgos Catsadorakis, Irene Koutseri, Harris Nikolaou, Delphine Nicolas, Myrsini Malakou, Alain Jean Crivelli
In Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, 422 (2021), 28
En ligne : www.kmae-journal.org[...]

Freshwater fish declines are triggered by a suite of anthropogenic threats, including habitat degradation, climate and land use change, biological invasions, pollution and overfishing. Robust monitoring schemes are needed to understand and detect any effects of different factors on freshwater fish abundance and to be able to predict and respond to potential stressors. Here, we used standardized biomass-per-unit-effort (BPUE) data deriving from gillnet sampling over a 34-year period in the two Prespa Lakes and determined species trends using general additive models coupled with structural change models. Furthermore, the influence of seven environmental variables was assessed for each fish species using an analytical approach based on random forests. We showed that the total annual BPUE is increasing in Lake Mikri Prespa whereas it is stable in Megali Prespa and that the relative BPUE of introduced species in the former is increasing through the years. Differences in the lakes' trophic status were reflected in species trend patterns. Random forests showed that air temperature, the introduction of the invasive Lepomis gibbosus, predation and water management played a role in shaping species biomass in Mikri Prespa whereas abiotic factors are the main drivers of biomass changes in Megali Prespa. Our results provide empirical evidence on the importance of long-term monitoring in distinguishing between direct and indirect effects of large-scale stressors on fish abundance as well as insights towards sustaining the integrity of fish communities.

Gap analysis of the Ramsar site network at 50: over 150 important Mediterranean sites for wintering waterbirds omitted

Wed, 7 Jul 2021 14:08:13

de Nadège Popoff, Elie Gaget, Arnaud Béchet, Laura Dami, Pierre Defos Du Rau, Ilse Geijzendorffer, Anis Guelmami, Jean-Yves Mondain-Monval, Christian Perennou, Marie Suet, et al.
In Biodiversity and conservation, 30 (July, 2021), 19
En ligne : link.springer.com[...]

The Mediterranean Basin is a biodiversity hotspot. Wetlands make a key contribution to this status, but many of them remain outside the Ramsar network fifty years after the establishment of the Ramsar Convention. Here we evaluate the extent to which the Mediterranean Ramsar network covers wetlands of international importance for wintering waterbirds using the Ramsar Convention criteria 2 (species of conservation concern), 5 (> 20,000 waterbirds) and 6 (1% of a population). These criteria were applied to 4186 sites in 24 Mediterranean countries using counts of 145 wintering waterbird species from 1991 to 2017. We identified 161 sites of international importance for waterbirds that have not yet been declared as Ramsar sites, which could be added to the 180 current Mediterranean Ramsar sites established based on waterbird criteria (criteria 5 and/or 6). Among these sites, a subset of 32 very important sites reached double the required level for at least one criterion and 95 were not protected by any site conservation status. Coastal wetlands represented half of the Ramsar gap for waterbirds. We identified that an additional 1218 monitored sites could be provisionally considered as internationally important and thus require more survey efforts to assess their status. This study highlights a lack of participation of the Mediterranean countries to build the Ramsar network for wetland protection. Our results should help policymakers and managers to prioritize future Ramsar site designation, notably in the Middle East and Western European region where important gaps were identified.

Economic costs of invasive alien species across Europe

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 15:30:56

de Phillip J. Haubrock, Anna J. Turbelin, Ross N. Cuthbert, Ana Novoa, Nigel G. Taylor, Elena Angulo, Liliana Ballesteros-Mejia, Thomas W. Bodey, César Capinha, Christophe Diagne, et al.
In NeoBiota, 67 (July, 2021), 153-190
En ligne : hal.archives-ouvertes.fr[...]

Biological invasions continue to threaten the stability of ecosystems and societies that are dependent on their services. Whilst the ecological impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) have been widely reported in recent decades, there remains a paucity of information concerning their economic impacts. Europe has strong trade and transport links with the rest of the world, facilitating hundreds of IAS incursions, and largely centralised decision-making frameworks. The present study is the first comprehensive and detailed effort that quantifies the costs of IAS collectively across European countries and examines temporal trends in these data. In addition, the distributions of costs across countries, socioeconomic sectors and taxonomic groups are examined, as are socio-economic correlates of management and damage costs. Total costs of IAS in Europe summed to US140.20billion(oreuro116.61billion)between1960and2020,withthemajority(60140.20billion(oreuro116.61billion)between1960and2020,withthemajority(60140.20 billion (or euro116.61 billion) between 1960 and 2020, with the majority (60%) being damage-related and impacting multiple sectors. Costs were also geographically widespread but dominated by impacts in large western and central European countries, i.e. the UK, Spain, France, and Germany. Human population size, land area, GDP, and tourism were significant predictors of invasion costs, with management costs additionally predicted by numbers of introduced species, research effort and trade. Temporally, invasion costs have increased exponentially through time, with up to US23.58 billion (euro19.64 billion) in 2013, and US$139.56 billion (euro116.24 billion) in impacts extrapolated in 2020. Importantly, although these costs are substantial, there remain knowledge gaps on several geographic and taxonomic scales, indicating that these costs are severely underestimated. We, thus, urge increased and improved cost reporting for economic impacts of IAS and coordinated international action to prevent further spread and mitigate impacts of IAS populations.

Economic costs of invasive alien species in the Mediterranean basin

Mon, 6 Sep 2021 15:37:29

de Melina Kourantidou, Ross N. Cuthbert, Phillip J. Haubrock, Ana Novoa, Nigel G. Taylor, Boris Leroy, César Capinha, D Renault, Elena Angulo, Christophe Diagne, et al.
In NeoBiota, 67 (July, 2021), 427-458
En ligne : hal.archives-ouvertes.fr[...]

Invasive alien species (IAS) negatively impact the environment and undermine human well-being, often resulting in considerable economic costs. The Mediterranean basin is a culturally, socially and economically diverse region, harbouring many IAS that threaten economic and societal integrity in multiple ways. This paper is the first attempt to collectively quantify the reported economic costs of IAS in the Mediterranean basin, across a range of taxonomic, temporal and spatial descriptors. We identify correlates of costs from invasion damages and management expenditures among key socioeconomic variables, and determine network structures that link countries and invasive taxonomic groups. The total reported invasion costs in the Mediterranean basin amounted to $27.3 billion, or $3.6 billion when only realised costs were considered, and were found to have occurred over the last three decades. Our understanding of costs of invasions in the Mediterranean was largely limited to a few, primarily western European countries and to terrestrial ecosystems, despite the known presence of numerous high-impact aquatic invasive taxa. The vast majority of costs were attributed to damages or losses from invasions ($25.2 billion) and were mostly driven by France, Spain and to a lesser extent Italy and Libya, with significantly fewer costs attributed to management expenditure ($1.7 billion). Overall, invasion costs increased through time, with average annual costs between 1990 and 2017 estimated at $975.5 million. The lack of information from a large proportion of Mediterranean countries, reflected in the spatial and taxonomic connectivity analysis and the relationship of costs with socioeconomic variables, highlights the limits of the available data and the research effort needed to improve a collective understanding of the different facets of the costs of biological invasions. Our analysis of the reported costs associated with invasions in the Mediterranean sheds light on key knowledge gaps and provides a baseline for a Mediterranean-centric approach towards building policies and designing coordinated responses. In turn, these could help reach socially desirable outcomes and efficient use of resources invested in invasive species research and management.

Evidence for the existence of a new genus Chlamydiifrater gen. nov. inside the family Chlamydiaceae with two new species isolated from flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus): Chlamydiifrater phoenicopteri sp. nov. and Chlamydiifrater volucris sp. nov.

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 12:34:43

de F. Vorimore, M. Hölzer, E. M. Liebler-Tenorio, L. -M. Barf, S. Delannoy, Marion Vittecoq, R. Wedlarski, A. Lécu, S. Scharf, Y. Blanchard, et al.
In Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 44(4) (July, 2021), 15
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

The family Chlamydiaceae currently comprises a single genus Chlamydia, with 11 validly published species and seven more taxa. It includes the human pathogens Chlamydia (C.) trachomatis, C. pneumoniae and C. psittaci, a zoonotic agent causing avian chlamydiosis and human psittacosis, as well as other proven or potential pathogens in ruminants, birds, snakes, reptiles and turtles. During routine testing of 15 apparently healthy captive flamingos in a zoo in 2011, an atypical strain of Chlamydiaceae was detected by real-time PCR of cloacal swab samples. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed high similarity to the uncultured Chlamydiales bacterium clone 122, which previously had been found in gulls. As more samples were collected during annual campaigns of the flamingo ringing program in southern France from 2012 to 2015, Chlamydiaceae-specific DNA was detected by PCR in 30.9% of wild birds. From these samples, three strains were successfully grown in cell culture. Ultrastructural analysis, comparison of 16S and 23S rRNA gene sequences, whole-genome analysis based on de novo hybrid-assembled sequences of the new strains as well as subsequent calculation of taxonomic parameters revealed that the relatedness of the flamingo isolates to established members of the family Chlamydiaceae was sufficiently distant to indicate that the three strains belong to two distinct species within a new genus. Based on these data, we propose the introduction of Chlamydiifrater gen. nov., as a new genus, and Chlamydiifrater phoenicopteri sp. nov. and Chlamydiifrater volucris sp. nov., as two new species of the genus.

Découverte de Conocephalus conocephalus (L., 1767) en Camargue et pistes de recherche de nouvelles stations continentales (Orthoptera : Tettigoniidae)

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 15:10:55

de Mathieu Pélissié, Marc Thibault
In Matériaux orthoptériques et entomocénotiques, 26 (2021), 131-136

De façon indépendante et presque simultanée, les deux auteurs de cette note ont signalé la présence de Conocephalus cono- cephalus (Linnaeus, 1767) sur différentes stations de Camargue durant l’automne 2020. Ces observations constituent les pre- mières mentions de l’espèce pour le département des Bouches-du-Rhône et la région Occitanie. L’existence de multiples sta- tions largement réparties dans le delta du Rhône ainsi que de juvéniles sur au moins l’une d’entre elles indique une implanta- tion pérenne voire potentiellement assez ancienne de l’espèce. La recherche de nouvelles stations est encouragée afin de définir les limites de sa distribution dans le domaine biogéographique méditerranéen de la France continentale ainsi que de mieux éva- luer son état de conservation. Dans ce but, un modèle de niche a été construit et suggère que les conditions climatiques du litto- ral varois et d’une partie du littoral du Languedoc et du Roussillon sont actuellement compatibles avec la présence de l’espèce sous réserve de l’existence de milieux favorables. Mots clés. Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Conocephalus conocephalus, France continentale, Camargue, modèle de niche / Both authors of this notice reported independently and almost simultaneously the presence of Conocephalus conocephalus (Linnaeus, 1767) on different localities in the Camargue during autumn 2020. These observations represent the first records of the species in the Bouches-du-Rhone department and the Occitanie region. The existence of multiple stations widely distributed in the Rhone delta as well as juveniles found in at least one of them reveal a perennial or potentially quite ancient establishment of the species. The search for new stations is promoted to define the limits of its distribution in the Mediterranean biogeographic region of mainland France and to better assess its conservation status. To this end, an environmental niche model has been built and suggests climatic conditions of the Var and parts of the Languedoc and Roussillon coasts are currently congruent with the existence of the species provided that suitable habitats occur.

Microlépidoptères nouveaux ou peu connus de la faune de France. (Lepidoptera, Bucculatrigidae, Gracillariidae, Elachistidae, Coleophoridae, Gelechiidae, Pterophoridae)

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 15:10:50

de Jacques Nel, Gérard Labonne, Lionel Taurand, Marc Thibault, Thierry Varenne
In RARE. Revue de l'Association roussillonnaise d'entomologie, 30(3) (2021), 171 – 181

Cinq espèces sont nouvelles pour la France : Bucculatrix phagnalella Walsingham, 1907 [Bucculatrigidae], Kasyniana griseosericeella (Ragonot, 1879) [Oecophoridae], Depressaria albarracinella Corley, 2017 [Depressariidae], Coleophora changaica Reznik, 1975 [Coleophoridae] et Monochroa niphognatha (Gozmány, 1953) [Gelechiidae]. La présence de trois autres espèces est confirmée : Elachista wieseriella Huemer, 2000 [Elachistidae], Scrobipalpa clintoni Povolný, 1968 [Gelechiidae] et Aproaerema azosterella (Herrich-Schäffer, 1854) [Gelechiidae]. Aproaerema sangiella (Stainton, 1863) [Gelechiidae] est une nouvelle espèce pour la Corse. Le statut de « bona ssp. » est discuté et restauré pour Phyllonorycter baetica lobeliella Nel, 2009 [Gracillariidae]. Enfin, des précisions sont apportées sur la morphologie des genitalia mâles de Pterophorus ischnodactylus (Treitschke, 1835) [Pterophoridae].

Consequences of shortened hunting seasons by the Birds Directive on late winter teal Anas crecca abundance in France

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 15:10:32

de Matthieu Guillemain, David Vallecillo, Emilienne Grzegorczyk, Jean-Baptiste Mouronval, Michel Gauthier-Clerc, Alain Tamisier, Jocelyn Champagnon
In Wildlife Biology, 2021(3) (July, 2021), 8
En ligne : bioone.org[...]

The European Birds Directive (EBD) prevents hunting during spring migration, primarily to facilitate birds' use of habitats before and during the prenuptial journey. In line with the EBD requirements, the hunting season for waterfowl in southern France was shortened by two months during February–March since the mid-1950s. However, consequences of such hunting bans for late winter habitat use have not been evaluated. We investigated a 55-years dataset from a major international wintering ground to assess whether the EBD-related changes in hunting legislation have led to increased regional teal Anas crecca numbers during late winter. Teal abundance in the Camargue during late winter increased over the last decades: the ban on hunting in February was the best predictor of teal numbers during that month, leading to a sudden 50% increase in relative abundance. In March a more gradual temporal increase since the mid-1960 was instead recorded. Whether the increase in teal during late winter resulted from locally wintering birds or those from elsewhere stopping in the Camargue cannot be discerned. Nonetheless, the increase in teal numbers supports the basis for the EBD, in that a ban on hunting during late winter is associated with a greater use of habitats during this crucial part of the annual cycle, especially in February.

Specificity of diatom communities attached on the carapace of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis)

Tue, 6 Jul 2021 10:31:19

de Vincent Roubeix, Lucie Attia, Rémy Chavaux, Frank Very, Anthony Olivier, Luc Ector, Véronique Vassal
In Advances in Oceanography and Limnology, 12(1) (July 2021)
En ligne : www.pagepressjournals.org[...]

Periphytic diatoms growing on aquatic turtle carapaces provide an interesting example of biofouling on an animal substrate. This study dealt with the question of the specificity of epizoic diatom communities for the case of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) and across five water bodies in South-Eastern France. 375 diatom taxa have been identified on the European pond turtle carapace. The results showed that the epizoic communities of the five sites were significantly different from each other. The epizoic diatom communities could be clearly distinguished from epilithic and epiphytic communities only in two out of five sites. The differences in composition at the two sites resulted from the greater abundance of some species and life forms. However, the characteristic pattern of diatom communities on the carapaces was not the same at the two sites. It therefore appeared that the European pond turtle’s carapace did not harbour specific diatom communities and can rather be considered a neutral substrate.

Endorheic Waterbodies Delineation From Remote Sensing as a Tool for Immersed Surface Topography

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 15:30:26

de Carole Delenne, Jean-Stephane Bailly, Antoine Rousseau, Renaud Hostache, Olivier Boutron
In IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, Online (May, 2021), 1-5
En ligne : ieeexplore.ieee.org[...]

For several decades, it becomes possible to delineate waterbodies and their dynamics from optical or radar images, that are now available at high spatial and temporal resolutions. We present here an interpolation approach that takes benefits from this waterbodies delineation in endorheic areas. It consists in computing isovalue contour lines to improve topography estimates classically obtained from measurement points only. The approach, based on a minimization problem, uses thin plate spline (TPS) interpolation functions, the coefficients of which are determined along with the unknown water level of each curve. Results obtained on a generated topography show that this approach, applied with three contour-line curves, yields a lower root mean square error (RMSE) using only one measurement point compared to the one obtained with nine points and the classical approach.

Hydro-Saline Dynamics of a Shallow Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon: Complementary Information from Short and Long Term Monitoring

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 15:30:23

de Olivier Boutron, Caroline Paugam, Emilie Luna-Laurent, Philippe Chauvelon, Damien Sous, Vincent Rey, Samuel Meulé, Yves Chérain, Anais Cheiron, Emmanuelle Migne
In Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 9(7) (July, 2021), 701
En ligne : www.mdpi.com[...]

The Vaccarès Lagoon System, located in the central part of the Rhône Delta (France), is a complex shallow coastal lagoon, exposed to a typical Mediterranean climate and a specific hydrological regime affected by man-controlled exchanges with the sea and agricultural drainage channels. In this article, we report the results obtained by a series of monitoring programs, with different spatial and temporal resolutions. Long-term datasets from 1999 to 2019 with data collected on a monthly basis and a high spatial resolution highlighted the significant spatial heterogeneity in salinity regimes, and helped to determine the long-term evolution of the total mass of dissolved salt. High-frequency surveys allowed to characterize the water levels and salinity dynamics seasonal response to (i) the exchanges with the Mediterranean Sea, (ii) the exchanges with agricultural drainage channels, and (iii) the rain and evaporation. In addition, wind effects on salinity variations are also explored. This work shows how different spatial and temporal monitoring strategies provide complementary information on the dynamic of such a complex system. Results will be useful and provide insight for the management of similar lagoon systems, accommodating for both human activities and ecological stakes in the context of global change. / Un article sur l'Hydrosystème Vaccarès dans lequel les auteurs ont exploité les différentes mesures existantes sur ce site pour étudier les dynamiques hydro-salines à différentes échelles spatiales et temporelles (quelques heures vs 20 années). les auteurs ont également utilisé toutes ces mesures pour quantifier pour la première fois les contributions respectives à cette dynamique, en termes de volumes, des eaux de drainage agricole, des échanges avec la mer, de la pluie et de l'évaporation.

Demography, distribution, and threat assessment of the Spur-thighed Tortoise (Testudo graeca) in the Gediz Delta, Turkey (Reptilia: Testudines)

Wed, 26 May 2021 10:39:17

de Dilara Arslan, Anthony Olivier, Lisa Ernoul, Arnaud Béchet, Kerim Cicek
In Zoology in the Middle East, 67(3) (July, 2021), 1-12
En ligne : www.tandfonline.com[...]

The Spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with small and fragmented populations located around the Mediterranean basin. In Turkey, this species has remained poorly studied which hampers solid assessment of threats and conservation measures. We studied the spatial distribution, habitat use, and demography of the species in the Gediz Delta (Aegean coast of Turkey) between 2015 and 2017 with a specific capture-mark-recapture survey made in the Sazlıgöl marshes. A total of 114 individuals (20 juveniles, 62 males and 32 females) were captured and released in that period. Carapace length of adult females was on average higher (205.2±3.2 mm) than in adult males (190.9±2.3 mm). Sex ratio was biased with 1.94 males per female. Based on the capture-recapture histories of 65 individuals (3 juveniles, 37 males and 25 females) marked in 2015, we estimated the population size of the Sazlıgöl marsh population to be 137±23 individuals, which corresponds to a density of 5.7 individuals per ha. The main threats detected were agricultural activities, urbanisation and captures for the pet trade.

Context in Landscape Planning: Improving Conservation Outcomes by Identifying Social Values for a Flagship Species

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 15:30:27

de Lisa Ernoul, Angela Wardell-Johnson, Raphael Mathevet, Alain Sandoz, Olivier Boutron, Loic Willm, Stephan Arnassant, Arnaud Béchet
In Sustainability, 13(12) (June 2021), 6827
En ligne : www.mdpi.com[...]

Sustainable conservation planning depends on understanding local context including the way social values impact a landscape. Flamingos are used here as a ﬂagship species to focus the social values of a broad range of people living in and working in the Camargue in France. A survey questionnaire (n = 87) was used to identify the range of ways in which people value the landscape and their perception of effectiveness of ﬂamingo management strategies. Survey analysis was conducted through a multi-method approach, triangulating standard descriptive statistics, qualitative data analysis, and multivariate analysis applying numerical taxonomy. Applying numerical taxonomy allowed us to identify and deﬁne six social assemblages. Each assemblage had geographical characteristics with distinct values and perceptions in relation to management. The primary residence and geographic identity of the participants was deﬁning, showing clear value differences from participants living in different parts of the delta. The participants most frequently agreed that ﬂamingos contributed to the aesthetic, economic, biodiversity, and recreational values of the landscape. We show how identifying points of consensus and points in contest is necessary for navigating differences in values for conservation planning. This research shows the importance of the local social context in sustainably managing landscape change. /La planification d'une conservation durable dépend de la compréhension du contexte local, notamment de l'impact des valeurs sociales sur un paysage. Les flamants roses sont utilisés ici comme une espèce phare pour mettre l'accent sur les valeurs sociales d'un large éventail de personnes vivant et travaillant en Camargue. L'analyse de l'enquête montre que la résidence principale et l'identité géographique des participants ont été déterminantes, montrant des différences de valeurs claires entre les participants vivant dans différentes parties du delta. Les participants ont le plus souvent exprimaient que les flamants roses contribuaient aux valeurs esthétiques, économiques, de biodiversité et récréatives du paysage. Nous montrons comment l'identification des points de consensus et des points de contestation est nécessaire pour naviguer dans les différences de valeurs pour la planification de la conservation. Cette recherche montre l'importance du contexte social local dans la gestion durable du changement de paysage.

Assessing Management Perceptions Linked to a Flagship Species: A New Approach to Increase Landscape Management Legitimacy and Support

Tue, 8 Jun 2021 10:32:39

de Lisa Ernoul, Angela Wardell-Johnson, Raphael Mathevet, Alain Sandoz, Olivier Boutron, Loic Willm, Stephan Arnassant, Arnaud Béchet
In Coastal Management, 49(4) (June, 2021), 1-13
En ligne : www.tandfonline.com[...]

Integrated socio-ecological decision-making is important in improving legitimacy in management decisions through effective solutions that avert conflicts. This research examined social perceptions in landscape planning and management with regard to the Greater flamingo, a flagship species along the southern French Coast. A strategic delivery to a cross-section in a social catchment (n = 87) captured the perception and the recognition of management strategies through a survey questionnaire. Analysis was conducted through a multi-method approach, triangulating qualitative and quantitative results. Results show the importance of the attachment to flamingos in local landscapes. Knowledge on flamingo ecology was relatively high and participants perceived some of the regional management options to be unfavorable for flamingos. Participants identified threats to the species and expressed concern for the future of the flamingos, challenging the legitimacy of some landscape management decisions and planning policies. This research demonstrates the role of flagship species in stimulating reflection on landscape management, addressing both the ecological and human dimensions. Understanding social perceptions of biodiversity management objectives is fundamental for effective coastal conservation.

Global economic costs of aquatic invasive alien species

Wed, 26 May 2021 10:39:16

de Ross N. Cuthbert, Zarah Pattison, Nigel G. Taylor, Laura Verbrugge, Christophe Diagne, Danish A. Ahmed, Boris Leroy, Elena Angulo, Elizabeta Briski, César Capinha, et al.
In Science of The Total Environment, 775 (2021), 10
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Much research effort has been invested in understanding ecological impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) across ecosystems and taxonomic groups, but empirical studies about economic effects lack synthesis. Using a comprehensive global database, we determine patterns and trends in economic costs of aquatic IAS by examining: (i) the distribution of these costs across taxa, geographic regions and cost types; (ii) the temporal dynamics of global costs; and (iii) knowledge gaps, especially compared to terrestrial IAS. Based on the costs recorded from the existing literature, the global cost of aquatic IAS conservatively summed to US$345 billion, with the majority attributed to invertebrates (62%), followed by vertebrates (28%), then plants (6%). The largest costs were reported in North America (48%) and Asia (13%), and were principally a result of resource damages (74%); only 6% of recorded costs were from management. The magnitude and number of reported costs were highest in the United States of America and for semi-aquatic taxa. Many countries and known aquatic alien species had no reported costs, especially in Africa and Asia. Accordingly, a network analysis revealed limited connectivity among countries, indicating disparate cost reporting. Aquatic IAS costs have increased in recent decades by several orders of magnitude, reaching at least US$23 billion in 2020. Costs are likely considerably underrepresented compared to terrestrial IAS; only 5% of reported costs were from aquatic species, despite 26% of known invaders being aquatic. Additionally, only 1% of aquatic invasion costs were from marine species. Costs of aquatic IAS are thus substantial, but likely underreported. Costs have increased over time and are expected to continue rising with future invasions. We urge increased and improved cost reporting by managers, practitioners and researchers to reduce knowledge gaps. Few costs are proactive investments; increased management spending is urgently needed to prevent and limit current and future aquatic IAS damages.

Estimation of Bathymetry and Benthic Habitat Composition from Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Data (BIODIVERSITY) Using a Semi-Analytical Approach

Fri, 21 May 2021 09:16:30

de Audrey Minghelli, Sayoob Vadakke-Chanat, Malik Chami, Mireille Guillaume, Emmanuelle Migne, Patrick Grillas, Olivier Boutron
In Remote Sensing, 13(10) (May, 2021), 17
En ligne : www.mdpi.com[...]

The relevant beneﬁts of hyperspectral sensors for water column determination and seabed features mapping compared to multispectral data, especially in coastal areas, have been demonstrated in recent studies. In this study, we used hyperspectral satellite data in the accurate mapping of the bathymetry and the composition of water habitats for inland water. Particularly, the identiﬁcation of the bottom diversity for a shallow lagoon (less than 2 m in depth) was examined. Hyperspectral satellite data were simulated based on aerial hyperspectral imagery acquired above a lagoon, namely the Vaccarès lagoon (France), considering the spatial and spectral resolutions, and the signal-to-noise ratio of a satellite sensor, BIODIVERSITY, that is under study by the French space agency (CNES). Various sources of uncertainties such as inter-band calibration errors and atmospheric correction were considered to make the dataset realistic. The results were compared with a recently launched hyperspectral sensor, namely the DESIS sensor (DLR, Germany). The analysis of BIODIVERSITY-like sensor simulated data demonstrated the feasibility to satisfactorily estimate the bathymetry with a root-mean-square error of 0.28 m and a relative error of 14% between 0 and 2 m. In comparison to open coastal waters, the retrieval of bathymetry is a more challenging task for inland waters because the latter usually shows a high abundance of hydrosols (phytoplankton, SPM, and CDOM). The retrieval performance of seabed abundance was estimated through a comparison of the bottom composition with in situ data that were acquired by a recently developed imaging camera (SILIOS Technologies SA., France). Regression coefﬁcients for the retrieval of the fractional species abundances from the theoretical inversion and measurements were obtained to be 0.77 (underwater imaging camera) and 0.80 (in situ macrophytes data), revealing the potential of the sensor characteristics. By contrast, the comparison of the in situ bathymetry and macrophyte data with the DESIS inverted data showed that depth was estimated with an RSME of 0.38 m and a relative error of 17%, and the fractional species abundance was estimated to have a regression coefﬁcient of 0.68.

Priority list of biodiversity metrics to observe from space

Mon, 17 May 2021 10:27:37

de Andrew K. Skidmore, Nicholas C. Coops, Elnaz Neinavaz, Abebe Ali, Michael E. Schaepman, Marc Paganini, W. Daniel Kissling, Petteri Vihervaara, Roshanak Darvishzadeh, Hannes Feilhauer, et al.
In Nature Ecology & Evolution, 5 (2021), 896–906
En ligne : www.nature.com[...]

Monitoring global biodiversity from space through remotely sensing geospatial patterns has high potential to add to our knowledge acquired by field observation. Although a framework of essential biodiversity variables (EBVs) is emerging for monitoring biodiversity, its poor alignment with remote sensing products hinders interpolation between field observations. This study compiles a comprehensive, prioritized list of remote sensing biodiversity products that can further improve the monitoring of geospatial biodiversity patterns, enhancing the EBV framework and its applicability. The ecosystem structure and ecosystem function EBV classes, which capture the biological effects of disturbance as well as habitat structure, are shown by an expert review process to be the most relevant, feasible, accurate and mature for direct monitoring of biodiversity from satellites. Biodiversity products that require satellite remote sensing of a finer resolution that is still under development are given lower priority (for example, for the EBV class species traits). Some EBVs are not directly measurable by remote sensing from space, specifically the EBV class genetic composition. Linking remote sensing products to EBVs will accelerate product generation, improving reporting on the state of biodiversity from local to global scales.

Determinants of Legacy POPs Levels in the European Pond Turtle (Emys orbicularis) in the Camargue Wetland, France

Fri, 7 May 2021 18:49:18

de Louisiane Burkart, Anthony Olivier, Olivier Lourdais, Marion Vittecoq, Gabriel Blouin‐Demers, Fabrice Alliot, Clément Le Gac, Nicolas Martin, Aurélie Goutte
In Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 40(8) (May, 2021)
En ligne : setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Many banned persistent organic pollutants (POPs) remain for decades in the aquatic environment and can have harmful effects on long-lived predators because of their high bioaccumulation and biomagnification potentials. We investigated the occurrence and levels of 18 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 16 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in European pond turtles (n = 174) from April to July 2018 in the Camargue wetland, France. Although the Camargue was highly contaminated in previous decades, plasma occurrence and levels of POPs were very low: we were able to quantify only three of the 34 compounds we analyzed in more than 10% of the turtles. POP burdens did not differ between males and females and were uncorrelated with sampling date and body mass. We observed differences in POP burdens between turtles from the two sampling sites. One possible explanation is that the sampling sites were in different agricultural hydraulic system: plasma occurrence and levels were higher for PCB-52 and HCB in turtles captured in drainage channels, and for PCB-153 at the site that receives irrigation. Finally, the occurrence and levels of PCB 153 in turtles increased with age, likely because of bioaccumulation and much higher exposure 20-30 years ago than now. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the Virome of Quarantined Sugarcane Varieties and the Virome of Grasses Growing near the Quarantine Station

Tue, 25 May 2021 11:17:08

de Jean H. Daugrois, Denis Filloux, Charlotte Julian, Lisa Claude, Romain Ferdinand, Emmanuel Fernandez, Hugo Fontes, Philippe C. Rott, Philippe Roumagnac
In Viruses, 13(5) (2021), 17
En ligne : www.mdpi.com[...]

Visacane is a sugarcane quarantine station located in the South of France, far away from sugarcane growing areas. Visacane imports up to 100 sugarcane varieties per year, using safe control and conﬁnement measures of plants and their wastes to prevent any risk of pathogen spread outside of the facilities. Viruses hosted by the imported material are either known or unknown to cause disease in cultivated sugarcane. Poaceae viruses occurring in plants surrounding the quarantine glasshouse are currently unknown. These viruses could be considered as a source of new sugarcane infections and potentially cause new sugarcane diseases in cases of conﬁnement barrier failure. The aim of this study was to compare the plant virome inside and outside of the quarantine station to identify potential conﬁnement failures and risks of cross infections. Leaves from quarantined sugarcane varieties and from wild Poaceae growing near the quarantine were collected and processed by a metagenomics approach based on virion-associated nucleic acids extraction and library preparation for Illumina sequencing. While viruses belonging to the same virus genus or family were identiﬁed in the sugarcane quarantine and its surroundings, no virus species was detected in both environments. Based on the data obtained in this study, no virus movement between quarantined sugarcane and nearby grassland has occurred so far, and the conﬁnement procedures of Visacane appear to be properly implemented.

Wind tides and surface friction coefficient in semi-enclosed shallow lagoons

Tue, 25 May 2021 11:17:05

de Caroline Paugam, Damien Sous, Vincent Rey, Samuel Meulé, Vincent Faure, Olivier Boutron, Emilie Luna-Laurent, Emmanuelle Migne
In Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 257 (2021)
En ligne : hal.archives-ouvertes.fr[...]

The present paper is specifically focused on enclosed or semi-enclosed basins where the wind is the dominant driver of water surface tilting, leading to the so-called wind tide contributing to water levels rise. Wind-induced free surface tilting is studied using the 1-D steady form of the depth-averaged shallow water (Saint-Venant) momentum equation which reflects the depth-averaged local balance between surface slope and wind stress. Two contrasted field sites, the Berre and Vaccarès lagoons, have been monitored providing water level data along a reference axis. This study highlighted the occurence of wind tides at the two field sites. The bimodal wind exposure ensured the robustness of the observations, with non-linear but symmetric behaviors patterns observed in winds from opposite directions. It is observed that the higher the wind speed, the steeper the slope of the free surface in accordance with the well known basic trend. In addition, a significant effect of depth is observed, with greater surface tilting in the shallower lagoon. The data analysis confirmed the robustness of such a simple approach in the present context. Using the additional assumption of constant, i.e. wind-independent, drag coefficients (C D) allowed a good match with the observations for moderate wind speeds for both sites. However, the depth effect required the C D to be increased in the shallower basin. Classical empirical wind-dependent C D parameterizations provide better wind-tide predictions than the constant-C D approach in very strong wind conditions but totally failed in predicting surface tilting in the shallower site, suggesting that physical parameters other than wind speed should be taken into account for the C D parameterization in very shallow lagoons.

Phylogeny- and Abundance-Based Metrics Allow for the Consistent Comparison of Core Gut Microbiome Diversity Indices Across Host Species

Wed, 12 May 2021 10:46:36

de Alice Risely, Mark A. F. Gillingham, Arnaud Béchet, Stefan Brändel, Alexander C. Heni, Marco Heurich, Sebastian Menke, Marta B. Manser, Marco Tschapka, Wasimuddin, et al.
In Frontiers in Microbiology, 12 (2021)
En ligne : www.frontiersin.org[...]

The filtering of gut microbial datasets to retain high prevalence taxa is often performed to identify a common core gut microbiome that may be important for host biological functions. However, prevalence thresholds used to identify a common core are highly variable, and it remains unclear how they affect diversity estimates and whether insights stemming from core microbiomes are comparable across studies. We hypothesized that if macroecological patterns in gut microbiome prevalence and abundance are similar across host species, then we would expect that increasing prevalence thresholds would yield similar changes to alpha diversity and beta dissimilarity scores across host species datasets. We analysed eight 16S gene rRNA gut microbiome datasets collected from different host species to 1) compare macroecological patterns across datasets, including amplicon sequence variant (ASV) detection rate with sequencing depth and sample size, occupancy-abundance curves, and rank-abundance curves; 2) test whether increasing prevalence thresholds generate universal or host-species specific effects on alpha and beta diversity scores; and 3) test whether diversity scores from prevalence-filtered core communities correlate with unfiltered data. We found that gut microbiomes collected from diverse hosts demonstrated similar ASV detection rates with sequencing depth, yet required different sample sizes to sufficiently capture rare ASVs across the host population. This suggests that sample size rather than sequencing depth tends to limit the ability of studies to detect rare ASVs across the host population. Despite differences in the distribution and detection of rare ASVs, microbiomes exhibited similar occupancy-abundance and rank-abundance curves. Consequently, increasing prevalence thresholds generated remarkably similar trends in standardized alpha diversity and beta dissimilarity across species datasets until high thresholds above 70%. At this point, diversity scores tended to become unpredictable for some diversity measures. Moreover, high prevalence thresholds tended to generate diversity scores that correlated poorly with the original unfiltered data. Overall, we recommend that high prevalence thresholds over 70% are avoided, and promote the use of measures that account for phylogeny and abundance, because we show that these measures are insensitive to prevalence filtering and therefore allow for the consistent comparison of core gut microbiomes across studies without the need for prevalence filtering.

The impact of salinity on a saline water insect: Contrasting survival and energy budget

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 11:14:18

de Philippe Lambret, Lizanne Janssens, Robby Stoks
In Journal of Insect Physiology, 131 (May, 2021), 9
En ligne : www.sciencedirect.com[...]

Water salinity is a major driver of aquatic insects’ distribution. Saline species are usually generalists with high survival and performance at both low and high salinity levels. Yet, costs of high salinity may be underestimated as these are most often measured in terms of larval life history traits, while effects of larval stressors may only be detectable when looking at physiological traits and traits in the adult stage. Here, we assessed the lethal and sublethal physiological effects of embryonic and larval exposure to a range of salinity levels in the damselfly Lestes macrostigma, both during and after metamorphosis. This species inhabits temporary freshwaters where salinity increases during the drying phase. Salinity had no effect on egg hatching success within the range 2–9.5 g/L sea salt (conductivity range 3.45–14.52 mS/cm). With increasing salinity (up to 16 g/L, 23.35 mS/cm), growth rate decreased and larvae took longer to emerge and did so at a smaller size. Larval survival to metamorphosis increased with salinity up to 8 g/L (12.45 mS/cm) and then declined at 16 g/L. Exposure to salinity in the larval stage had no effect across metamorphosis on both the adult thorax muscle mass and flight performance, and the investment in immune function. Increasing salinity in the larval stage also had no effect on the energy available but increased the energy consumption in the adult stage, resulting in a lower net energy budget. These negative sublethal effects of increasing salinity hence bridged metamorphosis and contrasted with the mortality data, suggesting that the higher mortality at the low salinity levels selected for larvae with the best body condition. Our results highlight the importance of taking into account other life-history and physiological traits, besides mortality, ideally across different life stages, to better understand and predict consequences of increasing salinization on freshwater insects.

Key issues in Northwestern Mediterranean dry grassland restoration

Wed, 19 May 2021 12:24:02

de Elise Buisson, Tania De Almeida, Aure Durbecq, André J. Arruda, Christel Vidaller, Jean‐François Alignan, Tiago S. P. Toma, Manon C.M. Hess, Daniel Pavon, Francis Isselin‐Nondedeu, et al.
In Restoration Ecology, 29(S1) (April, 2021), 10
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Dry grasslands of the Northwestern Mediterranean Basin are seminatural species-rich ecosystems, composed of many annual species and some structuring perennial species. As these grasslands have been used as rangelands for centuries, human management (grazing; ﬁre regimes) is one of their main ecological and evolutionary drivers, along with the Mediterranean climate. Despite EU conservation policy, damage to such grasslands still occurs and efﬁcient ecological restoration is needed. This article reviews restoration constraints, effective techniques, and research perspectives for restoring them in the light of their ecological characteristics. Major restoration constraints speciﬁcally include (1) a poor contribution of the internal (seed bank) and external (seed rain) species pools, and (2) low establishment of some perennial species. The latter may be the result of the low seed quantity or quality of perennial species, stochastic or extended droughts, high soil nutrient content that may lead to competition (e.g. between weed and target species), inappropriate grazing management or ﬁre regimes leading to shrub encroachment, or the death of target species seedlings in early stages of restoration. Successful restoration techniques include seeding, transplanting, hay transfer, and timely soil transfer, all of which have to be adapted to regional plant phenology and to local Mediterranean climate. They must be combined with appropriate grazing or ﬁre management. Their success may depend on years with particular rainfall amounts or patterns or on particular target plant species. We discuss research perspectives contributing to a better understanding of seed dispersal, seedling recruitment, and soil processes and suggest the beneﬁts of using ecosystem engineer species.

Imputation of incomplete large-scale monitoring count data via penalized estimation

Fri, 9 Apr 2021 18:17:28

de Mohamed Dakki, Geneviève Robin, Marie Suet, Abdeljebbar Qninba, Mohammed A. El Agbani, Asmaâ Ouassou, Rhimou El Hamoumi, Hichem Azafzaf, Sami Rebah, Claudia Feltrup‐Azafzaf, et al.
In Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 12(6) (April, 2021)
En ligne : besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

In biodiversity monitoring, large datasets are becoming more and more widely available and are increasingly used globally to estimate species trends and conservation status. These large-scale datasets challenge existing statistical analysis methods, many of which are not adapted to their size, incompleteness and heterogeneity. The development of scalable methods to impute missing data in incomplete large-scale monitoring datasets is crucial to balance sampling in time or space and thus better inform conservation policies. We developed a new method based on penalized Poisson models to impute and analyse incomplete monitoring data in a large-scale framework. The method allows parameterization of (a) space and time factors, (b) the main effects of predictor covariates, as well as (c) space–time interactions. It also benefits from robust statistical and computational capability in large-scale settings. The method was tested extensively on both simulated and real-life waterbird data, with the findings revealing that it outperforms six existing methods in terms of missing data imputation errors. Applying the method to 16 waterbird species, we estimated their long-term trends for the first time at the entire North African scale, a region where monitoring data suffer from many gaps in space and time series. This new approach opens promising perspectives to increase the accuracy of species-abundance trend estimations. We made it freely available in the r package ‘lori’ (https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=lori) and recommend its use for large-scale count data, particularly in citizen science monitoring programmes.

Seventeen ‘extinct’ plant species back to conservation attention in Europe

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 16:46:39

de Thomas Abeli, Giulia Albani Rocchetti, Zoltán Barina, Ioannis Bazos, David Draper, Patrick Grillas, José María Iriondo, Emilio Laguna, Juan Carlos Moreno-Saiz, Fabrizio Bartolucci
In Nature Plants, 7 (March, 2021)
En ligne : www.nature.com[...]

Seventeen European endemic plant species were considered extinct, but improved taxonomic and distribution knowledge as well as ex situ collecting activities brought them out of the extinct status. These species have now been reported into a conservation framework that may promote legal protection and in situ and ex situ conservation.

Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance–Improving Conservation Outcomes

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 10:27:42

de R. T. Kingsford, G. Bino, C. M. Finlayson, D. Falster, J. A. Fitzsimons, D. E. Gawlik, N. J. Murray, Patrick Grillas, R. C. Gardner, T. J. Regan, et al.
In Frontiers in Environmental Science, 9 (March, 2021)
En ligne : www.frontiersin.org[...]

The Ramsar Convention, signed in 1971, was one of the first international conservation agreements, promoting global wise use of wetlands. It has three primary objectives: national designation and management of wetlands of international importance; general wise use of wetlands; and international cooperation. We examined lessons learnt for improving wetland conservation after Ramsar’s nearly five decades of operation. The number of wetlands in the Ramsar Site Network has grown over time (2,391 Ramsar Sites, 2.5 million km2, as at 9/6/20) but unevenly around the world, with decreasing rate of growth in recent decades. Ramsar Sites are concentrated in countries with a high GDP and human pressure (e.g. western Europe) but, in contrast, Ramsar sites with the largest wetland extent are in central-west Africa and South America. We identified three key challenges for improving effectiveness of the Ramsar Site Network: increasing wetland area; improved representation (functional, geographical and biological) and effective management and reporting. Increasing area in the Ramsar network could benefit from targets, implemented at national scales. Knowledge of representativeness is inadequate, requiring analyses of functional ecotypes, geographical and biological representativeness. Finally, most countries have inadequate management planning and reporting on the Ecological Character of their Ramsar Sites, requiring more focused attention on a vision and objectives, with regular reporting of key indicators to guide management. There are increasing opportunities to rigorously track ecological character, utilizing new tools and available indicators (e.g. remote sensing). It is critical that the world protect its wetlands, with an effective Ramsar Convention at the core.

Assessment of the Pressure Level over Lentic Waterbodies through the Estimation of Land Uses in the Catchment and Hydro-Morphological Alterations

Mon, 1 Mar 2021 14:50:44

de Daniel Morant, Christian Perennou, Antonio Camacho
In Applied Sciences, 11(4) (February, 2021), 23
En ligne : www.mdpi.com[...]

The features of lentic waterbodies largely depend on the surrounding environment. Mediterranean coastal lagoons have been historically altered, with their catchment being highly modiﬁed for agricultural, livestock, or urban uses. Changes in land uses induce pressures that impact the waterbodies and alter their ecological status. The objectives of this paper were: to develop a methodological approach (LUPLES: Land Uses for estimating Pressure Levels to approach the Ecological Status), to quantify the main pressures on the waterbodies and to forecast the possible impacts of these pressures on their ecological status. Corine-Land Cover maps and Geographic Information System technics were used to delineate and identify land uses in the catchments. Speciﬁc algorithms were created to quantify the main pressures from land uses in the catchment and hydro-morphological alterations in the immediate basin. The values of the estimated pressure levels were correlated with ecological status indicators using metrics developed for the European Water Framework Directive. Data were obtained from European and River Basin Authorities databases. Results showed statistically signiﬁcant correlations between the pressure levels quantiﬁed by the LUPLES method and the impact level detected by biological, physical and chemical metrics. This method provides a useful approach to estimate the pressure levels affecting lentic waterbodies and could be applied to approach how they could affect their ecological status.

Reliability of animal counts and implications for the interpretation of trends

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 14:00:43

de David Vallecillo, Michel Gauthier-Clerc, Matthieu Guillemain, Marion Vittecoq, Philippe Vandewalle, Benjamin Roche, Jocelyn Champagnon
In Ecology and Evolution, 11(5) (January, 2021)
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

Population time series analysis is an integral part of conservation biology in the current context of global changes. To quantify changes in population size, wildlife counts only provide estimates because of various sources of error. When unaccounted for, such errors can obscure important ecological patterns and reduce confidence in the derived trend. In the case of highly gregarious species, which are common in the animal kingdom, the estimation of group size is an important potential bias, which is characterized by high variance among observers. In this context, it is crucial to quantify the impact of observer changes, inherent to population monitoring, on i) the minimum length of population time series required to detect significant trends and ii) the accuracy (bias and precision) of the trend estimate. We acquired group size estimation error data by an experimental protocol where 24 experienced observers conducted counting simulation tests on group sizes. We used this empirical data to simulate observations over 25 years of a declining population distributed over 100 sites. Five scenarios of changes in observer identity over time and sites were tested for each of three simulated trends (true population size evolving according to deterministic models parameterized with declines of 1.1%, 3.9% or 7.4% per year that justify respectively a “declining,” “vulnerable” or “endangered” population under IUCN criteria). We found that under realistic field conditions observers detected the accurate value of the population trend in only 1.3% of the cases. Our results also show that trend estimates are similar if many observers are spatially distributed among the different sites, or if one single observer counts all sites. However, successive changes in observer identity over time lead to a clear decrease in the ability to reliably estimate a given population trend, and an increase in the number of years of monitoring required to adequately detect the trend. Minimizing temporal changes of observers improve the quality of count data and help taking appropriate management decisions and setting conservation priorities. The same occurs when increasing the number of observers spread over 100 sites. If the population surveyed is composed of few sites, then it is preferable to perform the survey by one observer. In this context, it is important to reconsider how we use estimated population trend values and potentially to scale our decisions according to the direction and duration of estimated trends, instead of setting too precise threshold values before action.

Improving waterbird monitoring and conservation in the Sahel using remote sensing: a case study with the International Waterbird Census in Sudan

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 14:56:27

de Marie Suet, Juan Guillermo Lozano‐Arango, Pierre Defos du Rau, Clemence Deschamps, Mohammed Adam Abdalgader Mohammed, Elfirdous Elbashary Adam, Eltayeb Mohammed Eldegair, Mohamed Elmekki Ali Elbadawi, Ibrahim Mohammed Hashim, Noman Kirrem Kpoore, et al.
In Ibis, 163(2) (January, 2021), 16
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

In several regions of the world, the remoteness of potential bird hotspots and lack of trained observers have often prevented countries from effectively designing proper monitoring schemes at a national scale. For many countries, it is not known whether certain bird strongholds have been missed that should be included for more complete censuses. Such gaps at national scales, sometimes large, may be detrimental for global monitoring schemes. To address this, we used the irregular participation of Sudan to the International Waterbird Census (IWC) as a case study. We designed and tested a method based on remote-sensing data of the country’s lowlands to detect open water bodies in order to develop predictive models of the potential distribution of waterbird abundance and diversity. To identify open water bodies and their ﬂooding duration, we used a Modiﬁed Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) derived from Landsat 8 data. Field ornithological surveys were then used as ground-truth data to estimate the method’s accuracy. The statistical results (overall accuracy = 0.972; Kappa index = 0.93) conﬁrmed its effectiveness. Remotely sensed water bodies and additional environmental covariates were then used to build simple habitat models of the distribution of waterbird abundance and diversity based on IWC ﬁeld survey data. Of the 3119 remotely sensed clusters of open water bodies, three were predicted to host more than 10 000 waterbirds, 89 more than 1000 waterbirds and ﬁve more than 30 waterbird species. Located mainly in the southern agricultural ﬂoodplains along the main rivers, these predicted waterbird strongholds are therefore recommended for inclusion in the next IWC survey in Sudan. Our ﬁndings indicate that using remote sensing to identify open water bodies combined with simple statistical modelling is likely to be a cost-effective solution to improve IWC sampling and to enhance both waterbird and wetland monitoring in vast under-surveyed regions.

Environmental drivers of plant diversity of chalk grasslands in north-western France (2021)

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 10:01:50

de Antoine Tardif, Pauline Boubert, Méghan Boulembert, Loan Madej, Maxime Burst, Manuella Catterou, Françoise Dubois, Frédéric Dubois, Jérôme Lacoux, Romain Ulmer, et al.
[S.l.] : Proceedings, 2021
En ligne : hal.univ-lorraine.fr[...]

In Europe, chalk grasslands are considered as biodiversity hotspots, hosting rare species (e.g. orchid and endemic species). However, since the mid 20th century, this habitat is threatened by changes in agricultural practices, especially the decline of pastoralism and recent anthropogenic nitrogen inputs. In this national research project (‘SURPAS’ project, French Ministry for the Ecological Transition, UMS PatriNat, OFB), we aimed to identify the main factors driving plant composition and richness of these chalk grassland communities to update our knowledge and recommendations in terms of conservation measures. The study was carried out in Natura 2000 chalk grassland sites in the valley of Somme river, in north-western France. We performed botanical and habitat surveys (topography and soil measures, vegetation structure, composition and biomass, fodder quality) at two spatial scales, in 1x1 m and 4x4 m plots. Data were analyzed using multivariate analyses (CCA) and mixed models. Our main results showed that plant height, South exposure, litter thickness and woody species abundance drive composition and richness species, and that nitrogen inputs in the ecosystem, Brachypodium pinnatum dominance and tree colonization were currently the major threats to the conservation of the diversity of chalk grasslands.

Ecological niche differentiation among six annual Lythrum species in Mediterranean temporary pools (2021)

Wed, 3 Nov 2021 10:19:06

de Antoine Gazaix, Patrick Grillas, Guillaume Papuga, Hugo Fontes, Florent Sabatier, Virginie Pons, Perrine Gauthier, John D. Thompson
2021, 13
En ligne : link.springer.com[...]

The ecological niche defines the favourable range of a species in a multidimensional space of ecological factors that determine the presence and function of individuals. This fundamental concept in ecology is widely used to understand plant species coexistence and segregation. In this study, we test for ecological differentiation among six annual Lythrum species that are characteristic of temporary pools in the South of France, where they either coexist or occur separately. We first analysed the co-occurrence of species at two different geographical scales: cluster analyses of species presence in 10 km grid cells and coexistence in 0.25 m2 quadrats within populations of each species. Second, for three to nine populations of each species, we quantified a range of biotic and abiotic parameters using point contacts and soil measurements in five 0.25 m2 quadrats per population. We performed PCA on all variables and analysed each variable separately to compare the ecological niche features of the six species. A phenological index was assessed for the plant community of each site. We detected highly localized niche differentiation in terms of soil pH (all species) and for a range of variables among pairs of species. The six species also showed marked differences in the flowering period relative to the mean and variability of flowering time in their local community. These fine-scaled niche differences are associated with phylogenetic distances among species and may contribute to species’ coexistence. These results are integrated in a conservation management plan for the habitat of the rarest species in this group.

Des moustiques et des hommes.

Tue, 9 Feb 2021 10:16:51

de Brigitte Poulin
In La Cistude, 132 (Décembre 2020), 24-27
En ligne : fr.calameo.com[...]

Evaluating Functional Dispersal in a Nest Ectoparasite and Its Eco-Epidemiological Implications

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 14:36:36

de Amalia Rataud, Marlene Dupraz, Céline Toty, Thomas Blanchon, Marion Vittecoq, Remi Choquet, Karen D. McCoy
In Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7 (October, 2020), 722
En ligne : www.frontiersin.org[...]

Functional dispersal (between-site movement, with or without subsequent reproduction) is a key trait acting on the ecological and evolutionary trajectories of a species, with potential cascading effects on other members of the local community. It is often difficult to quantify, and particularly so for small organisms such as parasites. Understanding this life history trait can help us identify the drivers of population dynamics and, in the case of vectors, the circulation of associated infectious agents. In the present study, functional dispersal of the soft tick Ornithodoros maritimus was studied at a small scale, within a colony of yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis). Previous work showed a random distribution of infectious agents in this tick at the within-colony scale, suggesting frequent tick movement among nests. This observation contrasts with the presumed strong endophilic nature described for this tick group. By combining an experimental field study, where both nest success and tick origin were manipulated, with Capture-Mark-Recapture modeling, dispersal rates between nests were estimated taking into account tick capture probability and survival, and considering an effect of tick sex. As expected, tick survival probability was higher in successful nests, where hosts were readily available for the blood meal, than in unsuccessful nests, but capture probability was lower. Dispersal was low overall, regardless of nest state or tick sex, and there was no evidence for tick homing behavior; ticks from foreign nests did not disperse more than ticks in their nest of origin. These results confirm the strong endophilic nature of this tick species, highlighting the importance of life cycle plasticity for adjusting to changes in host availability. However, results also raise questions with respect to the previously described within-colony distribution of infectious agents in ticks, suggesting that tick dispersal either occurs over longer temporal scales and/or that transient host movements outside the breeding period result in vector exposure to a diverse range of infectious agents.

Cohort effect on discriminant rate: the case of greater flamingo (Phœnicopterus roseus) chicks sexed with morphological characters

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 09:46:11

de Abdennour Boucheker, Riad Nedjah, Roger Prodon, Mark Gillingham, François-Xavier Dechaume-Moncharmont, Arnaud Béchet, Boudjema Samraoui
In Web Ecology, 20(2) (2020), 153
En ligne : univ-lyon1.hal.science[...]

We used a large dataset of greater flamingo chicks banded and measured at Camargue, France, to verify the applicability of discriminant function analysis to sex this species. Males and females sexed genetically differed significantly in all of the morphological characters measured (body mass, tarsus and wing length), with males being significantly larger than females. Although the discriminant rate varied substantially from one year to another, we found that it increased with the sample size of genetically sexed individuals. Our results suggest that discriminant function analysis (DFA) does not provide an efficient tool to sex greater flamingo chicks as these relationship are highly variable across years, requiring the genetic determination of sex on a large number of individuals every year for calibrating the DFA and still providing an overall low accuracy in sex determination. Indeed, conditions at breeding seasons can vary between years and can be considered proximate causes affecting the correct discriminant rate. Like previous studies, we recommend caution in dealing with discriminant equations computed from small datasets, and our simulation suggests that 325 genetically sexed individuals are needed to obtain 80 % correctly classified greater flamingo chicks.

L’hivernage du Cygne de Bewick Cygnus columbianus en Camargue : historique et situation actuelle

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 16:08:33

de Thomas Blanchon, Yves Kayser, Michel Gauthier-Clerc
In Ornithos, 20(5) (2013), 249-254

Il existe trois populations paléarctiques de Cygne de Bewick Cygnus columbianus, définies selon leurs zones d’hivernage. La plus importante est celle de l’Est asiatique, estimée à 92 000 individus, qui se reproduit du delta de la Léna jusqu’à la côte orientale de la Russie et hiverne de l’est de la Chine au Japon et à la Corée du Sud (Wetlands International et al. 2011, Rees & Beekman 2010). La population caspienne/ouest-sibérienne est limitée à quelque 1 000 individus hivernant en mer Caspienne et nichant sur les étendues arctiques de l’ouest sibérien et de la péninsule de Yamal, et peut-être sur celle de Gydan. La population européenne, estimée à 21 500 individus, niche dans la partie européenne de la toundra arctique russe et hiverne en Europe de l’Ouest. Les Cygnes de Bewick hivernant en France appartiennent à cette dernière population .

Effects of experimental submersion on survival, growth, and dry biomass allocation of the rare salt marsh plant Limonium girardianum

Thu, 9 Dec 2021 15:01:01

de Teddy Baumberger, François Mesléard, Thomas Croze, Laurence Affre
In Aquatic Botany, 01/10/2012 (October, 2012), 65-70
En ligne : linkinghub.elsevier.com[...]

In order to define the flooding tolerance capacity of Limonium girardianum according to growth development stage, we submerged 200 seedlings and 200 four-month-old juveniles in fresh water. During the eleven weeks of the experiment, we recorded the survival, growth and dry biomass of both seedlings and juveniles. Every week, we removed a group of ten seedlings and ten juveniles from submerged conditions and put them in drained conditions. We measured the leaf production rate and variation in total leaf area of both seedlings and juveniles. We measured the final above and below-ground dry biomass for both seedlings and juveniles. The seedlings started to die from week-2, while juveniles started to die from week-7. Fifty percent of seedlings died over a six weeks period, while fifty percent of juveniles died over a ten-week period. Beyond seven weeks and nine weeks for seedlings and juveniles respectively, total submersion stopped growth, and delayed leaf production and the increase of the total leaf area. Above-ground dry biomass significantly decreased from 30 g to 10 g for seedlings and from 30 g to 25 g for juveniles, according to flood duration. Below-ground dry biomass percentage increased from 60% to 80% between week-4 and week-7 for seedlings. Below-ground dry biomass of juveniles decreased from 80% to 50% between week-4 and week-9. Our study showed that flood-prone plant species have a different response to flood conditions according to the developmental stage. The higher sensitivity to submersion of seedlings is due to its lower survivorship, lower leaf production, lower growth and more important dry biomass decrease than juveniles. This statement can be seen as a threat for population viability in the long term since human activities, such as construction of heavy industrial infrastructures and roads, induces too long flood duration that would compromise the persistence of L. girardianum populations.

Habitat requirements and population structure of the rare endangered Limonium girardianum in Mediterranean salt marshes

Thu, 9 Dec 2021 15:00:55

de Teddy Baumberger, Laurence Affre, Thomas Croze, François Mesléard
In Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants, 207(4) (4/2012), 283-293
En ligne : linkinghub.elsevier.com[...]

The sea lavender Limonium girardianum (Guss.) Fourr. is endemic to the Mediterranean salt marshes of the French and Spanish coasts. Most of the salt marshes where L. girardianum occurs are exposed to human disturbance, in particular due to industrial expansion. To determine the ecological conditions favorable to the development of L. girardianum, we used a set of permanent plots distributed along a topographical gradient in eleven French salt marshes. We monitored intensity of flooding, water table depth, soil moisture, soil salinity and granulometry. We investigated (i) the abiotic and biotic requirements for L. girardianum and (ii) the effects of environmental conditions on the population structure of L. girardianum. We found a unimodal response of L. girardianum species to flooding, salt and soil moisture gradients. Soil texture modulated the effects of flooding and drought on the presence of the species. Furthermore, flooding induced population renewal, i.e. the highest seedling emergence and adult mortality. We recorded low seedling emergence in higher topographical positions. Proportions of seedlings were lowest on saltier soils and highest in flooded areas and on coarse sand. Prolonged flooding is likely to induce population renewal as long as remaining individuals are capable of reconstituting viable populations. To suggest efficient intermediate and long-term conservation strategies for L. girardianum, it will be necessary to consider the role of human-driven changes in salt marshes with regard to hydrology and control of the vegetation.

Can large branchiopods shape microcrustacean communities in Mediterranean temporary wetlands?

Fri, 9 Apr 2021 18:18:04

de Aline Waterkeyn, Patrick Grillas, Maria Anton-Pardo, Bram Vanschoenwinkel, Luc Brendonck, Aline Waterkeyn, Patrick Grillas, Maria Anton-Pardo, Bram Vanschoenwinkel, Luc Brendonck
In Marine and Freshwater Research, 62(1) (February, 2011), 46-53
En ligne : www.publish.csiro.au[...]

It was recently suggested that large branchiopods may play a keystone role in temporary aquatic habitats. Using a microcosm experiment manipulating microcrustacean communities of Mediterranean temporary wetlands (Camargue, Southern France), we tested the following hypotheses: (i) large branchiopods (the notostracan Triops cancriformis and the anostracan Chirocephalus diaphanus) can limit microcrustacean densities through both competition and predation; (ii) notostracans create high suspended-matter concentrations through bioturbation, which can negatively impact microcrustaceans; and (iii) the outcome of these biotic interactions is more detrimental at high salinities. We found a strong predatory impact of T. cancriformis on active microcrustacean populations, but also on dormant populations through the consumption of resting eggs. They also preyed on anostracans and their conspecifics and can indirectly have a negative effect on microcrustaceans through bioturbation, probably by impeding filtering capacities. The presence of C. diaphanus also limited most microcrustacean groups, probably through competition and/or predation. We did not find a significant effect of the tested salinity range (0.5–2.5 g L–1) on the biotic interactions. Our study shows that large branchiopods can shape microcrustacean communities under a wide range of environmental conditions and confirms their potential for a keystone role, especially one of notostracans as top predators.

Genetic architecture of trout from Albania as revealed by mtDNA control region variation

Tue, 8 Jun 2021 10:32:49

de A. Snoj, Sasa Maric, Patrick Berrebi, Alain Jean Crivelli, Spase Shumka, Simona Susnik
In Genetics Selection Evolution, 41 (2009), 22
En ligne : hal.archives-ouvertes.fr[...]

To determine the genetic architecture of trout in Albania, 87 individuals were collected from 19 riverine and lacustrine sites in Albania, FYROM and Greece. All individuals were analyzed for sequence variation in the mtDNA control region. Among fourteen haplotypes detected, four previously unpublished haplotypes, bearing a close relationship to haplotypes of the Adriatic and marmoratus lineages of Salmo trutta, were revealed. Ten previously described haplotypes, characteristic of S. ohridanus, S. letnica and the Adriatic and Mediterranean lineages of S. trutta, were also detected. Haplotypes detected in this study were placed in a well supported branch of S. ohridanus, and a cluster of Mediterranean-Adriatic-marmoratus haplotypes, which were further delimited into three subdivisions of Mediterranean, marmoratus, and a previously non-described formation of four Adriatic haplotypes (Balkan cluster). Haplotypes of the Balkan cluster and the other Adriatic haplotypes, do not represent a contiguous haplotype lineage and appear not to be closely related, indicating independent arrivals into the Adriatic drainage and suggesting successive colonization events. Despite the presence of marmoratus haplotypes in Albania, no marbled phenotype was found, confirming previously reported findings that there is no association between this phenotype and marmoratus haplotypes.

Les Chauves-souris de Camargue : synthèse et actualisation des données

Thu, 8 Feb 2024 11:46:58

de Yves Kayser, Patrick Bayle, Mathieu Chambouleyron, Thierry Disca, Alexandre Haquart, Anthony Olivier
In Le Vespère, 1 (2009)

De 1985 à 2005, 827 contacts de Chiroptères ont été obtenus selon différentes méthodes dans 118 localités de Camargue. Au total, 21 espèces ont été inventoriées au cours de l’étude (une 22e, Nyctalus lasiopterus, ayant été signalée en dehors). Six espèces sont communes (Eptesicus serotinus, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, P. pygmaeus, P. kuhlii, P. nathusii, et Tadarida teniotis), la majorité des autres n’ayant été observée qu’exceptionnellement. Onze nouvelles espèces de Chiroptères ont été recensées en Camargue lors de cette étude. Les découvertes de Rhinolophus hipposideros, R. euryale, Myotis cf. mystacinus, Nyctalus noctula et Plecotus auritus sont remarquables car ces espèces sont en limite d’aire de répartition. Le statut de plusieurs autres espèces manque de certitude et reste à affiner. C’est le cas pour Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Myotis daubentoni, M. capaccinii, M. emarginatus, Plecotus austriacus et Miniopterus schreibersi, pour lesquels peu de données sont disponibles alors que la Camargue présente des potentialités très favorables. La colonie mixte de Rhinolophus ferrumequinum et M. emarginatus, présente un fort intérêt patrimonial puisque c’est la seule colonie de reproduction connue en 2005 pour ces espèces en Camargue, mais également la plus importante de Provence Alpes - Côte-d’Azur et la seule pour les Bouches-du-Rhône. Le genre Pipistrellus est le genre de chauves-souris le plus représenté en Camargue ; on y rencontre certainement les densités les plus élevées de la région PACA et probablement aussi de la région Languedoc-Roussillon.

Note sur le genre Limonium Miller dans le département des Bouches-du-Rhône

Tue, 2 Feb 2021 13:58:44

de Daniel Pavon, Henri Michaud, J.-M Tison, Nicole Yavercovski
In Bulletin de la Société Linnéenne de Provence, 56 (2005), 135–139

Compte-rendu ornithologique camarguais pour les années 1995-2000

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 16:56:43

de Yves Kayser, Cyril Girard, Gregoire Massez, Yves Chérain, Damien Cohez, Heinz Hafner, Alan Johnson, Nicolas Sadoul, Alain Tamisier, Paul Isenmann
In La Terre et la Vie, 58(1) (2003), 5–76
En ligne : hal.science[...]

Effects of insecticide applications on macroinvertebrate density and biomass in rice-fields in the Rhône-delta, France

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 11:42:06

de Frank Suhling, Silke Befeld, Matthias Häusler, Katrin Katzur, Sigrit Lepkojus, François Mesléard
In Hydrobiologia, 431(1) (July, 2000), 69-79
En ligne : doi.org[...]

The density of 23 macroinvertebrate species and the total macroinvertebrate biomass were compared between rice-fields treated with lindane and diazinon in June and alphamethine in August and untreated controls. The macroinvertebrates could be divided into four groups: (1) Taxa, in which the densities were lower in the insecticide treatment in July and August than in the non-insecticide treatment. (2) The Culicidae which occurred in the insecticide treatment in significantly lower density in July, but in significantly higher density in August. (3) Ischnura elegans (Vander L.) which was found in July after the lindane application in significantly higher numbers in the insecticide treatments, but in significantly lower numbers in the insecticide treatment in August after the application of the pyrethroid. In these three groups, we assumed that direct effects due to the insecticides toxicity were the reason for the differences in density. (4) The fourth group included three taxa in which the densities were significantly higher in the insecticide treatment in July and August than in the control. For this, indirect effects due to reduced biotic interactions may be responsible. The biomass was higher in the insecticide treatments in July, mainly because of a high increase in gastropod density, during the rest of the season it was similar between treatments and controls.

Annual variations in the reproductive traits of Pomatoschistus microps in a Mediterranean lagoon undergoing environmental changes: evidence of phenotypic plasticity

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 10:01:43

de C. Pampoulie, J. L. Bouchereau, E. Rosecchi, G. Poizat, A. J. Crivelli
In Journal of Fish Biology, 57(6) (2000), 1441-1452
En ligne : onlinelibrary.wiley.com[...]

The spawning period of the common goby Pomatoschistus microps from 1993 to 1997 in the Vaccarès lagoon did not vary, except in 1997 when it was longer due to the reproduction of the young-of-the-year. Egg size and number, and reproductive allocation varied greatly with one year to another. Female common gobies increased both their fecundity per spawning act and their egg size from 1993 to 1995. The annual variation in the reproductive effort suggests a high phenotypic plasticity of reproductive traits in P. microps, in the face of environmental perturbations. In winter 1993–1994, a centennial flood of the Rhône River caused major hydrological changes in the lagoon in less than 1 week, affecting many invertebrates and fish for several years. The reproductive investment of the common goby increased, possibly as a consequence of those environmental changes.

Hitch-Hiker Parasites or How to Benefit from the Strategy of Another Parasite

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 12:05:48

de Frederic Thomas, Kim Mete, Simone Helluy, Francis Santalla, Olivier Verneau, Thierry De Meeûs, Frank Cézilly, François Renaud
In Evolution, 51(4) (August, 1997), 1316-1318
En ligne : hal.science[...]

The influence of intensity of infection by a trematode parasite on the reproductive biology of Gammarus insensibilis (Amphipoda)

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 12:05:46

de Frederic Thomas, Olivier Verneau, Francis Santalla, Frank Cézilly, François Renaud
In International Journal for Parasitology, 26(11) (November, 1996), 1205-1209
En ligne : hal.science[...]

Following the behavioural alterations induced by the trematode Microphallus papillorobustus Rankin 1940 (Trematoda, Microphallidae) on its second intermediate host, the amphipod Gammmarus insensibilis, infected individuals are likely to mate among themselves. We investigated the influence of parasite intensity on the reproductive biology of infected hosts. In the mating system of amphipods, males compete severely for access to females and large males have greater ability to obtain large and more fecund females. We showed that the null hypothesis of random pair formation according to parasite intensity could not be rejected. In addition, infected males obtained females of the expected size according to their own sizes, whatever their parasite intensities. However, in both males and females, the parasite intensity increased the intermoult duration. Because size and reproductive success are strongly correlated in amphipods, we discuss the influence of this process on host fitness.

Brown-throated Sand Martins in Egypt (1991)

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 18:41:26

de Hans Schekkerman, Rob van Westrinen
1991, 98-99

Sexual dimorphism in Graceful Warbler in Egypt (1991)

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 18:32:32

de Hans Schekkerman
1991, 100-102

Compte rendu ornithologique camarguais pour les années 1972 et 1973

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 10:35:55

de Heinz Hafner
In La Terre et la Vie, 29(1) (Mars, 1975), 100–112
En ligne : hal.science[...]

Compte rendu ornithologique pour les années 1970 et 1971

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 16:56:43

de Heinz Hafner
In La Terre et la Vie, 27(1) (Mars,1973), 85–94
En ligne : hal.science[...]

La nidification des Flamants en 1968 et 1969

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 12:00:24

de A.R. Johnson
In La Terre et la Vie, 24(4) (Décembre, 1970), 594-603
En ligne : hal.science[...]

Climatologie des années 1968 et 1969 en moyenne Camargue

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 12:00:21

de Pierre Heurteaux
In La Terre et la Vie, 24(4) (Décembre, 1970), 563-569
En ligne : www.persee.fr[...]

Compte rendu ornithologique pour les années 1968 et 1969

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 16:56:42

de Heinz Hafner
In La Terre et la Vie, 24(4) (Décembre, 1970), 570–579
En ligne : hal.science[...]

Compte rendu ornithologique pour les années 1966 et 1967

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 16:56:42

de Heinz Hafner
In La Terre et la Vie, 22(4) (Decembre, 1968), 496–499
En ligne : hal.science[...]

Compte rendu ornithologique pour les années 1964 et 1965

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 16:56:42

de Jacques Blondel
In La Terre et la Vie, 20(3) (Septembre, 1966), 237–254
En ligne : hal.science[...]

Considérations sur l'écologie des invertébrés terrestres et aquatiques des marismas du Guadalquivir (Andalucia)

Thu, 5 Jun 2025 15:45:04

de L. Bigot, F. Marazanof
In Vie et Milieu, XV(1-C) (1965), 441-473
En ligne : hal.sorbonne-universite.fr[...]

Les auteurs ont étudié les différents milieux des Marismas du Guadalquivir, domaine terrestre, lagunes d’eau douce et la grande Marisma, les comparent avec les milieux camarguais et dressent l’inventaire des Invertébrés aquatiques.

Compte rendu ornithologique pour les années 1962 et 1963 (avec mention spéciale pour la vague de froid de Décembre 1962-janvier 1963.)

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 16:56:42

de Jacques Blondel
In La Terre et la Vie, 18(3) (Septembre, 1964), 294–308
En ligne : hal.science[...]

Station de baguage de Camargue. Compte rendu pour l’année 1958

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 16:56:42

de Luc Hoffmann
In La Terre et la Vie, 14(2) (1960), 81–108
En ligne : hal.science[...]

Verhaltenforschung an Rinderartigen (1960)

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 11:34:37

de Robert Schloeth
1960

La nidification des flamants en 1968 et 1969

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 15:14:38

de A. R. Johnson
p.594-603
En ligne : hal.science[...]

Etude de la nidification des flamants en 1968 et 1969 au Fangassier et à l'étang Z (Camargue).

Les Systèmes d’Information Géographique pour discuter l’articulation entre le fonctionnement des zones humides et l'aménagement du territoire

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 15:52:29

de Suzanne Catteau, Laurent Couderchet
In Géocarrefour, 96 (October, 2022), 21
En ligne : journals.openedition.org[...]

Une méthode par théorisation ancrée interroge la capacité des Systèmes d’Information Géographique à répondre aux attentes d’une gestion de l’eau territorialisée qui s’organise à différentes échelles, entre acteurs techniques et politiques. À travers trois ateliers participatifs, elle questionne l’opérationnalité des modélisations par une attention portée aux discours et aux réactions des élus locaux, dont le rôle est décisif dans la planification de l’aménagement du territoire. La co-construction d’un outil sur-mesure, dont l’objectif est de réfléchir conjointement le fonctionnement des zones humides avec l’aménagement du territoire, stimule le partage d’expertises et fait émerger de nouvelles pistes pour le renouvellement de la fabrique des cartes et de la constitution de bases de données SIG.