Search

Cet article présente les recherches conduites sur la végétation associée aux arbres dans les espaces boisés urbains, et ses relations avec le paysage, dans une ville moyenne : l’agglomération de Tours. Une étude approfondie de la végétation des bois urbains a permis d’analyser les liens entre cette flore et 1) la structure spatiale urbaine (espaces boisés centraux et périphériques), 2) la structure spatiale interne de ces îlots boisés (zone centrale et de lisière). La structure urbaine joue un rôle prépondérant sur la composition botanique des sous-bois : les espaces boisés centraux (entourés d’une part élevée de surface urbanisée) abritent la quasi-totalité des espèces horticoles présentes, ce qui contribue à leur richesse spécifique. Les bois périphériques, très étendus et entourés majoritairement de cultures, n’ont pas une diversité spécifique supérieure à celle des bois centraux. La part de surface forestière et celle de surface urbanisée dans les zones adjacentes aux espaces boisés, à différents rayons, sont des facteurs majeurs de la composition botanique des bois urbains. En ce qui concerne le lien entre la structure spatiale interne des espaces boisés urbains et la végétation des bois, les lisières des bois ont une diversité spécifique généralement supérieure à celle des zones centrales, bien que les communautés végétales centrales et de lisière soient très similaires. Nos résultats confirment des éléments identifiés dans les grandes agglomérations : la végétation spontanée dans les espaces boisés urbains est liée à la structure du paysage urbain : les stratégies de gestion forestière urbaine devraient prendre en compte les processus de colonisation de la végétation semi-naturelle, se déroulant à l’échelle du paysage. This article presents research conducted on the vegetation associated with trees in urban wooded areas, and its relationship to the landscape in a medium-sized city: the agglomeration of Tours. An in-depth study of the vegetation of urban wooded areas made it possible to study the links between this flora and 1) the urban spatial structure (central and peripheral wooded areas) and 2) the internal spatial structure of wooded clusters (central and outlying zones). The urban structure plays a dominant role in the botanic compositions of the woodland undergrowth: the central wooded areas (surrounded by a high proportion of urbanised surfaces) harbour almost all the horticultural species present, thus contributing to their diversity. The peripheral woods, extensive and mainly surrounded by cultivated land, do not present a higher degree of diversity compared to the central wooded areas. The proportion of woodland surface area compared with the urbanised surface areas adjacent to wooded areas of varying radiuses, are major factors in the botanic compositions of urban woods. In the interrelation between the internal spatial structure of urban wooded areas and the vegetation of the woods, the outskirts of the woods have a specific diversity which is greater than that of the central zones, even though the plant communities of the central and outlying zones are very similar. Our results confirm elements identified in large agglomerations: spontaneous vegetation in urban wooded spaces is linked to the structure of the urban landscape; urban forestry management strategies should take into account the colonisation process of semi-natural vegetation at the level of the landscape.

International audience; We combined aerial LiDAR and ground sensors to map the spatial variation in micro-environmental variables of the tropical forest understory. We show that these metrics depend on forest type and proximity to canopy gaps. Our study has implications for the study of natural forest regeneration.Context: Light impacts seedling dynamics and animals, either directly or through their effect on air temperature and relative humidity. However, the micro-environment of tropical forest understories is heterogeneous.Aims: We explored whether aerial laser scanning (LiDAR) can describe short-scale micro-environmental variables. We also studied the determinants of their spatial and intra-annual variation.Methods : We used a small-footprint LiDAR coverage combined with data obtained from 47 environmental sensors monitoring continuously understory light, moisture and temperature during 1 year over the area. We developed and tested two models relating micro-environmental conditions to LiDAR metrics.Results: We found that a volume-based model predicts empirical light fluxes better than a model based on the proportion of the LiDAR signal reaching the ground. Understory field sensors measured an average daily light flux between 2.9 and 4.7% of full sunlight. Relative seasonal variation was comparable in the understory and in clearings. In canopy gaps, light flux was 4.3 times higher, maximal temperature 15% higher and minimal relative humidity 25% lower than in the forest understory. We found consistent micro-environmental differences among forest types.Conclusions: LiDAR coverage improves the fine-scale description of micro-environmental variables of tropical forest understories. This opens avenues for modelling the distribution and dynamics of animal and plant populations.

International audience; Species richness and phytomass in understory cultivated poplar groves at the margin of the Garonne (South-West France). Cultivated poplar groves occupy an important part of the Garonne alluvial lowlands. Plant communities belonging to the understory, are disturbed by upkeep (disking), i.e. weeding by a metallic disk which totally destroys and buries vegetation. This upkeep differs among poplar groves: the intensity and the frequency of which decreases with the age of the poplar grove and it totally disappears during the years preceding clearing. The four poplar groves chosen for this study showed different upkeep levels. Understory species were sampled taking into account the species phenology and upkeep periods, in order to study the dynamics of the species richness and phytomass of plant communities in the understory between March et September. At the stand scale, the species richness of plant communities of the understory increased accordingly to the upkeep level (intensity and frequency). This trend was mainly due to annual species and secondarily to biennials ones. The analyses achieved from quadrat areas located at random in the studied poplar groves showed that the plant species richness of the understory communities increased, depending on the disturbance intensity induced by the upkeep, whereas this relation was inverted for phytomass. These two distinct trends were observed in inter-poplar groves comparison as well as in intra-poplar groves comparison. Interactions were observed between the general upkeep level of a poplar grove and the exposure to this upkeep of sites within this poplar grove. The species richness of sites gradually more exposed to the upkeep increased up to a threshold value, beyond which the species richness values decreased. This threshold was reached only for the poplar grove of which the general upkeep level was the most important. The results are discussed in relation to the ecological disturbance theory. When the upkeep frequency decreases, herbaceous, rhizomeous, then woody species take place. The understory plant communities of cultivated poplar groves constitute a rich and diversified zone. Their implantation into floodplain is important for adjacent ecosystem diversity.; Les peupleraies cultivées occupent de vastes surfaces dans la plaine alluviale de la Garonne. Des communautés végétales s'y développent en sous-bois, perturbées par des pratiques d'entretien (disquage) dont l'intensité et la fréquence varient en fonction de l'âge des peupleraies. Nous nous sommes intéressés à l'influence de ce type d'entretien sur les communautés de sous-bois. Quatre peupleraies ont été choisies afin d'illustrer les différents types d'entretien. Les prélèvements d'espèces de sous-bois ont été effectués à des dates tenant compte de la phénologie des espèces et des périodes d'entretien. À l'échelle des peupleraies, la richesse spécifique des communautés végétales de sous-bois est d'autant plus élevée que le niveau d'entretien (intensité et fréquence) est plus marqué. Cette tendance est essentiellement due à des espèces annuelles et secondairement, bisannuelles. L'analyse réalisée à partir de quadrats répartis au hasard dans les peupleraies montre que la richesse spécifique des plantes de sous-bois s'accroît en fonction de l'augmentation de l'intensité et de la fréquence de la perturbation créée par l'entretien, alors que cette relation est inversée en ce qui concerne les phytomasses. Cette double tendance est observée entre les peupleraies et au sein des quadrats d'une même peupleraie. Dans ce dernier cas, les différences observées sont moins significatives. Des interactions apparaissent entre le niveau général d'entretien d'une peupleraie et l'exposition à cet entretien de différents définies au sein de cette peupleraie. La richesse spécifique des localisations graduellement plus exposées à l'entretien augmente jusqu'à une valeur seuil, au-delà de laquelle elle diminue. Ce seuil n'est atteint que dans le cas de la peupleraie dont le niveau d'entretien est le plus élevé. Ces résultats sont discutés dans le cadre de la théorie des perturbations écologiques. Les peupleraies, souvent considérées comme des facteurs de banalisation du paysage, constituent, en fait, des milieux riches et diversifiés; elles peuvent jouer un rôle majeur dans le contrôle de la diversité des écosystèmes adjacents.

Le genre Psychotria est le plus vaste de la famille des Rubiaceae, avec plusieurs centaines d’espèces répandues dans toutes les régions tropicales humides. Les Psychotria sont principalement des arbustes (quelques-uns sont lianescents, herbacés ou arborescents) et entrent souvent pour une part importante dans la composition des sous-bois tropicaux. Certains montrent des adaptations remarquables comme la symbiose bactérienne foliaire ou l’accumulation d’humus. En raison de sa taille et des difficultés d’identifications, ce genre reste mal connu, notamment en Afrique occidentale et centrale où il n’a fait l’objet d’aucun travail d’ensemble depuis les années 1960.Le présent travail a pour objectifs :1) la révision taxonomique du genre Psychotria pour l’Afrique occidentale et centrale; 2) une étude phylogénétique du genre, visant à reconstituer son évolution et améliorer la classification infragénérique ;et 3) une étude biogéographique régionale de ce groupe, afin de définir des centres de diversité et d'endémisme.Notre travail de taxonomie, fondé sur l’examen des spécimens d’herbier et sur des missions de terrain au Cameroun et au Gabon, nous a conduit à reconnaître l’existence de 232 espèces en Afrique occidentale et centrale, ce qui fait de Psychotria le plus vaste genre de plantes dans cette région. Parmi ces espèces, 78 sont nouvelles.Nos travaux phylogénétiques, basés sur l’étude de deux marqueurs nucléaires (ITS et ETS) et quatre chloroplastiques (rps16, trnG, matK et rbcLa), montrent que la classification de Petit (1964, 1966) est largement à revoir. Il apparaît notamment que les deux sous-genres (Psychotria et Tetramerae) reconnus en Afrique, et fondés sur la présence ou l’absence de nodules bactériens foliaires, ne sont pas monophylétiques, certaines espèces ayant secondairement perdu leurs nodules. Nos résultats soutiennent également le rattachement du genre monospécifique Peripeplus à Psychotria.Le genre Psychotria montre une diversité remarquable, associée à un taux d’endémisme élevé, dans le domaine bas-guinéen (Cameroun et Gabon principalement) où plusieurs centres d’endémisme ont été identifiés. Ceux-ci sont localisés non seulement dans les massifs montagneux de l’intérieur, dont la flore particulière est bien connue, mais également dans les régions littorales. L’Afrique de l’ouest, moins diversifiée, montre cependant un fort endémisme localisé principalement dans deux centres, l’un situé au Liberia et dans l’ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire, l’autre vers la frontière Côte d’Ivoire/Ghana. Le bassin du Congo, comparable en diversité à l’Afrique de l’Ouest, est relativement pauvre en endémiques.Ces résultats suggèrent que les forêts du Cameroun et du Gabon auraient relativement bien résisté aux périodes sèches passées, et remettent notamment en question l’hypothèse d’une disparition des forêts littorales du golfe de Guinée au cours du Pleistocène./Psychotria is the largest genus in the Rubiaceae family, with several hundred species in wet tropical areas worldwide. Psychotria spp. are mostly shrubs (a few being lianas, creepers or trees) and are often an important component of the undergrowth in tropical rainforests. Some show remarkable adaptations such as leaf bacterial symbiosis or litter gathering. Due to its size and identification problems, Psychotria remains a little-known genus, especially in West and Central Africa, where no major work has been done on this group since the 1960s.The aims of the present work are: 1) a taxonomic revision of Psychotria in West and Central Africa; 2) a phylogenetic study of the genus, in order to trace its evolution and improve the infrageneric classification; and 3) a regional biogeographic study of the genus, to define centers of diversity and endemism.Our taxonomical work, based on the study of herbarium specimens and field expeditions in Gabon and Cameroon, led us to recognise 232 species of Psychotria in West and Central Africa. Psychotria is therefore the largest plant genus in this area. Among these species, 78 are new.Our phylogenetic work, based on two nuclear markers (ITS and ETS) and four chloroplastic markers (rps16, trnG, matK, rbcLa), shows that Petit’s (1964, 1966) infrageneric classification is in need of revision. In particular, we show that the two subgenera present in Africa (subg. Tetramerae and subg. Psychotria), which are defined by the presence or absence of leaf bacterial nodules, are not monophyletic: a secondary loss of the bacterial nodules has occured in some species. Our results also support the merging of the monospecific genus Peripeplus into Psychotria.The genus Psychotria shows a remarkable diversity and a high level and endemism in the Lower Guinea domain (particularly Cameroon and Gabon) where several centers of endemism are identified. These are located not only in the inland hill ranges, which are well known for their particular flora, but also in littoral areas. West Africa is less diverse but also shows a high level of endemism, which concerns mostly two areas, one in Liberia and western Côte d’Ivoire and the other around the Côte d’Ivoire/Ghana border. The Congo basin, comparable in diversity to West Africa, has relatively few endemic species.These results suggest that the rainforests of Cameroon and Gabon resisted relatively well during historical drier periods. They do not support the hypothesis of a disappearance of the Gulf of Guinea littoral forests during the Pleistocene., Doctorat en Sciences, info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation by European gorse (Ulex europaeus) is a major source of nitrogen in the 'Landes de Gascogne' cultivated forest of maritime pine. This thesis aims to build a conceptual model of the population dynamic of gorse in the region, with a view to predict the associated flux of nitrogen. To achieve this, several steps of the life cycle of the species were studied: production and predation of seeds, and the recruitment of new plants from the seedbank.The results suggest that the maintenance of this light demanding species in the shade of the canopy of pines is improved by the decrease of reproductive allocation, which enable to maintain its growth, and by the decrease of the predation of seeds. The recruitment of new gorse plants seems controlled by identifiable ecological factors (e.g. soil moisture), however these factors are highly variable in space and time, and no specific micro-habitat appears to be more favourable for the species regeneration.These results are integrated into a conceptual model based on the different steps of the life cycle of the species, and taking into consideration the influence of forestry practices on these steps. Furthermore, the production of knowledge could benefit other subjects related to the species (e.g gorse is a noxious weed in many region in the world) and the understanding of the ecology of woody plants' regeneration. Allocation of resources to reproduction may be plastic and enable an adaptative response to a changing environment; and spatiotemporal variability of the regeneration of woody plants may rely on the existence of ecological regeneration niches defined in the ecological space.; La fixation symbiotique d'azote par l'ajonc d'Europe (Ulex europaeus) représente une source importante d'azote dans la forêt cultivée de pins maritimes des 'Landes de Gascogne'. Cette thèse a pour objectif la création d'un modèle conceptuel de dynamique de population de l'ajonc dans la région en vue de la prédiction du flux d'azote associé. Pour cela plusieurs étapes du cycle de vie de l'espèce ont été étudiées: la production et la prédation des graines, puis le recrutement de nouveaux individus depuis le stock de graines du sol. Nos résultats suggèrent que le maintien de cette espèce héliophile à l'ombre de la canopée des pins est facilité par la diminution de l'allocation de ressources à la reproduction, lui permettant de maintenir sa croissance, et par la diminution de la prédation des graines. Par ailleurs, le recrutement de nouveaux ajoncs semble influencé par des facteurs écologiques identifiables (e.g. humidité du sol). Mais ces facteurs sont fortement variables dans l'espace et dans le temps, et aucun micro habitat n'apparait comme plus favorable à la régénération de l'espèce. Ces résultats sont intégrés à un modèle conceptuel, représentant les différentes étapes du cycle de vie de l'espèce, et l'impact des opérations sylvicoles sur ces étapes. Les connaissances issues de cette thèse pourraient aussi bénéficier à d'autres problématiques liées à l'espèce (e.g. c'est une espèce invasive dans de nombreuses régions du monde) et à la compréhension de l'écologie de la régénération des espèces ligneuses. En effet, l'allocation des ressources à la reproduction pourrait être plastique et permettre une réponse adaptative à un environnement changeant; et la variabilité spatiotemporelle de la régénération des ligneux pourrait reposer sur l'existence de niches écologiques de régénération définies dans l'espace écologique.

La fixation symbiotique d'azote par l'ajonc d'Europe (Ulex europaeus) représente une source importante d'azote dans la forêt cultivée de pins maritimes des 'Landes de Gascogne'. Cette thèse a pour objectif la création d'un modèle conceptuel de dynamique de population de l'ajonc dans la région en vue de la prédiction du flux d'azote associé. Pour cela plusieurs étapes du cycle de vie de l'espèce ont été étudiées: la production et la prédation des graines, puis le recrutement de nouveaux individus depuis le stock de graines du sol. Nos résultats suggèrent que le maintien de cette espèce héliophile à l'ombre de la canopée des pins est facilité par la diminution de l'allocation de ressources à la reproduction, lui permettant de maintenir sa croissance, et par la diminution de la prédation des graines. Par ailleurs, le recrutement de nouveaux ajoncs semble influencé par des facteurs écologiques identifiables (e.g. humidité du sol). Mais ces facteurs sont fortement variables dans l'espace et dans le temps, et aucun micro habitat n'apparait comme plus favorable à la régénération de l'espèce. Ces résultats sont intégrés à un modèle conceptuel, représentant les différentes étapes du cycle de vie de l'espèce, et l'impact des opérations sylvicoles sur ces étapes. Les connaissances issues de cette thèse pourraient aussi bénéficier à d'autres problématiques liées à l'espèce (e.g. c'est une espèce invasive dans de nombreuses régions du monde) et à la compréhension de l'écologie de la régénération des espèces ligneuses. En effet, l'allocation des ressources à la reproduction pourrait être plastique et permettre une réponse adaptative à un environnement changeant; et la variabilité spatiotemporelle de la régénération des ligneux pourrait reposer sur l'existence de niches écologiques de régénération définies dans l'espace écologique., Symbiotic nitrogen fixation by European gorse (Ulex europaeus) is a major source of nitrogen in the 'Landes de Gascogne' cultivated forest of maritime pine. This thesis aims to build a conceptual model of the population dynamic of gorse in the region, with a view to predict the associated flux of nitrogen. To achieve this, several steps of the life cycle of the species were studied: production and predation of seeds, and the recruitment of new plants from the seedbank.The results suggest that the maintenance of this light demanding species in the shade of the canopy of pines is improved by the decrease of reproductive allocation, which enable to maintain its growth, and by the decrease of the predation of seeds. The recruitment of new gorse plants seems controlled by identifiable ecological factors (e.g. soil moisture), however these factors are highly variable in space and time, and no specific micro-habitat appears to be more favourable for the species regeneration.These results are integrated into a conceptual model based on the different steps of the life cycle of the species, and taking into consideration the influence of forestry practices on these steps. Furthermore, the production of knowledge could benefit other subjects related to the species (e.g gorse is a noxious weed in many region in the world) and the understanding of the ecology of woody plants' regeneration. Allocation of resources to reproduction may be plastic and enable an adaptative response to a changing environment; and spatiotemporal variability of the regeneration of woody plants may rely on the existence of ecological regeneration niches defined in the ecological space.

[Departement_IRSTEA]Territoires [TR1_IRSTEA]SEDYVIN; La lumière pilote de nombreux processus en forêt. Son dosage est souvent à la base de la sylviculture. Elle n'est cependant pas facilement appréhendable ou mesurable sur le terrain. C'est pourquoi son estimation, par exemple en établissant des relations entre la lumière sous couvert et les caractéristiques dendrométriques des peuplements, serait une aide précieuse pour définir différents itinéraires techniques. Dans quelle mesure cela est-il possible ? Cet article fait le point des connaissances actuelles en la matière, en peuplements réguliers puis irréguliers et/ou mélangés.

International audience; Understorey plays a major role in forest fluxes and stocks balances, however this compartment is generally poorly quantified. Our objectives were to establish models to estimate understorey biomass using vegetation cover measurements and to investigate upscaling methodologies from stand to regional level. * Understorey aboveground biomass measurements were undertaken in Maritime pine stands of mesohygric, mesic and dry moorlands in South West France. * Average biomass stock in this compartment was estimated to 3.50 t DM ha-1. The more abundant species groups varied with moorland types, with a higher relative contribution of herbaceous species (23.3%), bracken (59.2%) and mosses (31.6%) for mesohygric, mesic and dry moorlands, respectively. For each species group, we established significant relationships to estimate biomass using a volumetric index, based on cover and height measurements. No relationship between stand characteristics and understorey biomass was founded. We investigated the upscaling of these estimations to a several thousands hectare area using understorey cover measurements done along a regular spatial grid. The only significant correlation linked one satellite vegetation index to understorey biomass. * We successfully developed empirical relationships to estimate the understorey biomass at the stand level. Further investigations could focus on the analysis of understorey variability over a finer space grid and the potential use of satellite vegetation indexes.; Le sous-bois est un compartiment non négligeable dans les études de stocks et de flux des forêts; cependant il est encore mal quantifié. Les objectifs de notre étude étaient d'établir des relations permettant d'estimer la biomasse du sous-bois de peuplements et d'analyser les possibilités d'extrapolation à l'échelle du massif. * Des mesures de biomasse aérienne de sous-bois ont été réalisées sur une série de peuplements de pin maritime en Landes mésohygrophile, mésophile et sèche dans le Sud-Ouest de la France. * Nous avons estimé le stock moyen de biomasse dans ce compartiment à 3.50 t MS ha-1. Le groupe d'espèces le plus abondant diffère selon le type de landes : herbacées (23.3 %), fougères (59.2 %) et mousses (31.6 %) en landes mésohygrophile, mésophile et sèche, respectivement. Pour chaque groupe d'espèces, des relations significatives ont été mises en évidence entre un indice volumique et la biomasse de sous-bois. Aucune relation n'a été mise en évidence entre les caractéristiques du peuplement et la biomasse du sous-bois. Nous avons envisagé le calcul à l'échelle d'une zone atelier de plusieurs milliers d'hectares en utilisant une grille spatialisée de relevés de recouvrements. Seul un indice satellite de végétation a présenté une corrélation positive avec la biomasse du sous-bois. * Les relations que nous avons développées permettent d'estimer la biomasse du sous-bois à l'échelle du peuplement. L'analyse spatiale à une échelle plus fine et l'utilisation d'un indice de végétation pourraient être des pistes à explorer.

National audience

One of the components of shade tolerance resides in the ability of saplings to reduce carbon loss by minimising respiratory and by optimising light interception and photosynthesis. Thus it must exist a compromise between the reduction in respiratory losses, increase in photosynthetic activity and development of their assimilatory area. We were interested more particularly in modulation of the cost associated to leaf area renewal (leaves and various structures necessary to their deployment) and we therefore characterized biochemical (construction cost, biochemical composition) and morphological (specific leaf area, biomass allocation) features which explain the interspecific differences and the plasticity of this cost. The study was done in situ on saplings sampled in a large range of light environments making it possible to characterize the interspecific variability and the plasticity of the cost associated to the leaf area renewal. The species selected were contrasted from the point of view of their temperament, their architecture and their foliar morphology: nine species were selected in temperate forest (Moselle) and three in tropical forest (French Guyane). The light microclimate of each seedling was characterized by a numerical hemispherical photograph. The construction cost of each organ was calculated starting from its carbon content, and corroborated by its heat of combustion (microcalorimetry). We observed a large interspecific variability and a large plasticity of the cost associated to the leaf area renewal. These costs do not reflect the temperament of species but their plasticity shows that the most tolerant species are most plastic. This plasticity is more due to morphologicals changes of the specific leaf area than to biochemical changes., En sous-bois, la capacité des juvéniles installés à diminuer les pertes de carbone par respiration et à augmenter l’interception du rayonnement lumineux constitue une composante à part entière de leur aptitude à tolérer l’ombrage. Il doit donc exister un compromis entre la diminution des pertes respiratoires, l’augmentation de l’activité photosynthétique et le maintien de la surface assimilatrice. En s’intéressant plus particulièrement à la modulation du coût associé au déploiement des surfaces assimilatrices (feuilles et différentes structures nécessaires à leur déploiement) nous avons caractérisé les traits biochimiques (coût de construction, composition) et morphologiques (surface spécifique, allocation de biomasse) qui expliquent les différences interspécifiques et la plasticité de ce coût. Ce travail a été réalisé in situ sur des juvéniles installés dans des conditions d’ombrage plus ou moins intense permettant de caractériser la variabilité interspécifique et la plasticité du coût de mise en place de la surface assimilatrice. Les espèces retenues étaient contrastées du point de vue de leur tempérament, de leur architecture et de leur morphologie foliaire: neuf espèces ont été choisies en forêt tempérée (Moselle) et trois en forêt tropicale (Guyane française). Le microclimat lumineux de chaque plant a été caractérisé par une photographie hémisphérique numérique. Le coût de construction de chaque organe a été déterminé à partir de sa teneur en carbone, et corroboré par sa chaleur de combustion (microcalorimétrie). Nous observons une grande variabilité interspécifique et une forte plasticité du coût associé au déploiement de la surface assimilatrice. Ces coûts ne reflètent pas le tempérament des espèces, en revanche, leur plasticité montre que les espèces les plus tolérantes sont les plus plastiques. Cette plasticité est plus due à des modifications morphologiques de la surface spécifique des feuilles qu’à des modifications de leur contenu biochimiques.

National audience

I. An original methodological discussion is proposed on the problem of the typology of tropical rain forest’s plant communities, based on the study of forest types across gradients of continentality and elevation, within Atlantic central Africa. These investigations were based on the statement that the main problems in forest typology are related to the non-zonal or zonal character of the different vegetation types and to non considering the relations and differences between forest strata. II. Field data consisted in phytosociological homogeneous sample plots localized within different recognized phytogeographical entities, in a region of tropical Africa where these entities are known to be well conserved. A total of 37 such plots were inventoried in the region extending from the littoral forests of Ndoté, Equatorial Guinea, which are wet evergreen forests, to the continental forests of the Dja, Cameroon, known as evergreen seasonal forests. The studied region also included the oriental Atlantic forests of Equatorial Guinea, known as moist evergreen forests or caesalp forests. In various parts of this continentality gradient, some plots were localized within climax non-zonal formations, namely the submontane rain forests. The emphasis was put on the vegetation of the Monte Alén National Park. The sampling methodology was willing to be as "complete ", including all strata, "quantitative ", enumerating all individuals, and "representative ", within each stratum, as possible. These multi-layers plots were realised using nested sub-plots, with a sampling size of 100 individuals for every ligneous stratum recognized (dominant trees, dominated trees and shrubs) and a sampling size of 200m² for the herbaceous and suffrutex stratum. Forest types were defined independently for each stratum and the differences were analysed. A method was proposed for the simultaneous analysis of all floristic data, converting and standardizing the values from ligneous strata, on the one hand, and from understorey strata, on the other hand. III. Ten forest types were described using IndVal and discussed in the general context of the guineo-congolian region, from a syntaxonomic view point (agglomerative classification) and from a phytogeographical view point (divisive classification). Homologies between these two approaches are described. The proposed phytogeographical system is based on an "open " conception of hierarchical classifications, combining advantages of agglomerative and divisive classifications. In concrete terms, the non-zonal criteria, for example the submontane variants, are categorised separately and in analogy with the zonal criteria, related to the usual phytochoria. Analysis of ecological relationships for the 10 communities showed that the main variables related to the floristic variability in our mainland rain forests are elevation, rainfall, hygrometry (estimated using bryophytes cover levels) and distance to the ocean. The two extremes on the vertical microclimatic gradient, dominant trees stratum and herbaceous stratum, give similar typologies, however canonical analysis showed that for the herbaceous layer, non-zonal variables (hygrometry and elevation) were gaining more importance when the influence of the two zonal variables was attenuated. In every case, spatial autocorrelation was less important than the environment in explaining floristic variability but its role increased in the spatial arrangement of understorey species, whose dispersal capacity is generally lower than canopy trees. The phytosociological, phytogeographical and ecological description of forest types is accompanied by a physiognomical description using biological types spectrum, as well as architectural models, leaf sizes, etc. With regard to diversity, we have demonstrated that species richness was higher from upper to lower strata because of the accumulation in lower strata of species from various strata. On the other hand, the proper stratum diversity, i.e. the structural set, decreased from dominant trees to shrubs. The proper diversity of the herb layer showed relatively high figures mainly due to the higher individual density in relation to the existence of microstrata. Within the 37 sample plots, 1,050 taxa have been identified to species or morpho-species levels, for a total of 25,750 individuals. These taxa represent 442 genus among 104 families. The richest forest type is found on the foothills of the Niefang range, on the windward side. This forest type is also characterised by a high number of oligotypic genus and by species belonging to functional types indicators of glacial refuges. These functional types are defined on the basis of the dispersal capacity and on kind of stand needed for effective germination. We formulated the hypothesis that this kind of "foothills refuge ", characterised by his zonal nature, could have been one of the rare refuges for species from mainland rain forests, while montane and fluvial refuges would mainly have preserved species from non-zonal forest types: (sub)montane and riverine. Based on indicator species of submontane forests, a potential distribution map of this forest type has been realised at the Atlantic central African scale. More than 400 submontane forest localities have been mapped. These forests begin at 400m of altitude near the ocean, and progressively at higher altitude for increasing distance to the ocean. Many lowland localities also comprised submontane species, which could indicate the existence of ecological transgressions. These transgressions would allow migratory tracks for submontane species between isolated mountain ranges, not only during glacial periods, through heights at the northern and southern borders of the congo basin, but also contemporarily through the lowland riverine forest network, in the centre of this basin. Finally, a special attention has been attributed to littoral forests and to some cases of choroecological transgressions, coupled to the ecological equalization phenomenon., Doctorat en sciences agronomiques et ingénierie biologique, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Changes in understory biomass, forest floor carbon (C) stock and vegetation composition were studied in six age-classes of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) and two age-classes of native birch (Betula pubescens) in Iceland. The ground vegetation was less in the larch during the thicket stage and in the old-growth birch compared to a treeless pasture. Understory biomass was strongly related to canopy gap fraction across forest stands (P, Biomasse et composition de la végétation de sous-bois, et stock de carbone du sol dans une chronoséquence de mélèze de Sibérie et de bouleau pubescent en Islande. Nous avons étudié en Islande les modifications de biomasse, de composition floristique, et de stock de carbone en sous bois dans des peuplements de mélèze de Sibérie correspondant à 6 classes d'âge, et dans des peuplements de bouleau pubescent correspondant à deux classes d'âge. En comparaison avec une pâture non boisée, la végétation au sol était moins développée dans le peuplement de mélèze au stade gaulis et dans celui de bouleau mature. La biomasse au sol était fortement corrélée à la fraction de trouées dans l'ensemble des peuplements (p

I. An original methodological discussion is proposed on the problem of the typology of tropical rain forest’s plant communities, based on the study of forest types across gradients of continentality and elevation, within Atlantic central Africa. These investigations were based on the statement that the main problems in forest typology are related to the non-zonal or zonal character of the different vegetation types and to non considering the relations and differences between forest strata.II. Field data consisted in phytosociological homogeneous sample plots localized within different recognized phytogeographical entities, in a region of tropical Africa where these entities are known to be well conserved. A total of 37 such plots were inventoried in the region extending from the littoral forests of Ndoté, Equatorial Guinea, which are wet evergreen forests, to the continental forests of the Dja, Cameroon, known as evergreen seasonal forests. The studied region also included the oriental Atlantic forests of Equatorial Guinea, known as moist evergreen forests or caesalp forests. In various parts of this continentality gradient, some plots were localized within climax non-zonal formations, namely the submontane rain forests. The emphasis was put on the vegetation of the Monte Alén National Park.The sampling methodology was willing to be as "complete ", including all strata, "quantitative ", enumerating all individuals, and "representative ", within each stratum, as possible. These multi-layers plots were realised using nested sub-plots, with a sampling size of 100 individuals for every ligneous stratum recognized (dominant trees, dominated trees and shrubs) and a sampling size of 200m² for the herbaceous and suffrutex stratum.Forest types were defined independently for each stratum and the differences were analysed. A method was proposed for the simultaneous analysis of all floristic data, converting and standardizing the values from ligneous strata, on the one hand, and from understorey strata, on the other hand.III. Ten forest types were described using IndVal and discussed in the general context of the guineo-congolian region, from a syntaxonomic view point (agglomerative classification) and from a phytogeographical view point (divisive classification). Homologies between these two approaches are described. The proposed phytogeographical system is based on an "open " conception of hierarchical classifications, combining advantages of agglomerative and divisive classifications. In concrete terms, the non-zonal criteria, for example the submontane variants, are categorised separately and in analogy with the zonal criteria, related to the usual phytochoria.Analysis of ecological relationships for the 10 communities showed that the main variables related to the floristic variability in our mainland rain forests are elevation, rainfall, hygrometry (estimated using bryophytes cover levels) and distance to the ocean. The two extremes on the vertical microclimatic gradient, dominant trees stratum and herbaceous stratum, give similar typologies, however canonical analysis showed that for the herbaceous layer, non-zonal variables (hygrometry and elevation) were gaining more importance when the influence of the two zonal variables was attenuated. In every case, spatial autocorrelation was less important than the environment in explaining floristic variability but its role increased in the spatial arrangement of understorey species, whose dispersal capacity is generally lower than canopy trees. The phytosociological, phytogeographical and ecological description of forest types is accompanied by a physiognomical description using biological types spectrum, as well as architectural models, leaf sizes, etc.With regard to diversity, we have demonstrated that species richness was higher from upper to lower strata because of the accumulation in lower strata of species from various strata. On the other hand, the proper stratum diversity, i.e. the structural set, decreased from dominant trees to shrubs. The proper diversity of the herb layer showed relatively high figures mainly due to the higher individual density in relation to the existence of microstrata. Within the 37 sample plots, 1,050 taxa have been identified to species or morpho-species levels, for a total of 25,750 individuals. These taxa represent 442 genus among 104 families. The richest forest type is found on the foothills of the Niefang range, on the windward side. This forest type is also characterised by a high number of oligotypic genus and by species belonging to functional types indicators of glacial refuges. These functional types are defined on the basis of the dispersal capacity and on kind of stand needed for effective germination. We formulated the hypothesis that this kind of "foothills refuge ", characterised by his zonal nature, could have been one of the rare refuges for species from mainland rain forests, while montane and fluvial refuges would mainly have preserved species from non-zonal forest types: (sub)montane and riverine.Based on indicator species of submontane forests, a potential distribution map of this forest type has been realised at the Atlantic central African scale. More than 400 submontane forest localities have been mapped. These forests begin at 400m of altitude near the ocean, and progressively at higher altitude for increasing distance to the ocean. Many lowland localities also comprised submontane species, which could indicate the existence of ecological transgressions. These transgressions would allow migratory tracks for submontane species between isolated mountain ranges, not only during glacial periods, through heights at the northern and southern borders of the congo basin, but also contemporarily through the lowland riverine forest network, in the centre of this basin. Finally, a special attention has been attributed to littoral forests and to some cases of choroecological transgressions, coupled to the ecological equalization phenomenon., Doctorat en sciences agronomiques et ingénierie biologique, info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Thèse soutenue le 26 février 2004 N° d'ordre : 2932 Co-directeurs de thèse : Forgeard, F. Maître de Conférence - Université de Rennes I Nys, C. Directeur de recherches - INRA de Nancy. [Unité Biogéochimie des Ecosystèmes Forestiers] Bibliog. : 293-307 Annexes : 311-370 Diffusion du document : totale Diplôme : other; Dans le contexte de la menace de l'élévation de la teneur en CO2 atmosphérique, quelle est la capacité de stockage de carbone de la hêtraie de plaine acidophile de l'Ouest de l'Europe ? La démarche consiste à travailler à l'échelle du peuplement, en compartimentant les stocks et les flux de carbone, et en suivant leurs évolutions au cours de la révolution forestière, à l'aide de l'outil chronoséquentiel. La biomasse arborescente est le déterminant majeur de la capacité de stockage. Les pertes de carbone sont principalement dues aux exportations de bois et à la respiration de l'écosystème. Le rôle du sous-bois semble non négligeable. Le peuplement de hêtres est un puits croissant de carbone dont la capacité de stockage s'amoindrit en vieillissant. Les pratiques sylvicoles et les tempêtes altèrent cette fonction. La capacité de stockage de la hêtraie est donc fonction de l'âge moyen des peuplements. Cette fonction puits peut être améliorée par la modélisation de la gestion sylvicole.

Many studies of canopy arthropods in rainforests rely on methods that do not permit comparison of day and night activities of the target fauna: accordingly, data on arthropod diet activity are scarce. Nevertheless, such information as is available suggests significant dissimilarities during the course of the day and a greater activity of insect herbivores during the day than at night. We studied faunal exchanges, particularly of insect herbivores, between day and night, and between the upper canopy and understorey of a lowland rainforest in Gabon. In total 14 161 arthropods were collected by beating, flight interception and sticky traps from six canopy sites during mid January to mid-March 1999. Diel activity explained about 6 - 9% of the total variance in arthropod distribution, depending on the sampling method. In general, arthropod activity was higher during the day than at night. In particular, Thysanoptera, Psylloidea, Membracidae, Curculionidae, Scelionidae and Apidae were notably more active during the day in the upper canopy. Similarity values between day and night faunas from particular strata were often higher than between faunas of the understorey and the upper canopy at a particular time of day. This suggests that there are fairly distinct suites of herbivores foraging in the understorey and in the upper canopy. Faunal turnover between day and night was higher in the upper canopy than in the understorey, suggesting that changes in the micro-climatic conditions between day and night in the upper canopy may be more severe than in the understorey, and that only a well-adapted fauna may be able to cope with these changes. In addition, certain groups, such as the Chrysomelidae, may migrate during the night from the understorey to the upper canopy, although there was no evidence of such mass insect movement overall. Our data suggest that insect herbivores of the upper canopy may be resident and well adapted to environmental conditions there.

Descreve-se a estratégia fenomorfológica da Cistus salvifolius presente em pinhal na região de Leiria e no Alentejo em montado de sobro (Cabeção e Odemira). Analisa-se o desenvolvimento do ciclo biológico em função da evolução climática. We describe the phenomorphological strategy of Cistus salvifoliusfound in pine woods of the Leiria region and in cork oak woodlands of Alentejo (Cabeção and Odemira north and Odemira south). An analysis is made of the evolution of the biological cycle as a function of climatic changes. La stratégie phénomorfologique de C. salvifolius peut être observée dans les forêts de pin de Leiria et de l'Alentejo (Cabeção et Odemira nord et sud). On analyse l'évolution du cycle biologique en fonction des changements climatiques.

A study of the formation of epicormic branches on suppressed beech trees revealed developmental sequences that had not hitherto been studied in depth. By combining architectural analysis and anatomy, it was possible to trace the history of the plant and thus fully understand the ontogenesis of the individuals studied. The main sequences observed were: (1) the formation of moribund trees that were gradually covered in epicormic branches from the base of the stem to the crown following gradual forest closure; (2) the formation of this new crown of epicormic branches was combined with a very sharp reduction in stem cambial activity (partial rings, if any) and modifications to the ligneous sections; and (3) resumed girth increment following the establishment of epicormic branches. After describing in detail the methods and individual variation, we highlight the spatial and temporal patterns of the phenomena observed. Lastly, we put forward functional hypotheses with a view to setting these results against a background of forest tree ontogenesis in general.