Search

International audience; We used the COI marker, the most popular DNA barcode for the animal kingdom, to assess the taxonomic status of Corsican populations of eight groups of species of ants that occur both on Corsica and the European mainland. (i) In two groups, we detected no genetic differentiation between Corsica and the continent. Absence of differentiation across varieties of Aphaenogaster spinosa within Corsica confirm current synonymies. (ii) In four groups, we detected strong genetic differentiation between Corsica and the continent, confirming recent taxonomic studies based on morphology for three of these groups. For the fourth group, we propose that the status of Corsican populations be raised from sub-species to species: Temnothorax cordieri stat. rev. (iii) In one group, the genetic differentiation and morphological differences do not support splitting and as a consequence we propose to accept the previous synonymy Temnothorax tuberum = Temnothorax melanocephalus. (iv) In Myrmica scabrinodis and Myrmica spinosior, COI sequence information is largely inconsistent with morphology and geography, not only on Corsica but also on the mainland, and should not be used to support taxonomic decisions. Although the use of COI has drawbacks, it is globally consistent with morphology and can be used to complement morphological ant taxonomy. We provide an updated checklist of ants of Corsica.

The sustainable management of coastal lagoon hydrosystems is a key issue for the socio-economic and environmental development of many coastal areas worldwide. Often maintained by direct or indirect groundwater supplies, they provide a large range of ecosystem services, from which human societies take advantage. Twenty years after its implementation, a large majority of the Mediterranean lagoons have still not reached the "good status" required by the WFD. Several questions then arise as to the representativeness of the WFD indicators or the relevance of the restoration objectives considering the complexity, evolutionary and unpredictable nature of lagoon hydrosystems. This study proposes an innovative, multidisciplinary, long-term approach to define the proper functioning conditions of a costal lagoon hydrosystems, i.e. all the factors that contribute to the functioning of coastal lagoon hydrosystems and the connectivity with other biodiversity reservoirs, be they ecological, hydrological, social or political. By considering the lagoons and all its hydrological, ecological and societal proper functioning conditions over almost 200 years, this approach makes it possible to assess the influence of past natural and anthropogenic disturbances and support the implementation of future relevant hydrosystem-based management plans which have to be coordinated and politically driven. Defining proper restoration and management objectives should ensure that ecological functions are maintained based on current and future ecosystem benefits and uses. Considering the highly unpredictable nature of coastal hydrosystems, the state of an ecosystem should not only be evaluated on ecological or chemical criteria but also take into account socio-economic and political indicators. The implementation of the 3rd river basin management plan of the WFD as soon as 2022 could be the appropriate occasion to reassess the restoration objectives towards more realistic goals and to give more significance to the definition of the "resilience capacity" of water bodies in place of inappropriate restricted restauration objectives.

Identifying sources of anthropogenic pollution, and assessing the fate and residence time of pollutants in aquifers is important for the management of groundwater resources, and the ecological health of groundwater dependent ecosystems. This study investigates anthropogenic contamination in the shallow alluvial aquifer of the Marana-Casinca, hydraulically connected to the Biguglia lagoon (Corsica, France). A multi-tracer approach, combining geochemical and environmental isotopic data (δ18O-H2O, δ2H-H2O, 3H, δ15N-NO3−, δ18O-NO3−, δ11B), and groundwater residence-time tracers (3H and CFCs) was carried out in 2016, and integrated with a study of land use evolution in the catchment during the last century. Groundwater NO3− concentrations, ranged between 2 mg/L and up to 30 mg/L, displaying the degradation of groundwater quality induced by anthropogenic activities (agricultural activities). Comparatively high δ15N-NO3− values (up to 19.7‰) in combination with δ11B values that were significantly lower (between 23‰ and 26‰) than the seawater background are indicative of sewage contamination. The ongoing deterioration of groundwater quality can be attributed to the uncontrolled urbanization development all over the alluvial plain, with numerous sewage leakages from the sanitation network and private sewage systems. Integration of contaminant and water-residence time data revealed a progressive accumulation of pollutants with time in the groundwater, particularly in areas with major anthropogenic pressure and slow dynamic groundwater flow. Our approach provides time-dependent insight into nitrogen pollution in the studied aquifer over the past decades, revealing a systematic change in the dominant NO3− source, from agricultural to sewage contamination. Yet, today's low groundwater quality is to large parts due to legacy pollution from land-use practices several decades ago, underlining the poor self-remediating capacity of this hydrosystem. Our results can be taken as warning that groundwater pollution that happened in the recent past, or today, may have dire impacts on the quality of groundwater-dependent ecosystems in the future.

La nouvelle gouvernance du sanitaire en France demande aux organisations de producteurs de prendre davantage part à la concertation et la décision concernant la santé animale. Or, la filière porcine en Corse s’est récemment organisée à travers des organisations visant l’intégration économique qui ne représentent pas l’ensemble du secteur et qui restent fragiles. L’article met au jour d’autres formes d’action collective, peu visibles a priori, en lien avec deux dispositifs de gestion et de surveillance sanitaires. Elles sont discrètes et liées à la proximité géographique entre éleveurs. The new health governance in France asks producers organizations to take part in decision-making regarding animal health. The hog farming sector in Corsica has recently organized itself through organizations aiming at economic integration. Yet the organizations do not represent the whole sector. The article sheds light on other forms of collective action regarding two animal health management features : territorially based discreet collective actions.

All known records of aquatic dance flies (Empididae, Clinocerinae: 21 species; Hemerodromiinae: eight species) from the island of Corsica (France) are summarized, including previously unpublished data and data on the newly described species Chelipoda puschae Ivković, Perović & Grootaert, sp. nov. This species was collected during the “La Planète Revisitée Corsica 2019” survey and represents the first description of a new species in the genus Chelipoda from the European–Mediterranean region in more than 180 years. A key to European species of Chelipoda is provided. Including the new species, five species are recorded from Corsica for the first time: Dolichocephala malickyi Wagner, 1995, Dolichocephala oblongoguttata (Dale, 1878), Dolichocephala ocellata (Costa, 1854), Chelifera subangusta Collin, 1961, and Hemerodromia unilineata Zetterstedt, 1842. The new species is described and illustrated, and new records of aquatic dance flies from Corsica are given, with new data on 17 species in eight different genera. At present, 29 species of aquatic dance flies are known from Corsica, with 10 species endemic to the island.

This paper provides an overview of the potential of palynology within palaeoenvironmental research to reconstruct past landscapes and assess the relationship between vegetation and the first farming communities. The analysis of pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs in natural records evidenced how the adoption of farming and new sedentary settlement patterns resulted in major landscape transformation on extra-local or regional scales in the Western Mediterranean, affecting sclerophyllous and riparian forests in North Corsica, Mediterranean maquis in South Corsica, and oak forests in NE Iberia. In addition, palynology has been confirmed as a relevant source of data to address the local palaeoenvironmental evolution in lakes, wetlands, and archaeological sites, providing evidence of the presence of flocks (spores of coprophilous fungi), and changes in hydrology (salinity, dryness/wetness, aquatic/palustrine phases) and in geomorphology (soil erosion indicators). Finally, the spatial analysis of pollen and NPP intra-site distribution is presented here as a valuable tool to assess the social use of space in archaeological sites. In that sense, archaeopalynology has provided detailed information about site formation processes, social use of space, and the use of plants and fungi in the site of La Draga (Girona, Spain).

Destination phare de Méditerranée, la Corse expérimente le développement d’un tourisme fondé sur la valorisation de ses ressources territoriales spécifiques. Dans cette optique, le tourisme rural est présenté comme un tourisme souhaitable pour l’île dès lors qu’il répond aux grands défis que pose le développement durable. Pour autant, l’offre reste diffuse et atomisée, ce qui nuit à la communication touristique qui entend faire du tourisme rural un produit d’appel pour la destination. Aussi, ne faudrait-il pas mieux structurer cette offre, voire la qualifier ou qualifier certains segments de marché considérés comme représentatifs du produit que l’on entend mettre en avant ? C’est la question que se posent les pouvoirs publics sur le territoire insulaire. Et c’est en ce sens que nous suggérons qu’il est possible d’identifier certaines formes de tourisme rural comme autant de produits de terroir. Et peut-être pourrait-on parler de « tourisme de terroir » plutôt que de tourisme rural de façon générique ? Well-known tourists’ destination within the Mediterranean basin, Corsica is experiencing a tourism based on the valorization of its territorial resources and its local Heritages. To that point, rural tourism is viewed here like an interesting product as it can tackle the main challenges for a local sustainable development. However, one can ask if that type of tourism can be used like a lead product for the destination: indeed, this rural tourism is still diffuse and not very well organised. Nevertheless, a better coordination of the sector’s stakeholders could lead to a better communication for the tourists’ destination. What is at stake here is to target the accurate consumers the local authorities want to attract. Indeed, if the objective is to offer a qualitative and a high-level product, why not doing of a certain rural tourism market sector a niche-product on the idea of the local-agro-food products, so-called “terroir” ones? That is the suggestion we examine here in our paper: how can rural tourism be turned as a “terroir product” in Corsica?

International audience; The introduction of the use of molecular data has caused debates on the taxonomy of Corsican and Sardinian trouts, also referred to as Tyrrhenian trouts (i.e. Salmo trutta, Salmo macrostigma, Salmo cettii). A recent study by Delling et al. (2020) (Morphologic and genetic characterization of Corsican and Sardinian trout with comments on Salmo taxonomy. Knowl Manage Aquat Ecosyst 421: 21) introduces important evidence regarding the taxonomy of these populations. However, their subsequent denomination as Salmo sp., that is, an undefined taxon, could have serious consequences on their future conservation management plans. Considering their threatened status, the Tyrrhenian trouts should be referred to as Salmo trutta until the ongoing taxonomic uncertainty can be unambiguously resolved. These populations must then be treated as an Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) or as an Operational Conservation Unit (OCU) for further conservation managements plans, as already done for other Mediterranean trout lineages.; La taxonomie des truites corses et sardes, également appelées truites tyrrhéniennes (i.e. Salmo trutta, Salmo macrostigma, Salmo cettii) a fait l'objet de débats depuis l'utilisation des premières données moléculaires. Une étude récente de Delling et al. (2020) (Morphologic and genetic characterization of Corsican and Sardinian trout with comments on Salmo taxonomy. Knowl Manage Aquat Ecosyst 421: 21) a présenté des éléments importants sur la taxonomie de ces populations. Cependant, leur dénomination comme Salmo sp. – i.e. espèce non déterminée − qui s'ensuivit, pourrait avoir de graves conséquences en terme de gestion future de la conservation de ces populations. Compte tenu de leur statut menacé, les truites tyrrhéniennes devraient être appelées Salmo trutta jusqu'à ce que l'incertitude taxonomique actuelle puisse être résolue sans ambiguïté. Ces populations doivent ensuite être traitées comme une Unité Évolutive Importante (ESU) ou comme une Unité Opérationnelle de Conservation (OCU) pour les futures gestions de conservation, comme c'est déjà le cas pour d'autres lignées de truites méditerranéennes.

International audience; To assess the effect of anthropogenic activities on ecosystems, it is of prime importance to develop new tools enabling a rapid characterization of ecological communities. Freshwater ecosystems are particularly impacted and threatened by human activities and need thorough attention to preserve their biodiversity and the ecological services they provide. Studying such ecosystems is generally difficult because the associated organisms are hard to sample and to monitor. We present a ready-to-use environmental metabarcoding protocol to characterize and monitor the freshwater gastropods communities from water samples. The efficiency of this new tool was compared to a classical malacological survey at 19 sampled sites from 10 distinct rivers distributed over Corsica Island (France). From a single water sample, our eDNA monitoring tool provided a faithful characterization of the local malacofauna compared to the results obtained from the classical malacological survey, with 97.1% of species detection confirmed by both methods. The present tool successfully detected the 11 freshwater snail species previously reported in Corsica by malacological survey but was limited at the genus level for some species. Moreover, our malacological survey allowed an update of the local distribution of a wide diversity of freshwater snails including invasive species (i.e. Potamopyrgus antipodarum and Physa acuta) as well as snail hosts of pathogens of medical and veterinary importance (i.e. Bulinus truncatus and Galba truncatula). These results strengthened a previous hypothesis of an eventual competitive interaction between B. truncatus and P. antipodarum that could limit the endemization of the uro-genital bilharziasis in Corsica

International audience; Human-induced environmental changes have increased rapidly during the Holocene and have reached alarming levels today. Consequently, it is crucial to better understand the impact of humans and climate on the faunas and floras through time. Understanding the direct and underlying effect of past human activity not only contributes to improving our knowledge of human history but also provides insights for the future. We here investigate the effect of the human-induced environmental changes that took place during the modern era (14–19th century AD) on the mandible of a small mammal, Suncus etruscus, in Corsica. We detected rapid morphological changes in mandible shape over the relatively short period of time included in our study, suggesting a strong human impact on the island. The morphological changes observed had functional consequences as they are related to changes in the mechanical potential of the principal masticatory muscle, the temporalis that, in turn, reflects shifts in the animal's diet over time. These results highlight the effect that the 600-year human agricultural activity shifts had on the island and its fauna. The integration of the body and the ramus of the mandible appears to be related to the mechanical potential of the temporalis muscle but does not constitute an indicator of human-induced environmental change. Whether these morphological changes are the result of natural selection (genetic processes) or of phenotypic plasticity (epigenetic processes) remains to be elucidated.

The Golo River drains a steep catchment (average gradient of 30 m km−1, surface of 1214 km2) in the northeast part of Corsica Island, delivering sediments to the Ligurian Sea. In this study, we review and revise the geologic map and constrain the extent of the Golo coastal alluvial plain formations and their relative and absolute chronology. To update the surface extent of each formation, we performed a geomorphologic analysis with DEMs and satellite imagery data coupled with an extensive pedogenic and sedimentary field observations database, including a new borehole of 117,4 m depth. Additionally, we performed in-situ cosmogenic 10Be analysis from a depth-profile in the well-preserved alluvial terrace Fy2, yielding a minimum age of 70 ka for its emplacement. Our new chronology, based on cosmogenic 10Be and soil chronosequences, implies older ages than those previously obtained with luminescence methods. Soil mixing by bioturbation is proposed as a possibility to explain differences between luminescence and 10Be ages. In this scenario, 10Be dates the original deposition of the alluvial terrace, while luminescence dates a later soil development. We highlighted at least five outcropping alluvial terraces in the Golo coastal plain, which are controlled by sea-level fluctuations and were most likely deposited during past sea-level highstands (close to present-day sea-level). Moreover, we identified from a borehole more than 117 m of coarse fluvial sediments in the plain, that do not outcrop at the surface. New cosmogenic 26Al/10Be burial ages suggest that this sedimentary unit results from a thick accumulation of fluvial material filling a zone significantly affected by subsidence, probably accommodated by a normal fault during the Early Quaternary.

Post-Variscan Early Permian magmatism is widespread from Corsica to the Eastern Alps. After the formation of the Variscan orogenic belt between Laurussia and Gondwana, felsic and mafic bodies were emplaced during an extensional tectonic phase. This study focuses on a mafic dyke swarm that intruded in the region of Ajaccio (Corsica, France) and on a gabbroic intrusive complex outcropping in the Eastern Alps (Bressanone/Brixen, South Tyrol, Italy) both of which were emplaced during this extensional event. New U-Pb data from zircon show that both of these intrusions were emplaced at ca. 282 Ma. Most Ajaccio dykes display a calc-alkaline affinity and are characterized by enrichment of LILE (Large Ion Lithophile Elements) and LREE over HREE (Light and Heavy Rare Earth Elements) and HFSE (Nb, Ta, Hf, Zr; High Field Strength Elements). Two dykes show tholeiitic affinity and are characterized by marked LREE and Th-U depletion and by minor negative Nb-Ta anomalies on multi-element diagrams, which is typical for within-plate basalts. Bressanone/Brixen gabbros display similar geochemical features to the Ajaccio calc-alkaline samples with LREE enrichment over MREE (Medium Rare Earth Elements) and HREE, and HFSE depletion. Such characteristics are also confirmed by trace element data obtained by LA-ICP-MS on clinopyroxene and plagioclase crystals. The calc-alkaline to tholeiitic dykes are characterized by enriched to depleted Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions, respectively. Some Ajaccio dykes and the Bressanone/Brixen gabbros are clearly affected by crustal contamination. However, the combination of trace element and isotopic variations suggests that mantle source heterogeneities were also involved. Isotopic compositions of the Ajaccio dykes reveal the presence of two distinct mantle source signatures: an enriched mantle (EM) component, which dominates the composition of the calc-alkaline-like suite, while a DMM (Depleted MORB Mantle) component dominates the source of the tholeiitic suite. The EM mantle source likely formed during Variscan subduction, however the composition of the tholeiitic suite requires a source composed dominantly of depleted mantle, with a minor contribution from both the subducting slab and supra-subduction mantle wedge. The mantle source of the tholeiitic magmas possibly originated from greater depths (compared to the calc-alkaline-like suite) during the post-orogenic extensional phase potentially due to break-off and/or roll-back of the Variscan slab or mantle flow from the front or margins of the subducted slab. Notably, coeval Permian mafic intrusive bodies from throughout Corsica (Bocca di Tenda, Porto, Pila Canale) and from the Australpine and Southalpine Alps intruded at a similar time and have geochemical features that are very similar to the Ajaccio dyke swarm and Brixen gabbro. This indicates that a widespread Permian magmatic province developed in a post-orogenic extensional tectonic setting at the margin of the former Variscan belt. During the Middle-Late Triassic magmatism with similar enriched geochemical signatures occurred in the Southern Alps, Dinarides, Australpoine domains and at the end of the Triassic over central Pangea (Central Atlantic Magmatic Province). This would highlight the importance that the Variscan orogeny had in the development of a more fertile mantle.

Asbestos-containing pottery shards collected in the northeast of Corsica (Cap Corse) and dating from the 19th century, or earlier, have been analyzed by SEM-EDS, XRPD, FTIR and Raman microspectroscopy. Blue (crocidolite) and white (chrysotile) asbestos fiber bundles are observed in cross-sections. Most of the asbestos is partly or totally dehydroxylated, and some transformation to forsterite is observed to occur, indicative of a firing above 800 &deg, C. Examination of freshly fractured pieces shows a nonbrittle fracture with fiber pull-out, consistent with a composite material behavior, which makes these ceramics the oldest fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composite. Residues indicate the use of this pottery as a crucible for gold extraction using cyanide.

International audience; Mapping plant communities, which is essential to assess the conservation status of natural habitats, is currently based mainly on time-consuming field surveys without the use of satellite data. However, free image time-series with high spatial and temporal resolution have been available since 2015. This study assessed the contribution of Sentinel-2 time-series images to mapping the spatial distribution of 18 plant communities within a Natura 2000 site (1978 ha) located on the Mediterranean biogeographical region (Corsica, France). The method was based on random forest modeling of six Sentinel-2 images acquired from 26 February to 24 October 2017, which were calibrated and validated using a field vegetation map. The results showed that the 18 plant communities were modeled correctly, with 72% overall accuracy. The uncertainty map associated with the model indicated areas that required additional field observations.

Bacteria belonging to the family Anaplasmataceae cause infections in humans and domestic animals. The consequences of infection can be significant economic losses for farmers. To better understand the epidemiology of tick-borne Anaplasmataceae in Corsica, we used molecular methods to detect and characterize Anaplasmataceae in ixodid ticks collected from cattle. Anaplasmataceae were detected by using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the 23S rRNA gene. Partial sequencing of rpoB and groEL allowed identifying species and conducting phylogenetic analyses. Infection rates were calculated using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In total, 597 Rhipicephalus bursa, 216 Hyalomma marginatum, and seven Ixodes ricinus were collected from cattle during July-August 2017 and July-December 2018. Overall, Anaplasmataceae DNA was detected in 15 of 255 tick pools (MLE = 1.7%; 95% CI 0.9-2.7%). The molecular analysis revealed two species within the genus Anaplasma: A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum. We also detected bacteria within the genus Ehrlichia: we confirmed the detection of E. minasensis DNA in H. marginatum and R. bursa tick pools collected from cattle in Corsica and detected, for the first time to our knowledge, Candidatus E. urmitei in Corsican R. bursa ticks and a potential new species, Candidatus E. corsicanum. Further studies are needed to ascertain the pathogenesis and zoonotic potential of the strains and their importance for animals and public health.

International audience; The excavation of the protohistoric site of Cuciurpula (South Corsica, France) revealed a significant amount of potsherds, often bearing visible surface crusts, sometimes very thick. This exceptional case in the Mediterranean region, suggesting a good preservation of organic substances, provided a unique opportunity to address questions related to pottery function and natural organic substances exploited in Corsica during the first half of the 1st millennium BC. The molecular analysis (GC and GC/MS) of organic residues from three houses of the site, preserved in both pottery walls and charred surface crusts, highlighted the wide diversity and the various roles of substances contained and processed in ceramic vessels: animal fats, plant oils and waxes, beeswax, and conifer resin. These molecular data, considered together with the shapes of the vessels and their location into the habitation units, revealed the diversity of pottery function (culinary and technical) and spatial organisation of domestic activities between houses or in a house (distinction between storage and cooking areas).

International audience; As low-lying coastal areas can be impacted by flooding caused by dynamic components that are dependent on each other (wind, waves, water levels—tide, atmospheric surge, currents), the analysis of the return period of a single component is not representative of the return period of the total water level at the coast. It is important to assess a joint return period of all the components. Based on a semiparametric multivariate extreme value analysis, we determined the joint probabilities that significant wave heights (Hs), wind intensity at 10 m above the ground (U), and still water level (SWL) exceeded jointly imposed thresholds all along the Corsica Island coasts (Mediterranean Sea). We also considered the covariate peak direction (Dp), the peak period (Tp), and the wind direction (Du). Here, we focus on providing extreme scenarios to populate coastal hydrodynamic models, SWAN and SWASH-2DH, in order to compute the 100-year total water level (100y-TWL) all along the coasts. We show how the proposed multivariate extreme value analysis can help to more accurately define low-lying zones potentially exposed to coastal flooding, especially in Corsica where a unique value of 2 m was taken into account in previous studies. The computed 100y-TWL values are between 1 m along the eastern coasts and a maximum of 1.8 m on the western coast. The calculated values are also below the 2.4 m threshold recommended when considering the sea level rise (SLR). This highlights the added value of performing a full integration of extreme offshore conditions, together with their dependence on hydrodynamic simulations for screening out the coastal areas potentially exposed to flooding.

Under ongoing climate changes, the development of large‐scale monitoring tools for assessing the risk of disease emergence constitutes an urging challenge. This is particularly the case for snail‐borne diseases such as the urogenital bilharziasis that emerged in Corsica and threat European countries. The expansion of this tropical disease mainly relies on the local presence of competent snail hosts such as Bulinus truncatus. Unfortunately, very little is known about the actual repartition of freshwater snails worldwide which makes new emergences difficult to predict. In this study, we developed two ready‐to‐use environmental DNA‐based methods for assessing the distribution of B. truncatus from water samples collected in the field. We used two approaches, a quantitative PCR (qPCR) and a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) approach. We successfully detected B. truncatus in natural environments where the snail was previously visually reported. Our environmental DNA diagnostic methods showed a high sensitivity (≈60 DNA copy per mL of filtered water) and a high specificity to B. truncatus. Results obtained in qPCR and ddPCR were very similar. This study demonstrates that environmental DNA diagnostics tools enable a sensitive large‐scale monitoring of snail‐borne diseases hence allowing the delimitation of areas potentially threatened by urogenital schistosomiasis.

Seafloor litter has been studied both on the continental shelves (by trawling during 24 years) and in canyons (by ROV) of the French Mediterranean sea Water (FMW). On the continental shelf, mean densities range from 49.63 to 289.01 items/km2. The most abundant categories were plastic, glass/ceramics, metals and textiles. Trend analysis shows a significant increase in plastic quantities during the study period. Plastics accumulate at all depths, with heavier items being found in deeper areas, while the continental slope-break appears as a clean area. The spatial distribution of litter revealed the influence of geomorphologic factors, anthropic activities, shipping route, river inputs. All the canyons are affected by debris but coastal canyons (Ligurian Sea and Corsica) were more impacted than offshore canyons in the Gulf of Lion. The FMW appears to be highly polluted with regard to values found in other areas, but lower than those observed in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Background: Island species are vulnerable to rapid extinction, so it is important to develop accurate methods to determine their occurrence and habitat preferences. In this study, we assessed two methods for modeling the occurrence of the Corsican endemic Salamandra corsica, based on macro-ecological and fine habitat descriptors. We expected that models based on habitat descriptors would better estimate S. corsica occurrence, because its distribution could be influenced by micro-environmental gradients. The occurrence of S. corsica was modeled according to two ensembles of variables using random forests. Results: Salamandra corsica was mainly found in forested habitats, with a complex vertical structure. These habitats are associated with more stable environmental conditions. The model based on fine habitat descriptors was better able to predict occurrence, and gave no false negatives. The model based on macro-ecological variables underestimated the occurrence of the species on its ecological boundary, which is important as such locations may facilitate interpopulation connectivity. Conclusions: Implementing fine spatial resolution models requires greater investment of resources, but this is advisable for study of microendemic species, where it is important to reduce type II error (false negatives)

International audience; Groundwater quality is strongly dependent on land use. Past and current anthropogenic activities can lead to the diffusion of contaminants in aquifers. This diffusion can threaten the resource exploitation for decades, thereby endangering the ecological health of groundwater dependent ecosystems. Thus, groundwater stakeholders need methods for long-term management which integrate groundwater vulnerability. This study was conducted on the shallow alluvial aquifer of the groundwater-dependent Biguglia lagoon on Corsica Island, France. The aquifer is exposed to anthropogenic contamination for many decades with nitrate contamination legacy linked to agricultural activities, uncontrolled urbanization and sewage leakages.In most cases, vulnerability mapping is done in the objective of comparing groundwater situation regarding an on-going contamination process. But the question is still pending for aquifers where contamination is inherited from past practices or contaminations and where anthropogenic influences have changed through time.To propose an effective and innovative method for territorial management in Mediterranean alluvial aquifers, four index-based groundwater vulnerability mapping methods were tested and compared: two intrinsic vulnerability mapping methods (DRASTIC and SINTACS) and two specific vulnerability mapping methods (Modified-DRASTIC and SI), the latter integrating land use in the accuracy of groundwater vulnerability. Novelty is coming from the comparison between vulnerability maps and their application and validation in a hydrosystem affected by nitrate legacy-type contamination. The specific vulnerability mapping methods are more likely to represent the current pressures to which groundwater are subject. Thus, specific vulnerability methods such as the SI one revealed here very relevant to assess groundwater quality and to react retrospectively. The comparison between groundwater nitrate legacy and intrinsic groundwater vulnerability methods appeared also useful to define priority protection areas in long-term territorial management planning (EU Water Framework Direction). In this sense, the SINTACS method seems to be the more appropriate in the Mediterranean and alluvial context of this study.

International audience; The Eurasian treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) comprises two mitochondrial lineages that diverged during the mid-Pleistocene. One palaeoendemic lineage has an allopatric range currently restricted to the island of Corsica and the Caucasus region, whereas the second one has a very large Eurasian range. Here, we used microsatellites (N = 6) and mitochondrial DNA (COI) to assess the genetic structure of insular and mainland populations from Corsica, mainland France and Central Italy (N = 258) and the level of mitochondrial and nuclear gene flow among these populations. Concordant with the mitochondrial DNA signal, the results for microsatellites clearly demonstrate that the Corsican population (Certhia familiaris corsa) is strongly divergent from nearby mainland populations (Certhia familiaris macrodactyla). Microsatellite data also support significant divergence and low gene flow between the Central Italian and mainland French populations. Our results suggest low nuclear gene flow from the mainland into Corsica and no mitochondrial gene flow. Sporadic gene flow from the nearby mainland might explain the presence of continental nuclear alleles in the genome of 5% of sampled insular birds. Our study confirms the existence of an endemic Corsican treecreeper lineage with important conservation value. Our results also imply that Eurasian treecreepers from Central Italy constitute a distinct management unit.

International research and development organizations have acknowledged that localized agrifood systems, particularly geographical indications (GIs), are a lever for evolving towards sustainable agriculture. Such a premise is neither spontaneous nor systematic. Research and development organizations show their limit in proposing approaches to overcome this raised issue: The performance-based approach of sustainability, associated with a strict economical understanding of activities, is at stake. We propose the introduction of a values-based approach to the understanding of localized activities and their contribution to sustainability. We base our demonstration on the study of the relationships between stakeholders within GIs on a day-to-day basis: Corsica and Western Pyrenees (WP) are regions where traditional cheeses (respectively GI Brocciu and GI Ossau-Iraty) are produced with ewe milk. We build a typology of relationships between farmers providing the milk and dairies, based on the theory of worlds of worth (from industrial to artisanal). We cross-reference it with values given to milk and cheese. Despite the framing role of GIs, milk is mainly valued according to industrial criteria of quantity and sound farming practices have no weightage. However, artisanal and civic initiatives have emerged using raw milk and fostering more sustainable practices, notably based on organic farming. Though those initiatives are currently marginal, they might be promising seeds of change.

In amphibians, the study of trophic niche is important to better understand the species ecological adaptation, in particular along gradients or in heterogeneous habitats. In this framework, we anal...

Karyological, flow-cytometric and molecular analyses indicate that the genus Leucanthemum Mill. (Compositae, Anthemideae) is represented in Corsica (Corse) by two species: the tetraploid L. ircutianum DC. and the hexaploid L. corsicum (Less.) DC. The indication of the occurrence of the diploid L. vulgare Lam. on the island and of a tetraploid chromosome number for L. corsicum, given in former treatments of the genus for Corsica, could not be corroborated. AFLP fingerprinting further suggests that the infraspecific taxonomy of L. corsicum with two subspecies (L. corsicum subsp. corsicum and subsp. fenzlii) and three forms (L. corsicum f. corsicum, f. pinnatifidum and f. eschenlohrianum), which is mainly based on differences in the degree of leaf dissection, is not backed by genetic discontinuities. Owing to the observed little variation in leaf dissection within populations in the wild and the constancy of these features under cultivation, we propose the rank of varieties to taxonomically acknowledge these different stages in the broad spectrum of leaf-dissection grades exhibited by L. corsicum. As a consequence, the two new combinations L. corsicum var. eschenlohrianum (Gamisans) Vogt, Hugot & Oberpr. and L. corsicum var. fenzlii (Gamisans) Vogt, Hugot & Oberpr. are proposed.

WOS: 000369963000005 PubMed ID: 27006597 Tricimba rudolfi Kubik, sp. n. (Czech Republic, Portugal), Tricimba chalupi Kubik, sp. n. (Czech Republic), and Tricimba dursuni Kubik, sp. n. (Turkey) are described and illustrated. First records of Tricimba kaplanae Dely-Draskovits, 1983 from Corsica and Tricimba hungarica Dely-Draskovits, 1983 from Turkey are listed. MSMT (Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth) This paper was supported by grant of MSMT (Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth). We thank our colleagues from Mugla University (Turkey) for their help with field studies in Turkey. Our special thanks are due to anonymous reviewers for improving earlier versions of the manuscript.

High-resolution seismic reflection data have been used over the last decades to estimate the thickness of the long-term Blue Carbon sink associated to the below-ground sediment deposit (matte) of the Posidonia oceanica meadows. Time-to-depth conversion of these geophysical datasets was usually performed assuming a sound velocity in this structure, but appropriate seismic interval velocity measurements is necessary to achieve accurate calibration. This study describes the first methodology to estimate the seismic interval velocity in the matte. This approach performed on the eastern continental shelf of Corsica island (France, NW Mediterranean) is based on measurements of the vertical matte profile from high-resolution seismic reflection profiles (s TWTT) and from seafloor morpho-bathymetric DTM (multibeam echosounders - MBES and Light Detection and Ranging - LiDAR surveys) calibrated with ground-truthing data. A biogeosedimentological analysis of horizontal cores sampled in vertical matte escarpments has been undertaken to identify the potential relationship of sediment and environmental parameters with sound velocity. The cross-comparison and the data intercalibration show significant correlation of MBES (R2 = 0.872) and LiDAR datasets (R2 = 0.883) with direct underwater measurements. Seismic interval velocities (n = 367) have been found to range between 1631.9 and 1696.8 m s−1 (95% confidence interval) and are estimated on average at 1664.4 m s−1, which is similar to the literature for unconsolidated marine sediments. The prediction map provided by the ordinary kriging method emphasized, however, a high variability of sound velocity within the study area. The results showed that changes in sound velocity in the matte are positively and strongly correlated with sand and gravel content and environmental factors such as distance to coastal river mouths and coastline. However, it was found that a negative relationship linked sound velocity with total and coarse organic content of matte deposits.

International audience; Existing frameworks offer a holistic way to evaluate a food system based on sustainability indicators but can fall short of offering clear direction. To analyze the sustainability of a geographical indication (GI) system, we adopt a product-centered approach that begins with understanding the product qualification along the value-chain. We use the case of the GI Corsican grapefruit focusing on understanding the quality criteria priorities from the orchard to the store. Our results show that certain compromises written into the Code of Practices threaten the system's sustainability. Today the GI allows the fruit to be harvested before achieving peak maturity and expectations on visual quality lead to high levels of food waste. Its primary function is to help penetrate mainstream export markets and to optimize labor and infrastructure. Analyzing the stakeholders' choices of qualification brings to light potential seeds for change in the short run such as later springtime harvests, diversification of the marketing channels, and more leniency on the fruit's aesthetics. These solutions lead us to reflect on long-term pathways to sustainable development such as reinforcing the fruit's typicality, reducing food waste, reorganizing human resources, and embedding the fruit into its territory and the local culture.

International audience; AbstractIn agriculture, not all sociotechnical niches seek to plant the seeds of further regime transition: Some niches are designed to last as stable subnetworks harboring alternative agri-food systems. However, such niches often interact with sociotechnical regimes, leading to controversies, conflicts, and threats to niches sustainability. This situation calls for proactive governance of niche-regime interactions. We studied the innovation process in the “Corsican clementine” niche, using semi-structured interviews and participant observation. We wondered how local actors have been dealing with three controversial innovations: a clementine variety, a biological pest control method, and a pruning technique. Cross-analysis of the three innovations shows that (i) the niche’s innovation pathway can be diverted by regime-driven innovations; (ii) to protect their niche, local actors set collective rules, both formal and informal; and (iii) controversies over technical innovations make niche-regime tensions more visible, leading local actors to make collective decisions for governing the innovation pathway. This study is the first to highlight the key role of sociotechnical controversies in niche governance.

Juniperus communis L. var. communis is widespread in European countries. In Corsica a very small population grows wild in the North-Eastern side of the island. The chemical compositions of nine needle oil samples and three berry oil samples from Corsican J. communis L. var. communis have been investigated by GC(RI), GC-MS and 13C NMR. The composition of needle oils was dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons, α-pinene (2/9 oil samples, 70.4 and 67.1%) or sabinene (7/9 oil samples, 24.4–45.3%). Berry oils displayed α-pinene/myrcene (43.0/24.1%) or α-pinene/sabinene/limonene/terpinen-4-ol (19.9/17.3/14.0/13.8%) as main components. A third oil sample contained mainly α-pinene (22.0%) accompanied by 21 sesquiterpenes (42.0% in total). It is noticeable that various needle and berry oil compositions have been observed within a really small population of J. communis L. var. communis.

International audience; Through the analysis of flint and obsidian artefacts, numerous studies have shown the links that existed between Corsica and Sardinia during Neolithic and Chalcolithic. However, we have almost no information about the movements and exchanges that took place in Corsica itself. Rhyolite, a siliceous volcanic rock, has been exploited in Corsica and disseminated throughout the territory from the early Neolithic. Up to now, only one major study has been conducted in the North of the island, in order to identify, by petrographic analysis, the raw material deposits of these rhyolite artefacts. Petrography is a destructive method; it is thus difficult to apply it to large series of archaeological objects. Our aim was therefore to investigate less invasive analytical methods, based on the geochemistry of rocks, in order to conduct future studies based on these rhyolite remains. We analysed 34 geological samples from four different sources, as well as 31 archaeological samples unearthed at three different archaeological areas. We show that EDXRF is an effective method to discriminate sources but also to characterise artefacts using nondestructive protocol. LA-ICP-MS encounters issues due to heterogeneity of the studied rocks. However, we show that by adjusting our testing protocol this method can complement the EDXRF analysis, which is ineffective on objects that are too thin.; L’analyse d’artefacts en silex et en obsidienne a permis de mettre en évidence les liens qui existaient au Néolithique et au Chalcolithique entre la Corse et la Sardaigne. Cependant, on ne sait aujourd’hui que peu de choses sur les déplacements et les échanges ayant eu lieu à l’intérieur même de la Corse. Pourtant, une roche volcanique siliceuse, la rhyolite, a été exploitée en Corse et diffusée à travers tout le territoire dès le Néolithique ancien. Une seule étude d’envergure a été menée, dans le Nord de l’île, afin d’identifier par l’analyse pétrographique les gîtes de matière première de ces artefacts en rhyolite. La pétrographie étant une méthode destructive, il est difficile de l’appliquer sur de grandes séries d’objets archéologiques. Notre étude a donc consisté à rechercher des méthodes d’analyse moins invasives, basées sur la géochimie des roches, afin de mener de futures études de provenance sur ces vestiges en rhyolite. Nous avons analysé 34 échantillons géologiques provenant de quatre gisements différents, ainsi que 31 échantillons archéologiques mis au jour sur trois sites différents. La méthode EDXRF est particulièrement performante pour discriminer les sources et peut être mise en œuvre de manière non destructive pour caractériser les artefacts. Une autre méthode employée, la spectroscopie LA-ICP-MS, très peu intrusive, se heurte à des problèmes d’hétérogénéité des roches.

L’objectif de cette étude est d’affiner les recherches et les réflexions sur la dynamique des végétations au moyen de deux approches : la phytosociologie paysagère et les matrices de transition du massif du Haut-Vénacais en Haute-Corse. Deux typologies et deux cartographies des végétations sont élaborées sur ce massif à 33 ans d’intervalle : 1981 puis 2014. La typologie des végétations est celle proposée par le conservatoire botanique national de Corse (Reymann et al., 2017). La dynamique des végétations est traitée selon la méthodologie phytosociologique dynamico-caténale, une typologie des unités écologiques et paysagères (série, curtasérie et permasérie) a ensuite été dressée. Les évolutions dynamiques qui se sont opérées dans le massif du Haut-Vénacais entre 1981 et 2014 sont quantifiées à l’aide de matrices de transition. Les résultats permettent de définir les propriétés émergentes globales du massif du Haut-Vénacais et de localiser les zones à fort enjeu de conservation selon la résilience des végétations. Une réflexion est engagée pour définir, planifier et évaluer la pertinence des choix d’actions et de conservation de ce massif. The aim of this study is to improve research and reflections on the dynamics of vegetation using two approaches: landscape phytosociology and a transition matrix on the Haut-Vénacais massif in Haute-Corse. Two typologies and two maps of vegetations were developed on this massif within a 33 years interval: 1981 and 2014. The typology of vegetations is that proposed by the Corsican National Botanical Conservatory (Reymann et al., 2017). Vegetation dynamics were studied according to the dynamico-catenal phytosociological methodology, a typology of the ecological and landscape units (series, curtaseries and permaseries) was drawn up. This multiscalar approach was combined with the transition matrix in order to quantify the dynamic successions that took place in the Haut-Vénacais massif between 1981 and 2014 and then to define the global emergent properties of this territory in view to locate areas with a high conservation challenge depending on resilience of vegetation. A reflection is initiated to define, plan and evaluate the relevance of the choice of actions and conservation on the Haut-Vénacais massif.

International audience; This paper aims to study and compare the obsidian economies of Renaghju and I Stantari, two neighbouring Neolithic sites located on the Cauria plateau (south-western Corsica). The occupation phase 3 of Renaghju and phase 1 of I Stantari, both attributed to the Middle Neolithic (fifth millennium BC), have provided respectively 112 and 99 obsidian artefacts. With the aim of completing our rather lacunary knowledge of the obsidian consumption behaviours in place in Corsica during this period, the entire assemblages have been geochemically characterised virtually non-destructively using LA-ICP-MS at SOLARIS (Southern Cross University [SCU]). Our analyses revealed that, while the obsidian raw materials were exclusively sourced from the Monte Arci complex in Sardinia (SA, SB2, and SC sub-types only), rather different consumption patterns are observed for the two sites despite their comparable nature (megalithic sites) and geographical proximity (400 m apart). These differences in obsidian consumption on adjacent sites could be explained by their divergent functions (ceremonial site [Renaghju] vs. ceremonial locus and large settlement [I Stantari]), or eventually point towards the need for a readjustment of the chronological attribution of the I Stantari phase 1 occupation level.

To better understand the evolution of deep-seated crust of the Variscan orogen in the Sardinia-Corsica region, we studied garnet-bearing micaschists which were sampled 3 km east and 15 km northeast of Porto Vecchio, south-eastern Corsica. After a careful investigation of the textural relations and compositions of minerals, especially of zoned garnet, a P-T path was reconstructed using contoured P-T pseudosections. U-Th-Pb dating of monazite in the micaschists was undertaken with the electron microprobe. The micaschists from both localities formed along similar anti-clockwise P-T paths. The prograde branch of these paths starts at 3 kbar close to 600°C in the P-T field of sillimanite and reaches peak conditions at 7 kbar and 600 (15 km NE of Porto Vecchio) to 630 °C (3 km E of Porto Vecchio). The metamorphism at peak P-T conditions happened around 340 Ma based on low Y ( 2 wt% Y2O3), which probably have formed before garnet, scatter around 362 Ma. The retrograde branch of the P-T paths passes through 4 kbar at about 550°C. We conclude that the micaschists belong to a common metasedimentary sequence, which extends over the Porto Vecchio region and is separated from other metamorphic rock sequences in the north and the south by major tectonic boundaries. This sequence had experienced peak pressures which are lower than those determined for metamorphic rocks, such as micaschist and gneiss, from north-eastern Sardinia. At present, we favour a continent-continent collisional scenario with the studied metasedimentary sequence buried during the collisional event as part of the upper plate. The contemporaneous high-pressure metamorphic rocks from NE Sardinia were part of the upper portion of the lower plate. The addressed rocks from both plates were exhumed in an exhumation channel. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Revision of the species of the genus Euconnus Thomson, subgenus Psomophus Casey, of the French fauna (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae). The species belonging to the genus Euconnus Thomson, 1859, subgenus Psomophus Casey, 1897, of the French fauna are reviewed : E. intrusus (Schaum, 1844), E. wetterhallii (Gyllenhal, 1813), E. pyrenaeus Xambeu, 1889, and E. regimbarti Croissandeau, 1893, lectotypes being designated for these two last species ; a new species, E. chekiri n. sp., from Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, is described., Les espèces du genre Euconnus Thomson, 1859, sous-genre Psomophus Casey, 1897, de la faune de France sont révisées : E. intrusus (Schaum, 1844), E. wetterhallii (Gyllenhal, 1813), E. pyrenaeus Xambeu, 1889, et E. regimbarti Croissandeau, 1893, des lectotypes étant désignés pour ces deux dernières espèces ; il y est ajouté une espèce inédite, E. chekiri n. sp., des Alpes-de-Haute-Provence., Orousset Jean. Révision des espèces du genre Euconnus Thomson, sous-genre Psomophus Casey, de la faune de France (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae) . In: Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, volume 123 (3),2018. pp. 381-400.

Tethyan ophiolites show an apparent poorly organized association of ultramafic and mafic rocks. By contrast to the complete mantle-crustal sections of Semail-type ophiolite sheets, Tethyan ophiolites are characterized by a smaller amount of mafic rocks (gabbros and basalts), by the absence of any sheeted dyke complex and by the frequent occurrence of oceanic sediments stratigraphically overlying mantle-derived peridotites and associated gabbroic intrusions. Therefore, they are considered as typical remnants of oceanic lithosphere formed in slow- spreading environment or in ocean–continent transition at distal passive margins. In the very first models of formation of the Tethyan ophiolites, in the years 1980, the geodynamical processes leading to mantle unroofing were poorly understood due to the paucity of data and concepts available at that time from the present-day oceans. In particular, at that time, little work had focused on the distribution, origin and significance of mafic rocks with respect to the dominant surrounding ultramafics. Here, we reconsider the geology of some typical metaophiolites from the Western Alps and Corsica, and we show how results from the past decade obtained in the current oceans ask for reassessing the significance of the Tethyan ophiolites in general. Revisited examples include a set of representative metaophiolites from the blueschists units of the Western Alps (Queyras region) and from Alpine Corsica (Golo Valley). Field relationships between the ophiolitic basement and the metasedimentary/metavolcanic oceanic cover are described, outlining a typical character of the Tethyan ophiolite lithological associations. Jurassic marbles and polymictic ophiolite metabreccias are unconformably overlying the mantle-gabbo basement, in a way strictly similar to what is observed in the non-metamorphic Appennine ophiolites or Chenaillet massif. This confirms that very early tectonic juxtaposition of ultramafic and mafic rocks occurred in the oceanic domain before subduction. This juxtaposition resulted from tectonic activity that is now assigned to the development of detachment faults and to the formation of Oceanic Core Complexes (OCCs) at the axis of slow spreading ridges. This fundamental Plate Tectonics process is responsible for the exhu- mation and for the axial denudation of mantle rocks and gabbros at diverging plate boundaries. In addition, field relationships between the discontinuous basaltic formations and the ultramafic–mafic basement indicate that this tectonic stage is followed or not by a volcanic stage. We discuss this issue in the light of available field constraints.

In the course of our ongoing work on the chemical characterization of Corsican olive oil, we have developed and validated a method for direct quantification of squalene using 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy without saponification, extraction, or fractionation of the investigated samples. Good accuracy, linearity, and precision of the measurements have been observed. The experimental procedure was applied to the quantification of squalene in 24 olive oil samples from Corsica. Squalene accounted for 0.35–0.83% of the whole composition.

International audience; The chemical composition of Frullania tamarisci essential oil from Corsica was investigated using GC-FID, GC-MS and NMR analyses. The essential oil compositions were further studied analyzing samples prepared from three different Corsican locations and during a seasonal vegetative cycle. 40 components, which accounted for 78.3-89.8% of the total amount of F. tamarisci essential oils were identified. The main components were tamariscol coeluted with pacifigorgiol (30.4-41.5%), germacra-1(10)E,5E-dien-11-ol (3.6-7.1%), gamma-cylocostunolide (1.8-20.1%), gamma-dihydrocyclocostunolide (1.2-8.0%) and frullanolide (1.7-4.9%). Among them, germacra-1(10)E,5E-dien-11-ol was never reported in the Frullania genus and pacifigorgiol, a tamariscol GC-overlapped compound, was for the first time reported in Bryophytes. Finally using 1D and 2D NMR experiments, we reported gamma-dihydrocyclocostunolide as a new natural compound. Two Corsican F. tamarisci essential oils with different GC profiles were assessed for their phytotoxic behavior against onion seeds and seedling in order to evaluate their capacity to inhibit germination and alter the development of plantlets. According to the essential oil-compositions, a stimulation of the onion seedling was observed when sesquiterpene lactones amount was higher, whilst the inhibition of roots growth occurs when sesquiterpene alcohols were predominantly.

International audience; In a context of climate change that may increase the extreme events and so the forest fires, the question is to know whether the legal framework is relevant or it should keep on evolving to manage the forest fire prevention risk. Many reports concerning the climate change and also the forest fire risk in France pointed the necessary adaptation of the public policies and the lack of the legal prevention measures. So, the question is what the main legal measures are to be developed or to be implemented in the territories actually exposed to forest fire which could be more exposed to this risk and the territories which are not exposed for that moment but which could be exposed in the future.

Il semble exister deux types de risques d’incendie en Corse. Le premier, et le plus communément admis, serait un risque majeur, la menace par excellence pour la « Forêt méditerranéenne » et serait bien souvent le fait de l’incurie des populations locales, notamment des éleveurs. Cependant, il existe un risque d’incendie plus banal, celui qui traverse toute l’histoire de ces espaces boisés méditerranéens, qui les a façonnés et avec lequel les populations locales vivent depuis toujours, sur leurs territoires du quotidien. Ces deux représentations du risque s’ignorent faute d’échanges entres les riverains et les gestionnaires. C’est ce que cet article cherche à démontrer : la construction socio-spatiale d’un risque qui occulte les vulnérabilités des territoires locaux au profit de la seule vulnérabilité environnementale, appréhendée à l’échelle régionale. À une époque où les anciennes pratiques du feu sont contrariées pour lutter contre le feu, les milieux se ferment, accroissant les vulnérabilités. Les transformations du paysage modifient la configuration des différents territoires, engendrent des structures spatiales vulnérables aux incendies mais génèrent également de nouvelles représentations de l’environnement en fonction de valeurs esthétiques et économiques instables. Il s’agit, à travers l’analyse et la confrontation des discours des différents acteurs en présence, de s’intéresser aux mécanismes responsables de la production d’espaces vulnérables - laquelle élargit le constat des interfaces habitat-forêt - aux différentes échelles. There seem to be two types of fire risk in Corsica. The first would be a serious risk, the major threat to the "Mediterranean forest," caused mostly by the negligence of the local population, especially breeders. This is the most widely and commonly recognized notion of the meaning of fire risk. However, another more common and less dramatic fire risk exists, one that was part of "Mediterranean forest" history, that helped shape the forest, and with which local populations have always lived, though sometimes this is forgotten. Those two visions of risk rarely, if ever, come together. This article seeks to demonstrate the elitist social construction of a purportedly major risk which conceals the vulnerability of local territories. Woodlands increase because of low maintenance, leading to the closing of landscapes. These modifications produce vulnerable spatial structures and create new environmental representations. It appears that fire is not the problem but instead the issue is preserving the "Mediterranean forest” as a resource. Interactions between the environment, public policies and other actors of these island territories will be clarified through analysis and comparison of the discourse of various actors (local populations, political leaders, media and scientists).

International audience; A new dataset of 16 C-14 radiocarbon dates better constrains Relative Sea Level (RSL) changes in Corsica Island since the late Neolithic (similar to 3.6 ka BCE). Conflicting Holocene RSL histories between the northern and southern portions of Corsica coast are presently available in literature. Here we provide new RSL data obtained by sediment coring and beachrock analysis performed along the eastern coast of the island. These data, coupled with previously available ones, were compared with the predicted RSL variations modelled by means of the sea-level equation solver SELEN. Data from different coastal sectors of Corsica indicate a coherent pattern of RSL since the late Neolithic when the RSL was placed similar to 3.8 m below the present mean sea level. Then sea-level rose at rate of similar to 2 mm a(-1) in the Chalcolithic period (similar to 3.5 and similar to 2.3 ka BCE) followed by a significant deceleration with rates

The Aleria Del Sale lagoon in Eastern Corsica provides an excellent location for palaeoenvironmental research in order to better understand the palaeogeography of the island's coastline and to disentangle the role of human and natural factors in landscape evolution. A borehole drilled to a depth of 5.30 m was located a short distance from one of the most relevant archaeological sites on the island. Environmental reconstruction methodologies included mollusc identification, sedimentological and palynological analyses combined with robust chronological control provided by 8 radiocarbon dated samples allowing the reconstruction of the coastal lagoon and the surrounding vegetation history over the last 6 millennia. The Aleria Del Sale lagoon was formed around 3500 cal BCE, when sand bars linked to the deltaic progradation of the Tavignano River enclosed shallow marine waters. Pollen data reveals the existence of a semi-open landscape at this time in which human activity was widespread. The open lagoon shifted into a confined lagoonal system around 2200 cal BCE and this change in the feature was coeval with a notable decrease in human disturbance of the area and the end of the Chalcolithic Terrina occupation. The following period saw shrub and woodland regeneration and the brackish environment continued until the 19th century CE. Human activity did not have a significant impact on the vegetation until the Genoan Period. The evolution of the vegetation history and the diverse human activity across the Eastern Plain during the Bronze Age until the Genoan Period is furthermore explored in this paper. The uppermost layers of the lithostratigraphic sequence reflect the transformation of local conditions in response to recent (20th century) drainage operations.

This paper aims at introducing some original and preliminary considerations on zones at least partially dedicated, in varying proportions, to the circulation of individuals in the chrono-cultural frame of the Late Bronze Age (’ Apazzu-Castidetta-Cucuruzzu’ cultural group) and the early Iron Age (’ Nuciaresa’ cultural group) in Southern Corsica, an area characterized by a clear cultural territorialization phenomenon which can be observed throughout the period considered. These thoughts are presented here in their preliminary state and concern different fieldworks, including excavations (Cuciurpula, Puzzonu and Nuciaresa settlements), surveys and systematic architectural layouts. The first approach concerns the revelation of ’ corridors’ within the internal space of the long double-nave dwellings that have been excavated in the past few years in the micro-region of Alta Rocca (the granitic and mountainous area of the southern part of the island, constituted by the high valleys of the Fiumicicoli and Rizzanese rivers), notably in the settlement of Cuciurpula, in the northern part of the region. We shall especially present the information collected during the excavations of dwellings 6, 1 and 3 of this important village, which provides an exhaustive view of a complete chronology between the 12th and 6th centuries BC, and thus allows the spatial and functional evolution of the typical Southern Corsican protohistoric houses to be considered in a diachronic manner. More particularly, we will develop the ceramic vessel distribution analysis in order to interpret particular concentrations and/ or absences, according to the different contexts (chronology and typology of the house, spatial position and comparison with other vestiges : fauna, vegetal macro-remains, lithic industries, etc.), defining circulation, sleeping, cooking or stocking areas. We shall then examine the means of access related to the daily use of these domestic spaces through analysis of the vestiges of the pathways linking them together, which have recently been the topic of an independent study. This consisted in the compilation of a catalogue and the excavation of these specific constructions, whose aspect clearly indicates their function, linked to the circulation of individuals, naturally difficult at Cuciurpula because of the inclination grade and rock clusters. These structures include ramps, stairs, passageways and even footbridges, etc., which link the forty dwellings of the settlement. The possibility of a modern chronology for these paths has to be raised because of the presence of miners on the site over several centuries. Nevertheless, many aspects indicate that construction took place during the transition between the Bronze and Iron Ages, around the 9th century. A recent discovery in the Tàravu valley, at Val’di Cuccu, in the south-western part of the island, will be described in this paper. It is interpreted as a Cyclopean Bronze Age bridge, similar to Minoan, Mycenaean and Nuraghic examples. It could have linked the two important protohistoric fortified settlements of Filitosa and Castellucciu-Calzola. We shall conclude with a broader study, aimed at specifying the layout of the protohistoric roads, for which some clues, taken from toponymy and settlement pattern studies, enable us to observe a persistent local usage lasting up to the medieval and sub-present periods. Analysis of the protohistoric settlement distribution model in Alta Rocca, almost superposable on the medieval land occupation pattern, may relate to factors imposed by the environment in order to avoid major obstacles, calling on effort-efficiency optimization. However, the material (particularly ceramic) and architectural unity which characterized these areas and its rapid dissolution beyond their margins (Tàravu and Solenzara valleys, Cuscionu plateau, Alcudina massif) show that the social character plays a fundamental role in the mechanisms which define cultural networks, which are thus not only generated by geographical constraints, even where topographical compartmentalization is very important, as in Southern Corsica., Cette contribution vise à présenter des considérations introductives sur les espaces au moins partiellement dédiés à la circulation des personnes, à différentes échelles, dans le cadre chrono-culturel du Bronze final et du premier âge du Fer dans le Sud de la Corse, secteur marqué par un important phénomène de territorialisation culturelle se superposant à ces différentes époques. Ces réflexions sont présentées en leur état préliminaire et concernent des recherches récentes, menées depuis 2008 sous la forme de fouilles, de prospections et de relevés systématiques. Le premier angle d’approche concerne la mise en évidence de «couloirs » dans l’espace interne des longues habitations à double nef fouillées ces dernières années dans la microrégion de l’Alta Rocca (zone montagneuse granitique du Sud de l’île), notamment sur le grand habitat de Cuciurpula. On présentera notamment les données relatives à la fouille des habitations 6, 1 et 3 de ce site, qui offrent un aperçu exhaustif sur un arc chronologique compris entre le XIIe et le VIe siècle avant J.-C. et permettent ainsi d’observer de façon diachronique l’évolution spatiale et fonctionnelle de l’aire interne des maisons protohistoriques typiques du Sud de la Corse. On s’attachera plus particulièrement aux analyses de distribution de la vaisselle, qui mettent en évidence vides et concentrations dont l’interprétation varie en fonction des contextes. On s’intéressera ensuite aux abords et aux accès inhérents au fonctionnement quotidien de ces aires domestiques, par l’analyse des vestiges de cheminements aménagés les reliant entre elles, qui ont récemment été l’objet d’une thématique de recherche autonome. Cette dernière a consisté en la réalisation d’un recensement des constructions particulières dont l’aspect trahit clairement la fonction circulatoire, et qui incluent des rampes, des escaliers, des passages aménagés, voire des passerelles, etc. Une découverte récente, réalisée à Val’di Cuccu, dans le Sud-Ouest de l’île, sera décrite dans ce cadre. Au vu du contexte (proximité des grands habitats de Filitosa et de Castellucciu-Calzola) et des techniques mises en oeuvre, il pourrait s’agir d’un viaduc bâti durant l’âge du Bronze, proche de modèles cyclopéens connus en contexte nuragique et égéen. On terminera par une étude plus large visant à préciser le tracé des routes protohistoriques, pour lesquelles plusieurs indices, encore perceptibles en toponymie et dans l’analyse des stratégies d’implantations, permettent d’observer une rémanence vernaculaire jusqu’aux époques médiévale et subactuelle. L’examen du schéma de distribution des sites protohistoriques en Alta Rocca, presque superposable au modèle d’occupation des sols du Moyen Âge, traduirait une organisation territoriale en grande partie dictée par le milieu car pensée pour éviter les obstacles majeurs et selon une volonté d’optimiser l’effort-rendement. Cependant, l’unité matérielle et architecturale mise en évidence sur le secteur et sa dissolution rapide sur ses zones de marge (vallées du Tàravu et de la Solenzara) montrent que le caractère social constitue un élément primordial au sein des mécanismes à l’origine des maillages culturels, qui ne sont donc pas uniquement définis par les contraintes géographiques, y compris dans des ensembles topographiquement cloisonnées comme peut en offrir le Sud de la Corse., Pêche-Quilichini Kewin, Delvau Simon, Lachenal Thibault, Lanfranchi François de. Espaces de circulation, espaces de cheminement. Quelques « pistes » de réflexion pour le Sud de la Corse entre Bronze final et premier âge du Fer. In: Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française, tome 111, n°1, 2014. pp. 101-128.

Morphological a nd molecular investigation conducted in France and the Tyrrhenian islands reveal that Aphaenogaster subterranea is composed of two distinct species. We propose to raise A. subterranea var. ichnusa Santschi, 1925, described from Sardinia, to the species status, A. ichnusa Santschi, 1925 stat. nov . This species differs from A. subterranea by having shorter propodeal spines and a less sculptured cuticle. Phylogenetic reconstruction using the mitochondrial marker COI shows that the two species form well separated clades, with a genetic distance (K2p) of 9.8 %. In the studied area, the two species are parapatric, A. ichnusa occurring in Sardinia, Corsica and the Mediterranean area of continental France, and A. subterranea occurring North of this area. We propose a redescription of both species and designation of a neotype for A. subterranea .

Continuous mapping of the benthic marine habitats along the coast of Corsica is based on a synthesis of all available historical data as well as new studies concerning sectors that are poorly taken into account and/or that are of particular interest. The mapped area covers more than 310 000 ha, almost all infralittoral and circalittoral, with a survey up to 150 m deep around the coast of Cap Corse. While within the infralittoral zone, Posidonia oceanica meadows are predominant, with a surface area of about 53 735 ha, in the circalittoral zone, soft bottoms (eg coastal detritic bottoms) are largely dominant, with the rhodolith association particularly well represented (26 493 ha). The coralligenous biocenosis (2 111 ha) covers relatively small areas but includes unique formations at Mediterranean scale: the coralligenous atolls. The reliability scale proposed to assess the accuracy of these maps shows satisfactory results (62% on average), with a higher value for the infralittoral zone (74%). The results confirm that Corsica's coastline is characterized by a significant expansion of the Blue Carbon ecosystems, and in particular the Posidonia oceanica meadows, which regularly reach more than 35 m depth and cover 61% of the of the seabed between 0 and -40m, and free-living coralline algae (8% of the known surfaces in the western Mediterranean basin). The areas covered by Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean basin are estimated at between 1.0 and 1.5 million hectares, and show a decreasing pattern along a north-west to southeast gradient.

International audience; Among the consequences pointed out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it is assumed that xeric and thermophilic ecosystems, which are mostly involved in forest fires, could colonize areas currently less or not exposed to forest fire risk. The aim of our study is to assess the spatial distribution of xeric and thermophilic botanical taxa in Corsica for the end of the 21st Century, according to the climatic scenario named RCP 6 which is considered as one of the most probable reference scenario. The results of our study show a probable increase of forest fire risk due to the colonization of xeric and thermophilic ecosystems in more areas than we can observe today.

Background The Neptune grass, Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, 1813, is the most widespread seagrass of the Mediterranean Sea. This foundation species forms large meadows that, through habitat and trophic services, act as biodiversity hotspots. In Neptune grass meadows, amphipod crustaceans are one of the dominant groups of vagile invertebrates, forming an abundant and diverse taxocenosis. They are key ecological components of the complex, pivotal, yet critically endangered Neptune grass ecosystems. Nevertheless, comprehensive qualitative and quantitative data about amphipod fauna found in Mediterranean Neptune grass meadows remain scarce, especially in insular locations. New information Here, we provide in-depth metadata about AxIOM, a sample-based dataset published on the GBIF portal. AxIOM is based on an extensive and spatially hierarchized sampling design with multiple years, seasons, day periods, and methods. Samples were taken along the coasts of Calvi Bay (Corsica, France) and of the Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area (Sardinia, Italy). In total, AxIOM contains 187 samples documenting occurrence (1775 records) and abundance (10720 specimens) of amphipod crustaceans belonging to 72 species spanning 29 families. The dataset is available at http://ipt.biodiversity.be/resource?r=axiom.

The island of Corsica (France) plays a central role in any reconstruction of Western Mediterranean geodynamics and paleogeography but several key aspects of its geological evolution are still uncertain. The most debated topics include the interpretation of the Corsican orogen as the result of an east- or west-directed subduction, and the actual involvement of the Variscan basement of Corsica in the Alpine orogenic cycle. This study integrates 40 Ar– 39 Ar laserprobe, mesostructural, microtextural, and microchemical analyses and places relevant constraints on the style, P – T conditions, and timing of Alpine-age, pervasive ductile shear zones which affected the Variscan basement complex of central Corsica, a few kilometers to the west of the present-day front of the Alpine nappes. Shear zones strike ~ NNE–SSW, dip at a high angle, and are characterized by a dominant sinistral strike-slip component. Two of the three investigated shear zones contain two texturally and chemically resolvable generations of white mica, recording a prograde (burial) evolution: (1) deformed celadonite-poor relicts are finely overgrown by (2) a celadonite-rich white mica aligned along the main foliation. White mica from a third sample of another shear zone, characterized by a significantly lower porphyroclast/matrix ratio, exhibits a nearly uniform high-celadonite content, compositionally matching the texturally younger phengite from the nearby shear zones. Mineral-textural analysis, electron microprobe data, and pseudosection modeling constrain P – T conditions attained during shearing at ~ 300 °C and minimum pressures of ~ 0.6 GPa. In-situ 40 Ar– 39 Ar analyses of coexisting low- and high-celadonite white micas from both shear zones yielded a relatively wide range of ages, ~ 45–36 Ma. Laser step-heating experiments gave sigmoidal-shaped age profiles, with step ages in line with in-situ spot dates. By contrast, the apparently chemically homogenous high-celadonite white mica yielded concordant in-situ ages at ~ 34 Ma, but a hump-shaped age spectrum, with maximum ages of ~ 35 Ma and intermediate- to high-temperature steps as young as ~ 33–32 Ma. Results indicate that the studied samples consist of an earlier celadonite-poor white mica with a minimum age of ~ 46 Ma, overgrown by a synshear high-celadonite white mica, developed at greater depth between ~ 37 and 35 Ma; faint late increments in shearing occurred at ≤ 33–32 Ma, when white mica incipiently re-equilibrated during exhumation. Results suggest that ductile shearing with a dominant strike-slip component pervasively deformed the Corsican basement complex during the emplacement and progressive thickening of the Alpine orogenic wedge and broaden the extent of the domain affected by the Alpine tectonometamorphic events. Integration of petrological modeling and geochronological data shows that the Variscan basement of central Corsica, close to the Alpine nappes, was buried during the late Eocene by ≥ 18 km of Alpine orogenic wedge and foreland deposits. Our results, combined with previously published apatite fission-track data, imply an overburden removal ≥ 15 km from the late Eocene (Priabonian) to the early Miocene (Aquitanian), pointing to a minimum average exhumation rate of 1.3–1.5 mm/a.

There is an increasing interest in the taxonomy and distribution of the forms of the Portulaca oleracea complex. The information accruing from specimens collected in the Italian peninsula and surrounding islands (Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and Malta) is here described. Eleven morphotypes were recorded: ‘P. cypria’, ‘P. granulatostellulata’, ‘P. nitida’, ‘P. oleracea’, ‘P. papillatostellulata’, ‘P. rausii’, ‘P. sardoa’, ‘P. sativa’, ‘P. sicula’, ‘P. trituberculata’, ‘P. zaffranii’ and a still unclear form Portulaca oleracea f. Three occur in almost all the Italian peninsula and adjacent islands; three are scattered in the Italian peninsula and in the adjacent islands; the remnant have a distribution restricted to the islands such as Sicily and Sardinia. The morphotypes can be divided into two main categories: seeds smooth, without ornamentations; seeds with ornamentations. The morphotypes with ornamentations are more widespread than smooth ones, probably because seed ornamentations play an important role in seed dispersal, which is perhaps mainly anthropochorous given that P. oleracea is a synanthropic species that can tolerate mechanical disturbance. There are cases of multiple occurrence, as evidenced by the presence of different morphotypes in some of the sites. Such populations can count up to five morphotypes growing together. Seven morphotypes were here recorded from Malta; they are all hexaploid, even those which in other areas are tetraploid.

Aim Mediterranean islands have been the subject of intense phylogeographical investigation. While most studies have focused on the processes of colonization and dispersal between landmasses, the phylogeographical structures within islands have received less attention. Here, we investigate the Pleistocene evolutionary history of the fire salamander Salamandra corsica. Our main aim is to shed more light on the importance of intra-island micro-evolutionary processes in structuring the patterns of biodiversity on Mediterranean islands. Location Corsica Island. Methods We sampled 165 individuals across the entire range of S. corsica, and we sequenced two mitochondrial (cytb and cox1) and one nuclear (sfib) gene fragments. We used Bayesian phylogeographical and historical demographic analyses based on DNA sequence data, together with species distribution modelling (SDM) under the present and past bioclimatic envelopes. Results Bayesian phylogeographical analyses indicated that S. corsica (re)colonized its northern range during the Last Interglacial period from an ancestral area located in central-southern Corsica. According to these analyses and the SDM, S. corsica was already established throughout the island during the last glacial phase, although likely with a fragmented distribution. Historical demographic analyses suggested a post-glacial demographic expansion, probably associated with the climate-driven spatial and temporal dynamics of forested habitats. Main conclusions Despite its restricted and insular distribution, S. corsica showed past demographic and range dynamics that are comparable to those of wide-ranging species on the continent. These dynamics are not consistent with temporal, spatial, and demographic patterns previously seen for other Corsican endemics. Such patterns of complex Pleistocene evolutionary histories and extensive phylogeographical discordance are also emerging from other insular systems. We conclude that island endemics should not be considered, a priori, as single populations and conservation units, and that the use of co-occurrence patterns of island populations as inferential tools in historical biogeography should also be carefully reconsidered.