International audience | A dynamic coupled biogeochemical-ecological model was used to simulate the effects of nitrogen deposition and climate change on plant communities at three forest sites in France. The three sites had different forest covers (sessile oak, Norway spruce and silver fir), three nitrogen loads ranging from relatively low to high, different climatic regions and different soil types. Both the availability of vegetation time series and the environmental niches of the understory species allowed to evaluate the model for predicting the composition of the three plant communities. The calibration of the environmental niches was successful, with a model performance consistently reasonably high throughout the three sites. The model simulations of two climatic and two deposition scenarios showed that climate change may entirely compromise the eventual recovery from eutrophication of the simulated plant communities in response to the reductions in nitrogen deposition. The interplay between climate and deposition was strongly governed by site characteristics and histories in the long term, while forest management remained the main driver of change in the short term.

International audience | Cephalopod beaks found in the diet of predators have been amajor source of scientific information. In this study,we evaluated the usefulness of DNA and contaminants analysis (total mercury — T-Hg) in cephalopod beaks inorder to assess their applicability as tools in marine ecology studies. We concluded that, when applying DNAtechniques to cephalopod beaks from Antarctic squid species, when using flesh attached to those beaks, it waspossible to obtain DNA and to successfully identify cephalopod species; DNA was not found on the beaks themselves.This study also showed that it is possible to obtain information on T-Hg concentrations in beaks: the T-Hgconcentrations found in the beaks were 6 to 46 times lower than in the flesh of the same cephalopod species.More research on the relationships of mercury concentrations in cephalopod beaks (and other tissues), intraandinter-specifically, are needed in the future.

[Departement_IRSTEA]Eaux [TR1_IRSTEA]BELCA | International audience | Passive sampling devices (PS) are widely used for pollutant monitoring in water, but estimation of measurement uncertainties by PS has seldom been undertaken. The aim of this work was to identify key parameters governing PS measurements of metals and their dispersion. We report the results of an in situ intercomparison exercise on diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) in surface waters. Interlaboratory uncertainties of time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations were satisfactory (from 28% to 112%) given the number of participating laboratories (10) and ultra-trace metal concentrations involved. Data dispersion of TWA concentrations was mainly explained by uncertainties generated during DGT handling and analytical procedure steps. We highlight that DGT handling is critical for metals such as Cd, Cr and Zn, implying that DGT assembly/dismantling should be performed in very clean conditions. Using a unique dataset, we demonstrated that DGT markedly lowered the LOQ in comparison to spot sampling and stressed the need for accurate data calculation.

The presented study shows that the delivery of marine macrodebris to a high-energy coastal environment has been abundant enough over the last three decades as to allow a spatial reconstruction of morphological change based on production-date prints. A dataset of > 110 spatially discrete samples has been collected in an area affected by overwashing on the Skallingen peninsula, SW Denmark. A conceptual model for the chronological interpretation of the date prints is proposed and cross-compared with a dense time-series of satellite images and orthophotos. It appears that the litter-derived ages are capable of reproducing information on both the timing and the extent of overwash occurrence. Despite the usefulness of the method as a tool for rapidly assessing the approximate age of recent coastal deposits, the study shows the alarming degree and long-standing of marine-litter pollution on the eastern board of the southern North Sea.

peer reviewed | Hydrocarbons are ubiquitous and persistent organic pollutants in the environment. In wetlands and marine environments, particularly in mangrove ecosystems, their increase and significant accumulation result from human activities such as oil and gas exploration and exploitation operations. Remediation of these ecosystems requires the development of adequate and effective strategies. Natural attenuation, biostimulation, and bioaugmentation are all biological soil treatment techniques that can be adapted to mangroves. Our experiments were performed on samples of fresh mangrove sediments from the Cameroon estuary and mainly from the Wouri River in Cameroon. This study aims to assess the degradation potential of a bacterial consortium isolated from mangrove sediment. The principle of our bioremediation experiments is based on a series of tests designed to evaluate the potential of an active indigenous microflora and three exogenous pure strains, to degrade diesel with/without adding nutrients. The experiments were conducted in laboratory flasks and a greenhouse in microcosms. In one case, as in the other, the endogenous microflora showed that it was able to degrade diesel. Under stress of the pollutant, the endogenous microflora fits well enough in the middle to enable metabolism of the pollutant. However, the Rhodococcus strain was more effective over time. The degradation rate was 77 and 90%in the vials containing the sterile sediments and non-sterile sediments, respectively. The results are comparable with those obtained in the microcosms in a greenhouse where only the endogenous microflora were used. The results of this study show that mangrove sediment contains an active microflora that can metabolize diesel. Indigenous and active microflora show an interesting potential for diesel degradation.

A multiresidue method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 31 emerging contaminants (pharmaceutical compounds, hormones, personal care products, biocides and flame retardants) in aquatic plants. Analytes were extracted by ultrasound assisted-matrix solid phase dispersion (UA-MSPD) and determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after sylilation. The method was validated for different aquatic plants (Typha angustifolia, Arundo donax and Lemna minor) and a semiaquatic cultivated plant (Oryza sativa) with good recoveries at concentrations of 100 and 25 ng g-1 wet weight, ranging from 70 to 120 %, and low method detection limits (0.3 to 2.2 ng g-1 wet weight). A significant difference of the chromatographic response was observed for some compounds in neat solvent versus matrix extracts and therefore quantification was carried out using matrix-matched standards in order to overcome this matrix effect. Aquatic plants taken from rivers located at three Spanish regions were analyzed and the compounds detected were parabens, bisphenol A, benzophenone-3, cyfluthrin and cypermethrin. The levels found ranged from 6 to 25 ng g-1 wet weight except for cypermethrin that was detected at 235 ng g-1 wet weight in Oryza sativa samples.

Nitrogen (N) is an input essential to agriculture which produces plant but also animal proteins. N cycle is a biological complex cycle, with biological fixation converting atmospheric unreactive di-nitrogen into many reactive nitrogen forms (Nr), essential for life. Nr forms are implicated in many transformations in air, water and soil, as well as within living organisms, until recovering to the N2 form through denitrification. These natural processes were amplified by the development of industrial husbandry and the massive use of N industrial fertilizers, making N expensive for forffarmers. Furthermore, its management in agriculture and its low efficiency in plant production and even more in animal production lead to losses to the environment. The most mediatized one is nitrate lixiviation with its impacts on water quality. N losses to atmosphere have become a matter of concern for the French public authorities since about twenty years, for their impacts on greenhouse balance (nitrous oxide N2 0), air quality and ecosystems and biodiversity (ammonia NH3 , and nitrogen oxides NOx). The costs of abatement strategies are more or less amortized thanks to the profits realized in economy (N expenses in agriculture) and for society (human health, global changes…). | L’azote (N) est un intrant indispensable à une agriculture productrice de protéines végétales mais surtout animales. Le cycle de l’azote est un cycle biogéochimique complexe, dont l’essentiel des entrées dans la biosphère est constitué par la fixation biologique. Toutes les formes d’azote chimiquement et biologiquement actives constituent l’azote dit réactif. Il l’eau et le sol, ainsi qu’au sein des êtres vivants, allant jusqu’au retour à sa forme diazote par la dénitrification. Ces processus naturels ont été amplifiés par le développement de l’élevage industriel et le recoursmassif aux engrais industriels azotés. Or l’azote coûte cher financièrement aux agriculteurs, et sa gestion en agriculture génère des rejets vers l’environnement liés aux faibles rendements d’utilisation de l’azote par les végétaux et surtout par les animaux. Les rejets les plus médiatisés sont les nitrates, avec les impacts sur la qualité des eaux. Les pertes vers l’atmosphèrepréoccupent les pouvoirs publics français depuis une vingtaine d’années, du fait de leurs impacts sur le réchauffement global de l’atmosphère (protoxyde d’azote, N2 0) mais aussi sur la qualité de l’air (ammoniac NH3 , et oxydes d’azote NOX). Les parades pour réduire les émissions de ces polluants et gaz à effet de serre ont également un coût, plus ou moins amorti selon lescomposés émis et/ou les postes émetteurs concernés grâce aux bénéfices économiques (poste azote en agriculture) et sociaux (santé humaine, changements globaux…) réalisés.

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International audience | The replenishment and persistence of marine species is contingent on dispersing larvae locating suitable habitatand surviving to a reproductive stage. Pelagic larvae rely on environmental cues to make behavioural decisionswith chemical information being important for habitat selection at settlement. We explored the sensory worldof crustaceans and fishes focusing on the impact anthropogenic alterations (ocean acidification, red soil, pesti-cide) have on conspecific chemical signals used by larvae for habitat selection. Crustacean (Stenopus hispidus)and fish (Chromis viridis) larvae recognized their conspecifics via chemical signals under control conditions. Inthe presence of acidified water, red soil or pesticide, the ability of larvae to chemically recognize conspecificcues was altered. Our study highlights that recruitment potential on coral reefs may decrease due to anthropo-genic stressors. If so, populations of fishes and crustaceans will continue their rapid decline; larval recruitmentwill not replace and sustain the adult populations on degraded reefs

Interactions between climate change and air pollution in the context of agriculture. Agroecosystems are sources and sinks of atmospheric pollutants and greenhouse gases. They are therefore involved in climate change and air pollution and their cross-relations. This contribution can be positive or negative. It results from complex processes, both direct and indirect, which is related to a range of topics: increase or decrease of emission and deposition, increase in fire frequency, change in plant protection etc. As for most of biological processes, there are large uncertainties and knowledge is lacking over a range of fields. However it is necessary to have a global overview of the involved processes and drivers when trying to limit the contribution of agroecosystem both to climate change and air pollution, with attention to the economic sustainability of agriculture under global change. Moreover agriculture activities refer to public policies related not only to climate change and air pollution but also water pollution or protection of the environment. These policies may interact positively or be antagonist. | Les agroécosystèmes sont des sources et des puits de polluants atmosphériques et de gaz à effet de serre et, par là-même, ils interviennent dans les relations entre climat et pollution de l’air. Cette contribution, positive ou négative, résulte de processus complexes, à la fois directs et indirects, et prend des formes très diverses : augmentation ou diminution des émissions et dépôts, augmentation attendue de la fréquence des feux, modification de la protection phytosanitaire etc. Comme pour la plupart des processus biologiques, les incertitudes sont importantes et les verrous de connaissances restent nombreux, alors qu’une connaissance des différents facteurs d’influence, naturels et anthropiques est nécessaire pour limiter la contribution des agroécosystèmes à la fois au changement climatique et à la pollution de l’air, tout en préservant les performances économiques de l’activité agricole. Enfin, l’agriculture est concernée par tout un ensemble de politiques publiques relatives au changement climatique et à la pollution de l’air, mais également à la pollution des eaux et à la protection de l’environnement, politiques publiques qui peuvent interagir en synergie ou être antagonistes.