Download pdf - Climate change & biodiversity and ecosystems · Climate change & biodiversity and ecosystems ... (terrestrial, aquatic, ... and as a habitat hosting a wealth of biodiversity of organisms

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Climate change & biodiversity and ecosystems

cientific studies conducted over the recent decades—as widely covered in the latest IPCC report—have revealed modifications

in the range, seasonal activities, migratory movements, abundance and interspecies interactions in many terrestrial, freshwater and marine species as a result of climate change presently under way. The nature and extent of future disruptions are hard to foresee because of the limited time scale within which they occur, the diverse range of biological responses, as well as the complexity of species-species and species-environment interactions. One certainty is that these phenomena are unprecedented within such a short period in the Earth’s history.

Acquiring knowledge on the future vulnerability, exposure and response capacity of natural systems interlinked with societies is a major challenge for science due to the large number of factors involved and their complex interactions. The issues are very broadly addressed by research teams working in Languedoc-Roussillon (France) through multidisciplinary studies on changes taking place in the living world, on the evolution of biodiversity and ecosystems, and on adaptations to climate change—all of this on different temporal (short- to long-term), spatial and life (genome to ecosystem) scales.

This research concerns both ‘model’ organisms and the specificities of Mediterranean and tropical environments. It is partially supported by established observatories (in terrestrial and marine environments) and leading-edge research platforms (Ecotron, MEDIMEER, European Marine Biological Resource Centre).

This chapter provides an overview of the work of regional research units that are studying the impact of climate change on continental and marine ecosystems from various standpoints.

The research seeks to gain insight into the dynamics and functioning of biodiversity (through field monitoring, with the support of OSU OREME, and experiments in controlled conditions, combined with theoretical and modelling approaches). They also aim to foresee the biological impacts of global change (via scenarios), anticipate changes in ecosystem services and identify tailored management strategies for species and the environment.

Philippe Jarne (UMR CEFE) & Philippe Lebaron (OOB)

S

From Climate Change: impact and adaptation - Les Dossiers d'Agropolis International - March 2015 - 88 pages

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Biodiversity and continental ecosystems

Main teamsEuropean Ecotron of Montpellier

(CNRS)7 scientists

LabEx CeMEBCentre Méditerranéen de

l’Environnement et de la Biodiversité(UM/UPVM/Montpellier SupAgro/CNRS/IRD/

INRA/CIRAD/EPHE/Inrap/UNîmes)630 scientists

OSU OREMEObservatoire de Recherche

Méditerranéen de l’Environnement(UM/CNRS/IRD)

10 scientists

UMR AMAP Botany and Computational

Plant Architecture(CIRAD/CNRS/INRA/IRD/UM)

54 scientists

UMR CEFECentre for Functional

and Evolutionary Ecology(CNRS/UM/UPVM/EPHE/

Montpellier SupAgro/IRD/INRA)86 scientists

…continued on page 31

substantial amount of the research conducted on biodiversity and continental ecosystems is pooled within LabEx CeMEB. The research approaches implemented draw from a broad range of

disciplines (ecology, population biology, botany, genetics, physiology, computer science, etc.). The aim is to study ecosystem dynamics and responses to climate change in natural and pseudo-natural environments—as well exemplified by research carried out at the Experimental Site of Puéchabon and in the low wetlands of the Ain river valley (France). Studies are also carried out in controlled environments, e.g. in enclosed chambers at Ecotron, greenhouses or animal research facilities. These approaches are also focused on species adaptation mechanisms to their environment from genotypic, phenotypic and biogeographical viewpoints. This includes, for instance, simulation of the range of several tree species in relation to climate change forecasts (EvoRange project).

The studies concern microorganisms, plants and animals in all ecosystems (terrestrial, aquatic, soil) from the Equator to the two poles, with emphasis on Mediterranean and tropical ecosystems. These are investigated regarding their relationship with societies in order to identify tailored management strategies (e.g. REDD and INFORMED projects). Species and their communities are studied in terms of their diversity, structure, organization and functioning. Mathematical and computer representations of organs, plants, populations, landscapes and processes are developed for analysis, prediction and simulation. Soils are the focus of special attention as a nutrient substrate for plants and as a habitat hosting a wealth of biodiversity of organisms essential for biogeochemical cycles. Ecological engineering methods based, for instance, on plant-microorganism symbiosis, and targeted for restoring degraded environments, are also studied.

One of the community’s strong features is that human-environment relationships are explicitly taken into account through combined human and social science approaches. This includes studies on ecosystem services and assessments of the capacities of ecosystems as carbon sources or sinks with a view to mitigating the effects of increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations.

Sophie Boutin (LabEx CeMEB) & Philippe Jarne (UMR CEFE)

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Knowledge sharing and transfer on biodiversity and ecosystems in a global change setting

Accredited as an ‘Excellence Laboratory’ (LabEx) by the ANR ‘Investissement d’Avenir 2011-2019’ programme, the Centre Méditerranéen de l’Environnement et de la Biodiversité (LabEx CeMEB; headed by UM, UPVM, Montpellier SupAgro, CNRS, IRD, INRA, CIRAD, EPHE, INRAP, UNîmes) is a federative structure grouping eight research units (AMAP, CBGP, CEFE, Eco&Sols, Ecotron, ISEM, LAMETA, MIVEGEC).

CeMEB draws up common strategies on its research areas in close collaboration with local and regional partners, including the Observatoire des sciences de l’univers (OSU) OREME, DiPEE de Montpellier, the Comité technique d’établissement (CTE) B3E of the Montpellier University and other LabEx*. It also undertakes research support missions (PhD, postdoctoral), scientific coordination (organization

The LabEx CeMEB project proposes: to set up a centre of biodiversity

expertise and knowledge to meet growing world demand for interventions by the research community on biodiversity issues for schools, the general public and in more specialized areas. Another aim is to enhance the expertise and support capacities to benefit various stakeholders such as decision makers, planners, managers and public authorities

to create new Bachelor’s and Master’s training courses, and to open PhD courses on management and the economic environment so as to facilitate their vocational integration. •••

* DiPEE: Dispositifs de Partenariat en Écologie et Environnement; B3E: Biologie Écologie Évolution Environnement.

and financing of workshops, meetings and participatory science programmes), training (public professionals, teachers and future secondary school teachers, etc.), knowledge transfer and development (ecology and biodiversity web portal, participation in the Assises de la Biodiversité 2014 conference, etc.).

LabEx CeMEB supports research in the following areas: biodiversity, ecology and

evolutionary biology dynamics functional role of biodiversity and

ecosystem services health-environment socioeconomics of the

environment biological impacts of global change.

The objectives are: to understand biodiversity

dynamics and functioning by combining observations, experimentations and modelling

to predict the biological impacts of global change via scenarios

to anticipate changes in ecological services and human societies.

Vegetative bud burst and blossoming of female larch flowers, phenological stages monitored at the Observatoire des saisons (www.obs-saisons.fr).Phenological events—flexible in response to environmental conditions and able to quickly adapt under the effects of global warming—are major adaptive traits in trees (which have a long generation time). This explains a substantial part of their geographical distribution.

© E. Gritti


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This physiological, morphological and even phenological plasticity is called ‘adaptive’ if it can maintain or increase the selective value in an environmental change setting. The limitations and costs of this plasticity, especially under multitrophic interaction conditions, are thus crucial in the capacity of organisms to adapt to climate change.

Biogeographical adaptation concerns species that are able to migrate or disperse to bioclimatic areas that are more conducive to their survival. The capacity of organisms to spread varies markedly between species and depends on the biogeographical setting within their range. Considering how rapidly climate change is currently taking place and the extent of fragmentation of natural areas by human activities, the movement capacity of populations is a major issue regarding adaptation to climate change.

and Conservation and Interactions, Ecology and Society—is a leader in the development of an integrated multidisciplinary view of recent and future changes in our ecosystems.

The research carried out combines short- and long-term studies on many classes of organisms through the three following adaptation modes: Genotypic adaptation concerning

the well known ‘Darwinian natural selection’ process. Here the genetic diversity of organism populations is the key factor in species adaptation through selection of genotypes that are best adapted to changes currently under way. The resulting biodiversity loss within species is a potential source of concern regarding the resistance of many classes of organisms to future series of changes.

Phenotypic adaptation corresponds to phenotypic plasticity, which refers to the capacity—from a single genotype—to produce several phenotypes according to the environmental conditions.

Broad scope of biological adaptation to external change

From microorganisms to ecosystems, from phenotypic plasticity to migration and natural selection, the Centre for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology (UMR CEFE – CNRS, UM, UPVM, EPHE, Montpellier SupAgro, IRD, INRA) conducts research covering a range of ways by which living organisms adapt to climate change.

Understanding and predicting all of these changes is a daunting task due to the complexity of: changes (general trends, regional or

seasonal variations, etc.) biodiversity and its response

fields (genetic, phenotypic, biogeographical)

interactions between these changes and different biodiversity response levels.

CEFE—through the range of different approaches implemented in its departments of Evolutionary Ecology, Functional Ecology, Biodiversity

Response of fungal diversity to climate change—the use of 170 year old herbarium collections Comparing the current biodiversity distribution with that present 200 years ago is a difficult task because of the scarcity of good quality old data. When such data exist, they are usually from surveys carried out just a few decades ago at most. As the time period studied lengthens, substantial changes occur in terms of the nomenclature of the studied species and in the names of the study sites. Moreover, climate data collected during surveys carried out long ago often concern the same stations.

All of these constraints highlight the tremendous value of data collected in the vicinity of Montpellier between 1820 and 1850 by de Candolle and his successors at the Institute of Botany of Montpellier and currently maintained at the Montpellier Herbarium. These collections represent one of the oldest sets of precisely located mycological data. These data are also accompanied by accurate climate information that was manually logged at the time of sampling.

Major efforts were put into rectifying the nomenclature and analysing the meteorological data and comparisons were made with records obtained in the same region over the 2000-2010 period. The teams involved (Société d’Horticulture et d’Histoire Naturelle de l’Hérault, CEFE, Biotope, Laboratoire de Botanique, Phytochimie et Mycologie, Herbier de l’Université de Montpellier, Laboratoire des Sciences Végétales et Fongiques) were thus able to show that over the past two centuries the fruiting of decomposer and mutualistic fungi has been delayed by 2-3 weeks, while at the same time marked changes in some climatic parameters occurred (mean temperature, temporal rainfall distribution).

There were sometimes very substantial specific variations in these general trends, modulated by the ecological traits of the species (associated tree species, type of substrate, etc.), highlighting for instance that some mushrooms widely consumed in the past, and which were sold in Montpellier markets, are now very scarce.

Contact: Franck Richard, [email protected] Pivoulade d’éouse, drawn by Delile (Montpellier Herbarium).In French, the Collybia fusipes mushroom is currently called the ‘collybie à pieds en fuseau’, whereas it was also called ‘pivoulade d’éouse’ when sold on the Arceaux market (Montpellier) in the early 19th century. This species is now quite scarce in the vicinity of Montpellier.

© D

elile

Biodiversity and continental ecosystemsFrom Climate Change: impact and adaptation - Les Dossiers d'Agropolis International - March 2015 - 88 pages

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Combining biology and palaeontology to assess climate change induced transformations in living organisms relative to their adaptation history

The Institute of Evolutionary Sciences of Montpellier (UMR ISEM – CNRS, UM, IRD, EPHE) combines research in the fields of palaeontology and population biology. It was founded with the aim of promoting multidisciplinary approaches for studying changes in living organisms.

ISEM research is focused on the origin and dynamics of biodiversity, and the conditions and mechanisms of its evolution. The unit’s researchers are investigating both current and past biodiversity in a broad range of organisms and environments, combining field, experimental and theoretical approaches. These studies integrate fundamental evolutionary biology issues (adaptation, speciation), advances in data production approaches (genomics revolution, participatory science programmes), as well as scientific and societal questions regarding the responses of biodiversity to global and human-induced change.

making it possible to place adaptive challenges that species are currently facing in the context of their adaptation history.

Another unique feature of the unit concerns its development of comprehensive approaches that combine community and ecosystem ecology with evolution. ISEM focuses studies specifically on the role of evolutionary responses in shaping extinction patterns. It also develops novel modelling tools to mainstream these evolutionary aspects in biodiversity forecast scenarios under climate change. •••

Research carried out at ISEM involves studies on adaptation to climate change at many temporal, spatial and organizational scales concerning living organisms—from micro- (genome) to macro- (ecosystems) scales. The studied adaptive responses range from physiological modifications in organisms (especially, regarding the adaptation of aquaculture practices to climate change, via studies on standard reactions of fish eggs, embryos and larvae to temperature modifications) to changes in community compositions on a very broad spatial scale.

Using datasets from participatory science programmes, ISEM has shown—on a Europe-wide scale—that bird and butterfly communities undergo modifications that could be interpreted with respect to global warming, and also that the community response rate is lower than the rate of temperature increase, resulting in a climate debt for biodiversity. Studies on biodiversity responses to climate change in the past is a strong point of ISEM’s research on adaptations to climate change,

Formalization of cellular automata (below) representing a dryland ecosystem (above).© F. Schneider

Main teamsUMR ISEM

Institute of Evolutionary Sciences of Montpellier

(CNRS/UM/IRD/EPHE)89 scientists

UR B&SEFTropical Forest Goods

and Ecosystem Services(CIRAD)

45 scientists

UR URFMÉcologie des Forêts Méditerranéennes

(INRA)15 scientists


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The EvoRange project*, funded by the ANR Sixth Extinction programme, was coordinated by ISEM. It involved teams based in Grenoble (Laboratoire d’Écologie Alpine), Paris (École Normale Supérieure and the National Museum of Natural History) and Montpellier (CEFE).

Several questions were raised by the project: When can evolution rescue a declining population from extinction? What are the respective roles of migration, phenotypic plasticity

and genetic adaptation in predicted range shifts mediated by climate change? How do these different factors interact?

What could explain the rapid evolution of ecological niches in some populations or species and their high conservation in others?

ISEM and partners addressed these questions using different complementary methods. Mathematical and computer models were developed to simulate the adaptation of species under stress, as well as their movements in response to new pressures. The research teams also took advantage of the very rapid evolution of microbes to conduct laboratory studies to monitor their adaptation to different stress conditions and factors hampering this adaptation.

Moreover, on a very different scale, they also used phylogenetic reconstructions to assess whether climatic preferences rapidly diversified between related species or whether they remained similar to those of the ancestor.

The model simulations suggested particularly that dispersal more often facilitates than hinders range expansion and adaptation to the new conditions encountered. These evolutionary constraints could be enhanced by some types of dispersal (e.g. that of pollen), by genetic constraints, or by conflicting patterns of selection on different adaptive traits. Although often put forward as a major mechanism in mitigating the impacts of climate change, the phenotypic plasticity of phenology has—depending on the species—different and highly variable effects on the persistence of European tree populations on the northern and southern margins of their range.

Contact: Ophélie Ronce, [email protected]

For further information: http://162.38.181.25/EvoRange

* How does EVOlution affect extinction and species RANGE dynamics in the context of global change?

How does evolution affect extinction and species range dynamics in the context of global change?

growth and functioning, structure-function relationships, as well as relationships with phylogenetics, biogeography and systematics

methodological research to develop mathematical, statistical and computer approaches and models that are general enough to analyse, predict and simulate the structure and development of plants and vegetation in different settings

research targeted towards controlling the dynamics, composition and quantitative and qualitative production of cultivated or natural plant ecosystems. This research specifically concerns variations in above-ground biomass in tropical rainforests according to different natural or anthropogenic factors, with the aim of assessing quantities of carbon present in these forests. •••

while taking phylogenetic and evolutionary dimensions into account in investigating present-day or fossil plants, as well as plants that are cultivated or grown under ‘natural’ conditions or in areas relatively unaffected by human activities.

It is based on original methods that the teams often contribute to develop, such as computer-assisted identification, plant architecture and development analysis, plant biomechanical analysis, mathematical and computer representation of organs, plants, populations and landscapes, as well as modelling of the growth and dynamics of species and populations.

Through its projects, the research unit intends to combine: cognitive research focused on the

description and understanding of vegetation diversity, plant

Analysing and simulating the development of plant ecosystems

The activities of the joint research unit Botany and Computational Plant Architecture (UMR AMAP – CIRAD, CNRS, INRA, IRD, UM) fall in two major disciplines: systematic and structural botany,

vegetation ecology, agronomy and forestry

computer science, mathematics and applied statistics.

The teams have unique recognised scientific and technical expertise and their research covers different themes: It is focused on the

characterization and analysis of the diversity, structure and organization of plants and plant communities.

It addresses Mediterranean, temperate and tropical issues

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Effects of phenotypic plasticity on the persistence of three forest trees under a global warming scenario (2081-2100 period).The leafing date varies depending on the temperature. These maps show areas in Europe where these variations have a positive impact (in red) or negative impact (in blue) on the persistence of trees. Dotted areas are where each species could persist under this climate change scenario. PHENOFIT model simulations.

© A

. Dup

utie

European beec(Fagus sylvatica)

Sessile oak (Quercus petraea)

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Biodiversity and continental ecosystemsFrom Climate Change: impact and adaptation - Les Dossiers d'Agropolis International - March 2015 - 88 pages

Above-ground biomass inventory and monitoring in tropical forests—a contribution to the REDD mechanismIn order to meet international objectives for controlling emitted greenhouse gas quantities and the challenges of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) programme, it is essential to survey carbon stocks stored in these forests, especially as REDD plans to offer financial incentives to tropical counties to preserve these stocks.

For this project, UMR AMAP has developed reliable methods to temporally monitor variations in sequestered carbon quantities. Carbon is mainly sequestered in above ground parts of trees. It should be estimated in a consistent way, despite constraints associated with often huge and hard to access forest areas. On-site forest inventories mainly involve simple measurements, such as the trunk diameter, and sometimes more detailed measurements and weights to be used to calibrate allometric equations to predict the total biomass of individual trees.

These inventories, which are necessarily spatially limited, enable sampling of different types of forests in an area, and to calibrate predictions of tree biomass via remote sensing (laser altimetry, canopy grain analysis on optical images, radar images, etc.). Remote sensing is required to generate maps displaying the field information.

The approach used by UMR AMAP is at the interface between the processing of spatial information and field observations, especially through the tree architecture. This combination of expertise in two areas that are generally separate opens new avenues for closer and more direct collaborations combining remote sensing and 3D modelling of plant structures. Moreover, the research unit conducts research in different tropical regions to ensure robust and generic results: Central Africa, French Guiana, India, New Caledonia, and periodically Brazil and Indonesia.

Contact: Pierre Couteron, [email protected]

300 500 700

800 m

Assessment of above-ground biomass in tropical forests.Example of an approach combining accurate assessment of the biomass of individual trees at reference sites (photos a and b), until production, using remote sensing images (photo c) and biomass maps (photo d).

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d.

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URFM primarily produces academic results while also being actively involved in different types of knowledge transfer. In addition, the unit is highly involved in the European research area.

a forest fire ecology approach based on the physical behavioural mechanisms and impacts of fires.

URFM combines experimental and modelling approaches for each of these topics.

Mediterranean forests: functioning and dynamics

The research unit Écologie des Forêts Méditerranéennes (URFM – INRA) has developed a multidisciplinary research project involving expertise in population biology, ecology, ecophysiology, entomology, genetics, applied mathematics, physics and forest science. This project is part of a targeted research approach focused on studies of Mediterranean forests to address general ecology questions on the response of complex and heterogeneous ecosystems to global change.

The URFM research project on the dynamics and functioning of Mediterranean forests integrates three major closely linked research topics: studies on the dynamics, water

use and carbon balance in mixed forests with a heterogeneous species community composition and structure

a demo-genetic approach to the evolutionary dynamics of tree populations and leaf-eating insects at different spatial scales

In the framework of the ERA-Net FORESTERRA* European network, the collaborative project INFORMED** (2015-2017) implements a multidisciplinary approach to the resilience of Mediterranean forests in a global change setting based on the following conceptual scheme. Global change modifies the overall context of a social-ecological system where management drives forest biodiversity and functions, which determine the ecosystem services. Secondly, economic assessment of these services can support the governance system in selecting the most appropriate future management options.

This URFM-coordinated project is conducted by a consortium of 15 partners from 10 countries on both sides of the Mediterranean Basin, combining well-balanced expertise in ecology, forest management, governance and economics.

INFORMED has three main scientific objectives:

to fill knowledge gaps on basic mechanisms that determine the flexibility of the social-ecological system in response to disturbances

to integrate knowledge by combining different process-based models at various spatial and temporal scales

to use integrated knowledge to develop management strategies, policy and governance guidelines to foster forest system resilience.

Contact: François Lefevre, [email protected]

For further information: www.foresterra.eu

* The Enhancing forest research in the Mediterranean through improved coordination and integration (ERA-Net FORESTERRA) network aims to strengthen scientific coordination and the integration of Mediterranean forest research programmes and scientific cooperation in Mediterranean Basin countries and with other areas under a Mediterranean climate.

** INtegrated research on FOrest Resilience and Management in the mEDiterranean.

INFORMED project: integrated research on forest resilience and management in the Mediterranean

Biodiversity and continental ecosystems

A mixed beech-fir forest ecosystem (Col du Comte, Mont-Ventoux, France). © INRA/URFM

Altitudinal zonation of forest tree vegetation.

© IN

RA/U

RFM


Fostering adaptations to climate change in tropical forest ecosystems

The scientific project of the research unit Tropical Forest Goods and Ecosystem Services (UR B&SEF – CIRAD) includes studies on tropical forest ecology, while also drawing up, implementing and assessing policies, guidelines, practices and instruments associated with these ecosystems. The overall aim is to facilitate the adaptation of ecological and social systems to constraints and opportunities arising as a result of global changes. It is also to enhance the sustainability of services provided by tropical forest ecosystems to the benefit of people in local communities and worldwide.

There are three focuses of study: Tropical forests. These are a

development challenge because of their potential for producing goods and services that are essential for our societies. They are at the core of major global changes and represent the richest reservoir of carbon and biodiversity on Earth.

Societies living or depending on these forests. UR B&SEF studies rules, practices, uses, knowledge and representations associated with forests and social capital building and related cooperation or competition dynamics.

Public policies. Policies or instruments that apply to forests may be external to the studied ecological and social system (international conventions, national taxation, national climate change adaptation plans, associated markets and financial mechanisms, etc.) or internal (local markets, management regulations, practices, organizations, institutions, etc.). •••

See an example of an UR B&SEF project on page 25.

Through its research, the unit is striving to address two cross-cutting issues: Ecological and social tropical forest

systems—what is the operational concept of the dialogue between ecological and human sciences, and the modelling of human-nature interactions regarding forest resources?

Features of tropical forest ecosystems, the value of ecosystem services and payment for environmental services—what relationships and scales?

UR B&SEF is organized around three research teams: ‘Resilience of tropical forest ecosystems impacted by exploitation and global changes’, ‘Relationships between ecosystem resilience and the vulnerability of societies in ecological and social forest systems’ and ‘Policies and instruments of public action regarding tropical forests’.

Erosion in W National Park (Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger).© A. Billand

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OREME’s key mission is to collect, integrate and share heterogeneous data associated with these disciplines and established correlations that were not previously highlighted.

Such data correlations will allow the discovery of systematic signals that enable assessments of the impacts of climate and/or anthropogenic changes while shedding light on the mechanisms involved (hazards, vulnerability) in these environmental disturbances.

Its mission is to: support the activity and

development of systematic observations for science of the universe and environmental science applications

support the construction of open, shared and internationally referenced environmental databases

promote sharing of expertise and analytical resources (observation, experimentation, modelling)

serve as a local hub for national observation networks and as a major stakeholder in Mediterranean-oriented environmental initiatives.

An observatory to assess the impact of climate and anthropogenic changes on Mediterranean environments

The Observatoire de Recherche Méditerranéen de l’Environnement (OREME – UM, CNRS, IRD) is an Observatory for Science of the Universe (OSU) devoted to studies on hazards and vulnerability regarding Mediterranean environments. It focuses on natural hazards and the impact of global and anthropogenic changes on living organisms and inert structures in the Mediterranean region.

Due to the high magnitude of climate change expected to affect the Mediterranean Basin (intensity and duration of stress periods, frequency of extreme droughts), this region is a major disruption hotspot identified by climatologists. Three fundamental features of changes currently under way (increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration, increasing temperature and changing rainfall patterns) are having direct effects on forest ecosystem functioning and are impacting matter (water, carbon, nitrogen) and energy exchanges at the biosphere-atmosphere interface.

Based on micro-meteorological methods, the instrumented Experimental Site of Puéchabon in France (an OREME facility) quantifies these flows at temporal scales from seconds to years. Ecosystem water fluxes will have direct regional consequences in terms of watershed water balances and coastal ecosystem inputs. In addition

to these direct impacts, climate change combined with land-use change will substantially alter the disturbances, especially the fire regime.

With the aim to monitor the functioning and biodiversity of regional forest ecosystems in response to these changes, the Puéchabon research platform is integrated in two networks, i.e. Stations expérimentales méditerranéennes forestières (SEMAFOR) and Stations expérimentales méditerranéennes de terrain (STEXMED). It is also linked to the European Experimentation in Ecosystem Research (ExpeER) network and with the worldwide network FLUXNET coordinating regional and global quantitative analyses on mass and energy exchanges using micro-meteorological towers.

Contact: Richard Joffre, [email protected]

For further information: http://cefe.cnrs.fr

Puéchabon research platform—studying the impact of global change on the Mediterranean forest

The Puéchabon observation and experimentation platform, integrated in the large-scale European research infrastructure

Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS), serves to observe and

measure Mediterranean forest dynamics.

© R. Joffre


Ecotron of Montpellier—an experimental platform open to the international scientific community

The European Ecotron of Montpellier (CNRS) is an experimental research infrastructure devoted to studies on the impact of climate change on ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Intact or reconstituted ecosystem blocks are set up in the Ecotron facilities. This enables control of their environment under a broad range of climatic and chemical atmospheric conditions, and continuous measurement of variations in the main biogeochemical cycles when different forcing factors are applied. The Ecotron thus provides direct access to parameters of ecological or agricultural interest under future or past climate scenarios.

The environmental parameters controlled include: temperature (-10 to +50°C), relative humidity (20-80%), precipitation (sprinkler or drip), atmospheric CO2

(200-1000 ppm), light (intensity and spectral composition) and the 13C/12C isotope ratio of the air CO

2.

microcosms (micro-lysimeters with photosynthetic plants, micro-containers with soils, etc.) can be installed.

A minimum of 12 units are available per platform to conduct studies on the impact of various factors and their interactions, or to draw up a series of successive scenarios for analyses on response linearity and tipping points.

The Ecotron of Montpellier is open to researchers from the French and international scientific community conducting studies in ecology, agronomy, biology and geoscience fields.

A call for Ecotron projects is posted on the website. It presents the project submission and acceptance conditions, along with a description and operational costs of each platform.www.ir-ecotrons.cnrs.fr

The ecosystem functions measured online include: evapotranspiration, net ecosystem CO

2 flux, soil

respiration, methane flux and 13C/12C isotope fractionation in CO

2

molecules.

Findings regarding these parameters are used to calculate mass balances for several molecules and ecosystem resource utilization efficiencies (water, nitrogen, light and carbon efficiency). Many other parameters can also generally be measured in samples collected from these ecosystems. The Ecotron stores and packages (e.g. freeze dried) these samples, which can subsequently be analysed in other laboratories.

The Ecotron has three platforms for conducting studies at different scales: Macrocosms (operational since

2011) are 40 m3 units, each able to host 2-12 t lysimeters, with a 2-5 m² canopy area and a soil depth of up to 2 m.

Mesocosms are 2-4 m3 units, each able to host lysimeters of 0.4-1 m depth and 0.4-1 m² area.

Microcosms consist of culture chambers (1 m height, 1 m² area) in which dozens of different

The impact of extreme climate events expected to occur around the year 2050 on carbon and water fluxes on an upland grassland highlighted that the negative effects of a heat wave and drought could be buffered by an increase in atmospheric CO2 levels in the coming decades.

Another experiment on Mediterranean forest litter decomposition demonstrated synergistic effects between the functional diversity of the litter, that of the detrivorous macrofauna and the stability of these interactions in a moderate drought situation.

Climate change will alter ecosystem biodiversity. The Ecotron thus highlighted the physiological mechanisms by which—on a canopy scale—the plant community diversity can boost the water-, nitrogen- and light-use efficiency, and ultimately the primary production.

Modelling of biogeochemical cycles is required to predict climate change impacts. The Ecotron recently discovered that the circadian rhythm (which is highly significant on an ecosystem scale), air temperature and relative humidity have additive roles in regulating CO2 and H2O fluxes. It also showed that the circadian rhythm should be incorporated in the modelling of these fluxes.

Some examples of research conducted at the Ecotron

Ecotron of Montpellier, with the macrocosms domes in the background.

Insertion of intact blocks of grassland ecosystems in one of the macrocosms.

J. Ro

y ©

Eco

tron

Measurement of 13C/12C fractionation by the roots of microcosm-grown bean plants.

multiplexer

on-line 13C &CO2 analyser

C. P

iel ©

Eco

tron

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CN

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Soil microbial communities and climate changeIn terrestrial ecosystems, the activity of microbial communities is one of the main sources of the powerful greenhouse gas CO2. The activity of these organisms actually generates more CO2 per year than fossil fuel burning.

UMR Eco&Sols (see p. 77) carried out studies to assess the capacity of microbial communities to adapt to climate change. Laboratory experiments conducted under controlled conditions were focused on the effects of temperature increases on soil respiration. This function did not seem to be altered when the temperature was no higher than 40°C. In this temperature range, the activity of microbial communities depended on the availability of carbon substrates.

Above 40°C, the respiratory activity was stimulated whereas the microbial biomass decreased.

A further study specifically assessed the impact of temporary thermal stress (60°C for 16 h) on the diversity of microbial communities. The findings indicated that communities that were resistant to this stress could adapt to temporary changes in their environment. These studies highlighted a modification in the metabolism of soil microbial communities exposed to thermal stress.

Contact: Tiphaine Chevallier, [email protected]

The NEUROHYDRO project, conducted by LGEI (see p. 38) and the SITE Centre of the École des Mines de Saint-Étienne, is part of the ANR WETCHANGE* project. The aim was to draw up forecasts of wetland responses to low water levels induced by global change on the basis of different climatic scenarios for the 2030-2050 period. These responses were studied in terms of both hydrological and biological functioning.

The study area was in the low Ain river valley (France), located about 40 km northeast of Lyon. The many wetlands in this area host highly diversified ecosystems. The aim of this project was to develop a model based on neural networks for Ain river basins, combined

with a finite difference mesh model, to study water resource patterns associated with changes in climate variables derived from several forecasting scenarios drawn up by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The project generated a simulation of variations in these wetlands when subjected to many management conditions (irrigation, biodiversity conservation). Groundwater-river exchanges were also studied in the Cèze karst basin (Gard region, France).

The combined model was then supplemented with precipitation forecasts derived from IPCC climate forecasting models (2010-2040 period) so as to compare the impacts of different scenarios on biodiversity and resources (drinking and irrigation water).

The results are specifically focused on hydraulic exchanges between the groundwater and the right and left Ain river banks. In places where the river feeds the water table, groundwater resources can be collected by abstraction for irrigation and drinking water purposes. This is not possible, however, when the river drains the water table, especially when the riverbed is on a sharp slope. In case of river or groundwater pollution, it is essential to be aware of these exchanges in order to take the necessary protective measures. Climate forecasts (2040, 2070) were used to assess the impacts on these groundwater/river exchanges and the potential drying of oxbows and so-called lônes of the river.

Contact: Anne Johannet, [email protected]

For further information: www.graie.org/wetchange

* The WETCHANGE project (Wetland biodiversity and functioning in response to severe low water levels induced by global change) involves three partners: CNRS, École nationale supérieure des Mines de Saint-Étienne and IRSTEA.

Variations in low wetlands in the Ain river valley

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Effective use of mycorrhizal symbiosis to mitigate water erosion processesOne very likely environmental impact of climatic hazards is a change in the plant cover structure, thus weakening the soil and exacerbating water erosion phenomena, leading to the loss of bioavailable soil elements that nourish plants.

In this setting, it is crucial to enhance the capacity of plants to gain access to these mineral resources (especially nitrogen and phosphorus), while increasing their tolerance to environmental conditions that are not conducive to their growth. LSTM (see p. 55) is thus developing ecological engineering strategies to optimise the activity of symbiotic soil microorganisms (mycorrhizal fungi, rhizobia, etc.) to benefit their plant partners.

Different forestry and agroecology practices have thus been developed through:

a so-called ‘holistic’ approach to promote the development of the mycorrhizal and rhizobial potential of soils via the introduction of hypermycotrophic plants (or nurse plants) in the silvicultural sequence

or a so-called ‘reductionist’ approach whereby forest or crop plants obtain an optimal mycorrhizal status (maximum colonization of their root system by fungal and rhizobial symbionts).

The results revealed that it is possible to sustainably revegetate areas that have been affected by water erosion and thus to adapt cropping strategies to expected environmental modifications that could occur as a result of global change.

Contact: Robin Duponnois, [email protected]

For further information: http://umr-lstm.cirad.fr

Left: Spores of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (Glomus intraradices).

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Effects of inoculations of different rhizobial strains on the growth of Dalbergia sp. plants.Y. Prin © CIRAD - LSTM

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Biodiversity and marine ecosystems

Main teamsEMBRC-France

European Marine Biological Resource Centre

(UPMC/CNRS)90 scientists

OOBOceanic Observatory

of Banyuls-sur-Mer(UPMC/CNRS)

80 scientists

UMR BIOMIntegrative Biology

of Marine Organisms(UPMC/CNRS)

15 scientists

UMR CEFREMCentre de Formation et de Recherche

sur les Environnements Méditerranéens(UPVD/CNRS)

30 scientists

UMR LECOBBenthic Ecogeochemistry Laboratory

(UPMC/CNRS)12 scientists

…continued on page 44

rospective studies on different territorial levels, specific to the challenges and risks induced by climate change, should be able to trace the chain of impacts from potentially combined phenomena to

their effects on human activities. Combined methods from different scientific disciplines (climatology, oceanography, geomorphology, economics, sociology, geography, etc.) are required for such research. For anyone wishing to implement anticipatory or adaptation policies, this multidisciplinary knowledge must be scientifically well organized so as to be tailored to any geographical, economic or environmental situation.

Although there are still many uncertainties regarding future climate change patterns—especially on local future climatic phenomena—many Agropolis scientific research teams are studying the impact of anthropogenic pressures and global warming on marine biodiversity and on the functioning of Mediterranean ecosystems (MARBEC, CEFREM, BIOM, LECOB, LOMIC, LBBM). These often highly multidisciplinary research units study direct and indirect impacts of climate change on shoreline, coastal and offshore ecosystems, on energy and material fluxes at the land/sea interface, on modification of coastlines, species’ habitats and distribution areas and their interactions and impacts on the functioning of food webs.

These studies are supported by monitoring activities linked with observatories and sometimes research units (OREME, OOB, CEFREM) that record long-term variations in physicochemical and biological parameters in the marine environment.

Finally, several research platforms are also available and open to the entire regional, national and European community for conducting experiments under controlled conditions (MEDIMEER). It is also possible to gain access to a diverse range of organisms in situ or ex situ and to many logistical services and analytical platforms at EMBRC, a national and European infrastructure in marine biology.

Philippe Lebaron (OOB)

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A Mediterranean observatory for studying and teaching marine biology and oceanography

The Oceanic Observatory of Banyuls-sur-Mer (OOB – UPMC, CNRS) is focused specifically on marine biology, ecology and oceanographic studies in the Mediterranean Sea. OOB training, research, monitoring, hosting and scientific extension missions benefit from the exceptional diversity of biotopes, fauna and flora.

Ecosystems and species adaptation to climate change is one of the key features of its observations and long-term ecosystem monitoring. The Observatory benefits from a terrestrial component created in 1973 (Natural Massane Forest Reserve) and a marine component set up in 1974 (Natural Marine Reserve of Cerbère-Banyuls). The monitoring role was strengthened in 1985 when the OOB Arago laboratory was granted a ‘National Oceanographic Observatory’ status. As climatic conditions are rapidly changing, it is essential to acquire knowledge on spatiotemporal ecosystem

in oceanography associated with climate change issues. The observatory also set up the Biodiversarium—a scientific mediation centre that includes a public aquarium that is under renovation and extension, and a Mediterranean garden. Both of these host public visitors ranging from school students to the general public with the aim of boosting their awareness on terrestrial and marine biodiversity and on the effects of global change (especially climatic) on biodiversity. •••

* Service d’Observation en Milieu Littoral. http://somlit.epoc.u-bordeaux1.fr** Mediterranean Ocean Observing System on Environment, www.moose-network.fr*** The MOLA station (Microbial Observatory Laboratoire Arago) is located on the northern side of Lacaze-Duthiers canyon, http://sooob.obs-banyuls.fr/fr/les_sites_d_observation.html

dynamics so as to be able to foresee potential patterns and the impacts of these changes on ecosystem services. However, only long-term measurements can highlight natural or disturbed changes in a system with marked seasonal and/or inter-annual variability.

OOB currently has three permanent observation stations located on a coastal-offshore gradient. They are regularly monitored (real-time, weekly or monthly) regarding physical, chemical and biological parameters. These time series of observations began in 1997 for the most coastal station and in 2003 for the offshore station. All of these data are included in national observation networks: SOMLIT* for the Service d’Observation du Laboratoire Arago (SOLA coastal station) and MOOSE** for the Observatoire Microbiologique du Laboratoire Arago (MOLA*** offshore station). Since 2010, some parameters are also being acquired at high frequency and in real time.

OOB is an internal school of the Université Pierre et Marie Curie. It offers university training

School of barracudas (Sicily).

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observations, and to substantially increase the real-time data flow so as to better constrain climate-ocean and operational oceanography models.

Finally, with the support of models, MOOSE should generate data required to forecast future scenarios that could be used to assess variations in the Mediterranean Sea in response to climate change and human pressure, and thus to propose suitable adaptations. •••

* The Mediterranean Ocean Observing System on Environment (MOOSE), which received a Système d’Observation et d’Expérimentation pour la Recherche sur l’Environnement (SOERE) accreditation in 2010, addresses current requests from society regarding pollution and biodiversity issues.

of geologists and sedimentologists and then it gradually became more multidisciplinary until CEFREM was founded in 1997. The present team includes sedimentologists, geochemists, biologists and physicists.

CEFREM is participating in the integrated multisite SOERE MOOSE network* (2010-2020), in collaboration with IFREMER and Météo-France, for long-term monitoring of the impacts of climate change and those induced by human activities in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea.

The primary aim of this programme is to achieve sustainable long-term time-series data, to streamline observation strategies between laboratories, to implement modern automated measurements for combined ocean-atmosphere

Multidisciplinary scientific research on the coastal environment

The Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens (UMR CEFREM – UPVD, CNRS) has long been oriented towards the coastal environment, which has brought it closer to socioeconomic issues associated with the different uses of this environment. Its research activities are focused on mass and energy transfers at interfaces with the coastal system, including physical exchanges of water bodies, particles and elements (especially carbon) in the continent-ocean continuum.

All of these activities are carried out within the framework of international, national and regional programmes. This laboratory was founded in 1963 around a core team

The Service d’Observation du Laboratoire Arago at Banyuls-sur-Mer (SOLA, OOB) focuses on overall issues directly concerning the impact of global change on coastal areas and its relative importance regarding local human activities (global vs local).

The SOLA site was selected as representative of a ‘normal’ situation, whereby a typology of seasonal and interannual fluctuations could be defined via the monitoring of relevant parameters on appropriate time scales. OOB members—aware of the problem of the representativeness of a single point in a basin—combine coastal research conducted by the Arago laboratory (especially combined benthic-pelagic research).

The development of a systematic approach to coastal environmental observations is thus the result of local initiatives based on opportunities and on a tradition of scientific awareness (Réseau des Stations et Observatoires Marins). The Service d’Observation en Milieu Littoral was thus set up in 1995, and accredited by the CNRS French National Institute of Sciences of the Universe in 1996. This service currently includes nine marine stations.

Contact: Pascal Conan, [email protected]

Temporal monitoring of Mediterranean coastal ecosystem dynamics


The CNRS instrument-equipped research ship Néréis II.

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Role of winter dense water formations in spatiotemporal patterns of pelagic ecosystem functioning impacted by climate changeClimate change could lead to increased surface water stratification in the Mediterranean Sea, acidification and oligotrophication that is progressive but rapid and substantial on a biological scale, with major impacts on marine planktonic organisms. It is essential to identify key processes that prompt changes in the hydrological regime and in marine ecosystem functioning. The dense water formation process (which ventilates deep water while effectively exporting organic matter to deeper ocean depths, and contributes considerably to nutrient salt recycling in surface waters) could be significantly altered. Combined experimental research and modelling is necessary to deal with the complexity of these processes and their effects on marine organisms.

This approach has been implemented in the MERMEX programme, one component of which addresses the impact of hydrodynamic changes on biochemical budgets in the Mediterranean Sea, with the involvement of UMR LOMIC and CEFREM, etc.

One series of DeWEX 2013 sea research missions was conducted in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. In the first leg (February 2013), a network of stations set up in a star pattern around the dense water formation zone (42°N-5°E) was surveyed in winter during the convective phase. In the second leg (April 2013), the resulting spring bloom was sampled and the propagation of dense water formed during the winter was tracked. These missions were mainstreamed into a comprehensive implementation plan over the 2012-2013 winter period. Lighter research cruises were conducted on the same

network stations to sample the autumn dense-water preconditioning phase, and then the stratified summer phase. An intense underwater free-floating glider observation network and satellite imagery supplemented this observation phase. A major modelling effort enhanced coordination, facilitated linkages between these operations and made effective use of the data.

This operation, supported by the Mediterranean Integrated Studies at Regional and Local Scales (MISTRALS) programme, pooled the initiatives of over a hundred scientists attached to French laboratories such as UMR LOMIC, CEFREM, MIO, LA, LOCEAN, LOV, etc.* It also received financial support from European (PERSEUS, GROOM, JERICO**) and French (EQUIPEX-NAOS and ANR ASICS-MED***) programmes, especially regarding underwater free-floating gliders and modelling.

Contact: Pascal Conan, [email protected]

For further information: www.insu.cnrs.fr/environnement/dewex-impacts-of-deep-water-formation-on-mediterranean-pelagic-ecosystems-mermex

* MIO: Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography; LA: Aerology Lab; LOCEAN: Oceanography and Climate Lab - Experimental and Numerical Approaches; LOV: Villefranche Oceanographic Laboratory.

** PERSEUS: Policy-oriented marine Environmental Research for the Southern European Seas; GROOM: Gliders for Research, Ocean Observation and Management; JERICO: Joint European Research Infrastructure for Coastal Observatories.

*** EQUIPEX: Équipements d’Excellence; NAOS: Novel Argo Ocean Observing System; ASICS-MED: Air-Sea Interaction and Coupling with Submesoscale structures in the Mediterranean.

DeWEX-MERMEX (Deep Water Formation Experiment–Marine Ecosystems Response in the Mediterranean Experiment) research missions.a. Distribution of mean surface chlorophyll concentrations (µg.l-1).

b. Temporal trends in nitrate concentrations (µM) measured at the mixed layer depth (MLD) using PROVOR profilers.

c. Temporal changes in the MLD (m). Shaded areas represent DeWEX–MERMEX research ship missions.

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and achieve a better balance between the use and conservation of these ecosystems.

The unit’s teams focus research in eight general areas to address these challenges: evolutionary ecology and

adaptation individuals, populations and

habitats dynamics and functioning of

communities microorganisms and interactions

with macroorganisms contaminants: fates and responses sustainable aquaculture multiple uses of coastal systems ecosystem approach to fisheries.

The impacts of global change on marine biodiversity are studied in each of these themes.

Reconciling fisheries activities and marine ecosystem conservation

The joint research unit Marine Biodiversity, Exploitation and Conservation (UMR MARBEC – IRD, IFREMER, UM, CNRS) studies marine biodiversity in lagoon, coastal and offshore ecosystems at different integration levels, from molecular, individual, population and community aspects to human uses of this biodiversity.

This research unit is set up at three sites in metropolitan France (Sète, Montpellier, Palavas-les-Flots) and in the Indian Ocean, Asia, Africa and South America and conducts studies to fulfil three main objectives: describe marine biodiversity,

understand its dynamics and marine ecosystem functioning

analyse the impact of human pressure on these ecosystems and develop global change response scenarios

Main teamsUMR LOMIC

Microbial Oceanography Laboratory(UPMC/CNRS)

12 scientists

UMR MARBECMarine Biodiversity, Exploitation

and Conservation(IRD/IFREMER/UM/CNRS)

121 scientists

UMS MEDIMEERCentre d’écologie marine expérimentale

of OSU OREME(UM/CNRS/IRD)

2 scientists

USR LBBMLaboratory of Microbial

Biodiversity and Biotechnology(UPMC/CNRS)

20 scientists

The Mediterranean Sea has over 100 marine protected areas (MPAs) that serve to maintain sufficient supplies of fished species on the continental shelf. The connectivity between fish populations, especially through the dispersal of larval fish via ocean currents, is a key factor regarding the efficacy of the MPA network to ensure the supply of larval fish to fishing areas.

In a study published in the Diversity and Distributions journal and funded by the Fondation pour la Recherche sur la Biodiversité and Total Foundation, UMR MARBEC researchers associated with other partners (IRD, Aix-Marseille Université, UM, CNRS, Météo-France) demonstrated that climate change (+2.8°C at the end of the 21st century) could affect the connectivity of fish populations in the Mediterranean Sea. In particular, the larval fish dispersal distance could decrease by 10% (9 km on average), causing a 3% reduction (around 27 000 ha) in the overall fishing area seeded by the MPA network. An increase in temperature decreases the larval lifespan—thus the distances hatchlings are carried in the ocean currents—while changes in currents expected in the Mediterranean Sea will affect the trajectories of these fish larvae. This study highlighted the combined physical and biological impacts associated with climate change on the efficacy of MPA networks.

Contact: David Mouillot, [email protected]

Climate change will decrease the ability of marine protected areas to seed fishing areas with larval fish

Effects of different processes on changes in larval dispersal distances over the century.In grey (a), effects of changes in marine current velocities and direction (hydrodynamic changes); in blue (b), effects of hydrodynamic changes and adult reproduction period changes; in green (c), effects of hydrodynamic changes and larval lifespan changes; in red (d), the three combined effects.

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Biodiversity and marine ecosystemsFrom Climate Change: impact and adaptation - Les Dossiers d'Agropolis International - March 2015 - 88 pages

Vulnerability and preservation of Mediterranean marine, coastal and deep-sea ecosystems

Research carried out by the Benthic Ecogeochemistry Laboratory (UMR LECOB – UPMC, CNRS) is focused on the functions and vulnerability of benthic ecosystems and their interfaces.

From the Mediterranean coast to the deep-sea, the ecological models currently studied by the laboratory locate in highly dynamic environments subjected to a range of anthropogenic pressures: rocky

integrate this knowledge in predictive models based on climate scenarios or direct human disturbances

develop and assess methods and tools to test the effectiveness of conservation measures or the relevance of ecological quality indicators for the environment.

For its ongoing projects—in addition to support from CNRS and UPMC—LECOB benefits from funding from ANR, from the LITEAU programme of the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy (MEDDE) and from Total Foundation. •••

habitats, river mouths, submarine canyons and hydrothermal vents. These sensitive habitats also constitute biodiversity and productivity hotspots protected by conservation measures.

LECOB conducts research to: gain further insights into the

dynamic interactions that link marine benthic communities and their functions to environmental properties

model these interactions to predict relationships between biodiversity, resource heterogeneity and habitat fragmentation through metapopulation and metacommunity approaches

Hydrodynamic influences on coral conservation in coastal environments and deep submarine canyonsGorgonians are outstanding engineer species that are found along the Mediterranean coast. They play a vital role regarding biomass and bedrock diversity. The LECOB team is assessing the impact of protective measures on the distribution of these species by developing connectivity models involving simulation of larval dispersal patterns that combine experimental studies on larval motility behaviour and numerical hydrodynamics simulations. These connectivity studies are carried out for metapopulations of different gorgonian species (including red coral, and red and white gorgonians) in the Ligurian Sea in the framework of a European PhD scholarship (MARES*) and in the Gulf of Lions as part of the LITEAU IV project (RocConnect**).

Scleractinian corals play a similar role in deep-sea environments. These corals are especially vulnerable to the impacts of human activities (trawling, waste) and the effects of global change (warming, acidification and changes in ocean water circulation patterns). They are also protected by international measures. Some submarine canyons offer ideal habitats for these corals due to abundant nutrient resources associated with specific hydrodynamic conditions. The Lacaze-Duthiers canyon off Banyuls (France) is one of them, as it hosts

large populations of Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata corals, which are now integrated in the management plan of the Gulf of Lions Marine Protected Area (Marine Natural Park).

LECOB has developed a research programme devoted to the growth and ecological role of these engineer species, combining organic geochemistry and microbial ecology, to assess the sensitivity of deep-sea ecosystems to climate change, and especially the impacts of extreme weather events. These studies are part of the Extreme Marine Environments, Biodiversity and Global Change Chair programme set up by UPMC with the support of Total Foundation. They are supported by CNRS (including incentive funds from a multidisciplinary exploratory project of the Ecology and Environment Institute) and involve a collaboration with Jacobs International University in Bremen (Germany).

Contacts: Katell Guizien, [email protected] Lartaud, [email protected]& Nadine Le Bris, lebris@obs-banyuls* MIO : Institut Méditerranéen d’Océanologie ; CEREGE : Centre de Recherche et * Marine Ecosystem Health and Conservation.** Connectivity of hard-bottom substrates in the Gulf of Lions.

Growth experiment on deep-sea coral at 500 m depth in the Lacaze-Duthiers submarine canyon, France.© UPMC-LECOB (Total Foundation Academic Chair)

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The BIOM research unit is interested in studying adaptation of marine organisms to environmental changes include climate change. This is exemplified by the SalTemp project.

This type of approach has often led to significant breakthroughs in a range of different biological fields, and comes up with answers to some fundamental biological questions.

We study the biology of marine organisms to investigate their great diversity (19 out of 36 metazoan phyla are exclusively marine organisms) and to use and study this diversity as potential biological models. In this global setting, the two main lines of BIOM research are developmental biology and the study of adaptation mechanisms using both unicellular and multicellular models.

Comparative study of conventional and unconventional marine organism models

The joint research unit Integrative Biology of Marine Organisms (UMR BIOM – UPMC, CNRS) carries out academic research mainly. Its project focusses on studies on development and adaptation mechanisms of organisms through evolution, and using unconventional marine models. The comparative studies extend and complement those conducted on conventional models. They enable relevant comparisons between phylogenetically distant organisms.

Both temperature and light/dark cycles contribute to triggering downstream migration of salmon to the sea. But how do they interact? How do salmon (and more generally fish) integrate the temperature information and what kind of hormonal messages do they produce in response to temperature changes? How will salmon cope with the ongoing global warming?

The SalTemp project, coordinated by the team Environment and Adaptive Mechanisms of the UMR BIOM, aims at finding answers to all of these questions. The goal is to gain insight into how light and temperature interact to determine when salmon migration is triggered. It is important to know more about a crucial event in the fish biological cycle because it relies on the temperatures experienced during its stream movements; and, the photoperiod/temperature balance is now challenged by the climate change as temperature increases while photoperiod remains the same.

Temperature impacts metabolism, physiology and behaviour of fish. Each fish has its specific window of tolerance. Temperatures beyond this window put the fish survival at risk.

In salmon from the Loire-Allier Basin (France), we will study:

The mechanisms of thermo-reception

The impact of temperature changes on the daily and seasonal melatonin cycles

The impact of temperature on the settings of the downstream migration

The impact of melatonin on pituitary productions involved in triggering downstream migration.

The hypothesis that all or some of the effects of temperature are mediated through membrane-bound calcium channels expressed in the pineal organ and along the neuroendocrine axis will be tested. In vivo and in vitro studies will be performed to elucidate how photoperiod and temperature interact to control the production of, both, the ‘time-keeping hormone’ melatonin and the hypothalamic-pituitary hormones involved in the neuroendocrine control of downstream migration. Finally, an experiment will be carried out to study the impact of a 5°C temperature increase on the behaviour (locomotor activity and downstream migration), as well as on molecular, endocrine and physiological mechanisms that control the migratory behaviour.

The findings of this study will help understanding and predicting the impact of the ongoing temperature increase and of the above-mentioned induced mismatch with photoperiod on migration. The impact on the survival of salmon populations and on the sustainability of restocking initiatives will also be assessed.

Contact: Jack Falcón, [email protected]

SalTemp project: global warming and migration in Atlantic salmon of the Loire-Allier river axis

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Effects of global warming on triggering marine phytoplankton blooms—photoperiodism, composition and adaptationOcean warming is the main factor responsible for overall changes in productivity, biomass and phenology (bloom timing) in phytoplankton communities. In temperate oceans, phytoplankton abundance and diversity sharply increase between winter and spring. These blooms are likely the result of a combination of physical (light, temperature), chemical (nutrients) and ecological (interactions with bacteria, predation) parameters. The life of most living organisms is governed by the light/dark cycle (photoperiod) that regulates seasonal processes (photoperiodism). Temperature is a key physiological control factor in phytoplankton, and the photoperiod could regulate the timing of blooms.

Within the framework of the PHOTO-PHYTO project (ANR 2014-2017), researchers from UMR LOMIC, MARBEC and OOB, in partnership with the company Metabolium (Romainville, France), are studying the role and hierarchy of fluctuating environmental factors (e.g. temperature) and intrinsic factors (e.g. circadian clock controlling

photoperiodism) in triggering spring blooms. This project involves a multidisciplinary approach that combines unique expertise in the fields of oceanography, microbial ecology, functional genomics and experimental evolution on the picoplankton model Ostreococcus tauri.

The following questions are raised:

What are the main in situ factors controlling spring phytoplankton blooms?

How do temperature and photoperiod interact to trigger spring blooms?

Will the adaptation to global warming affect photoperiodism and trophic interactions?

How does global warming affect natural microbial communities?

Contact: François-Yves Bouget, [email protected]

Adaptation of marine microorganisms to global change

The overall objective of the Microbial Oceanography Laboratory (UMR LOMIC – UPMC, CNRS) is to study reciprocal interactions between a changing and varying environment—the ocean—and microorganisms inhabiting it in an integrative way from the gene to the ecosystem. LOMIC pools expertise in the fields of marine biogeochemistry, microbial ecology, functional genomics and ecotoxicology. This multidisciplinary approach is effective in addressing issues at the frontiers of science.

Research conducted by the LOMIC team is structured around four main topics: regulation of microbial functions

by light and nutrients reactivity of organic matter and

microbial diversity

Amongst other investigations, LOMIC focuses studies on the response and adaptation of autotrophic and heterotrophic marine microorganisms to climate change. This is a key issue in analysing the impacts of environmental modifications on a global scale. These microorganisms are essential to life on Earth and their very diverse metabolisms enable them to achieve many steps in biogeochemical cycles.

LOMIC is attached to the CNRS National Institute of Sciences of the Universe, but is also thematically in close collaboration with the CNRS Ecology and Environment Institute and Biological Sciences Institute. In addition, this laboratory is involved in different research projects in the Mediterranean Sea and Southern, Arctic and Pacific Oceans. •••

microbial processes and ocean biogeochemistry

ecotoxicology and microbial metabolic engineering.

These topics encompass both fundamental research (e.g. responses of microorganisms to global oceanic changes) and applied research (blue biotechnology, valorization of microalgae, plastic biodegradation, etc.) issues that are investigated in collaboration with industrial partners (Mycrophyt, Metabolium, etc.).

The LOMIC teams implement different approaches, ranging from experiments on model microorganisms (e.g. Ostreococcus tauri and Photobacterium angustum) to field studies during ocean missions and experiments on microbial communities under controlled conditions.

Microplate light simulator to reproduce a range of different light intensity, quality and photoperiod conditions when culturing phytoplankton species.This device can also be used to measure luminescence parameters in order to monitor the impact of environmental (light, nutrients) and anthropogenic (pollutants) factors on reporter gene expression.


contaminants in the environment, understanding the potential impacts of climate change on microorganisms)

transfer knowledge through the training of students and young researchers.

Research carried out by LBBM comes under three major themes: ‘Environmental omics and natural community regulation mechanisms’, ‘Microbial biodiversity and biomolecules’, and ‘Emerging contaminants in aquatic environments and health’.

LBBM’s missions are to: develop leading-edge research in the

field of microbial ecology of aquatic environments through studies on microorganism diversity, knowledge of their genetic and physiological properties and the molecules that enable them to interact or act on their environment

support and promote scientific innovation at the health-environment interface via collaborative initiatives to address major societal challenges (cancer treatment, the impact and fate of chemical and biological

Understanding factors that govern the activity and diversity of microorganisms in aquatic environments

The Laboratory of Microbial Biodiversity and Biotechnology (USR LBBM – Sorbonne Universités, UPMC, CNRS) conducts research to understand the biodiversity and functional role of microorganisms in the environment by focusing on aquatic systems (marine, maritime, continental). LBBM thus pools expertise in microbial ecology, microbiology, chemical ecology, biotechnology and exploratory pharmacology. The aim of this research unit is to gain further insight into how biotic and abiotic factors regulate the activity and diversity of microorganisms in aquatic environments. A major part of its activity is also devoted to making effective use of knowledge derived from this research (biotechnological potential of its microorganism collection, development of diagnostic tools).

LBBM coordinates the RHOMEO (Proteorhodopsin-containing Prokaryotes in Marine Environments) project in collaboration with the joint research unit Adaptation and Diversity in the Marine Environment based at the Station biologique de Roscoff (France). The aim of this project is to combine assessments on the diversity and

spatiotemporal dynamics of photoheterotrophic marine bacteria with physiological studies in photobioreactors targeting isolated strains.

Advanced molecular techniques will be implemented to determine the diversity of proteorhodopsin-containing bacteria (with light-dependent proton pumps so that light can be used as an energy source) at three contrasting sites: Mediterranean Sea, the English Channel, and the Arctic Ocean. In physiological studies, photobioreactors and model microbial strains will be used to assess the effects of light on the growth performance of these organisms under different light and substrate quality conditions.

These experiments will help determine the quantity of carbon produced through photoheterotrophic light energy use. The findings will highlight links between specific carbon source use and the physiology of model strains representative of the environment. In situ and physiological experiments will be combined to assess the effects of light on the metabolism of these organisms at the sampled sites. These results will help gain greater insight into long-term climate forecasts while taking into account these organisms which represent a very important constituent of marine microbial communities in oceans.

Contact: Marcelino Suzuki, [email protected]

For further information: www.obs-banyuls.fr/rhomeo

Enhancing long-term climate forecasts through studies on the effects of light on proteorhodopsin-containing bacteria in ocean environments

Photobioreactors used in the ANR RHOMEO project for measuring carbon yields under different light conditions.

Heterotrophic and photoheterotrophic lifecycles.

Left: organic carbon is transformed into cell biomass or used to produce cellular energy via respiration.

Right: for an equivalent number of cells, respiration is theoretically less necessary and CO2 production is reduced.

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Research under controlled conditions in marine environments

The Mediterranean Platform for Marine Ecosystem Experimental Research (MEDIMEER platform of OSU OREME – CNRS, UM, IRD) based at the Station Méditerranéenne de l’Environnement Littoral in Sète (France), proposes advanced scientific expertise for conducting experiments under controlled conditions (mesocosms) in marine environments to benefit the national and international scientific community.

A mesocosm is an experimental enclosure in which a volume of water of over 1 m3 is isolated in conditions resembling those of the natural environment and in which environmental factors (temperature, light, CO

2, nutrients, etc.) can be

adjusted in a realistic manner.

resistance, resilience, etc.) under controlled conditions.

MEDIMEER also offers support for more applied research activities such as sustainable resource management, restoration of degraded ecosystems, biomass production for industrial purposes (biofuels, bioenergy), and ecotoxicology (in onshore mesocosms).

Research at MEDIMEER can quantify and qualify the impacts of local and global physical, chemical and biological forcings on the diversity of aquatic organisms, on their physiologies and interactions, and on the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. •••

This powerful tool links environmental observations and small-scale laboratory studies.

The aims of MEDIMEER are to offer national and international research groups: expertise in the field of

experimental marine ecology oriented towards mesocosm experiments

and a broad range of research facilities. MEDIMEER has in situ mesocosms submerged in Thau lagoon (but which can be transported and implemented at other sites), onshore mesocosms ready for installation, three platforms (observation, analysis and logistics) and a stock of instruments. This infrastructure package can be used to study the impact of natural and anthropogenic forcings on the functioning of marine ecosystems (production, diversity, mass flows,

MEDIMEER in situ mesocosms submerged in Thau lagoon (northwestern Mediterranean region, France).

Each mesocosm contains a 2 m3 water volume with a depth of 2 m.

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gaining access to marine resources and provides a key tool for studying and exploiting marine biodiversity from molecular to ecosystem scales.

In a broader context, in 2009 EMBRC was selected by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) to become a major European research platform of the future. This European centre of marine biology resources is to be launched in 2016 and will link the main European marine biology stations and will soon serve as a catalyst for innovation.

As a prime site for marine bioresource studies in France, in its governance, EMBRC-France benefits from the support of the Investissements d’avenir programme of the French Ministry of Education and Research, the strong involvement of Brittany, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regions, and that of the Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique and Pôle Mer Méditerranée competitiveness clusters.

In a regional and national setting, EMBRC-France—and especially the Oceanic Observatory of Banyuls-sur-Mer (OOB)—offers companies and academic scientists easy access to ecosystems, marine resources and leading-edge scientific platforms. Through on-site hosting or remote services, EMBRC-France thus overcomes the difficulty of

EMBRC—one of Europe’s largest research platforms on biodiversity

The three French marine research stations at Banyuls-sur-Mer, Roscoff and Villefranche-sur-Mer, which are jointly run by UPCM and CNRS, have joined forces at the European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC-France) in order to gain greater knowledge on marine biodiversity.

Marine biological resources and their potential applications in areas as varied as agriculture, health and cosmetics, have yet to be explored in depth. However, with an area of 11 million km2, France represents the second-ranked exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the world. This EEZ is under a range of different climatic conditions and offers a considerable wealth of biodiversity.

© UPMC - OOB
