|
|
Abgrall, C., Chauvat, M., Langlois, E., Hedde, M., Mouillot, D., Salmon, S., et al. (2017). Shifts and linkages of functional diversity between above- and below-ground compartments along a flooding gradient. Funct. Ecol., 31(2), 350–360.
Résumé: 1. Trait-based approaches have the potential to reveal general and predictive relationships between organisms and ecosystem functioning. However, the mechanisms underlying the functional structure of communities are still unclear. Within terrestrial ecosystems, several studies have shown that many ecological processes are controlled by the interacting above-and belowground compartments. However, few studies have used traits to reveal the functional relationships between plants and soil fauna. Mostly, research combining plants and soil fauna solely used the traits of one assemblage in predictive studies. 2. Above-ground (plants) and below-ground (Collembola) compartments were sampled over a flooding gradient in northern France along the Seine River. First, we measured the effect of flooding on functional and taxonomic assembly within both communities. We then considered the linkages between plant and Collembolan species richness, community traits and assessed whether traits of both compartments converged at high flooding intensity (abiotic filtering) and diverged when this constraint is released (biotic filtering). 3. Species richness of both taxa followed the same bell-shaped pattern along the gradient, while a similar significant pattern of functional richness was only observed for plants. Further analyses revealed a progressive shift from trait convergence to divergence for plants, but not for Collembola, as constraints intensity decreased. Instead, our results highlighted that Collembola traits were mainly linked to the variations in plant traits. This leads, within Collembola assemblages, to convergence of a subset of perception and habitat-related traits for which the relationship with plant traits was assessed. 4. Synthesis. Using a trait-based approach, our study highlighted that functional relationships occur between above-and below-ground compartments. We underlined that functional composition of plant communities plays a key role in structuring Collembola assemblages in addition to the role of abiotic variables. Our study clearly shows that functional diversity provides a new approach to link the above-and below-ground compartments and might, therefore, be further considered when studying ecological processes at the interface between both compartments.
|
|
|
|
Annasawmy, P., Ternon, J. - F., Cotel, P., Cherel, Y., Romanov, E., Roudaut, G., et al. (2019). Micronekton distributions and assemblages at two shallow seamounts of the south-western Indian Ocean: Insights from acoustics and mesopelagic trawl data. Prog. Oceanogr., 178, 102161.
Résumé: Micronekton distributions and assemblages were investigated at two shallow seamounts of the south-western Indian Ocean using a combination of trawl data and a multi-frequency acoustic visualisation technique. La Pa rouse seamount (summit depth similar to 60 m) is located on the outskirts of the oligotrophic Indian South Subtropical Gyre (ISSG) province with weak mesoscale activities and low primary productivity all year round. The “MAD-Ridge” seamount (thus termed in this study; similar to 240 m) is located in the productive East African Coastal (EAFR) province with high mesoscale activities to the south of Madagascar. Higher micronekton species richness was recorded at MAD-Ridge compared to La Perouse. Resulting productivity at MAD-Ridge seamount was likely due to the action of mesoscale eddies advecting productivity and larvae from the Madagascar shelf rather than local dynamic processes such as Taylor column formation. Mean micronekton abundance/biomass, as estimated from mesopelagic trawl catches, were lower over the summit compared to the vicinity of the seamounts, due to net selectivity and catchability and depth gradient on micronekton assemblages. Mean acoustic densities in the night shallow scattering layer (SSL: 10-200 m) over the summit were not significantly different compared to the vicinity (within 14 nautical miles) of MAD-Ridge. At La Perouse and MAD-Ridge, the night and day SSL were dominated by common diel vertically migrant and non-migrant micronekton species respectively. While seamount-associated mesopelagic fishes such as Diaphus suborbitalis (La Perouse and MAD-Ridge) and Benthosema fibula= performed diel vertical migrations (DVM) along the seamounts' flanks, seamount-resident benthopelagic fishes, including Cookeolus japonicus (MAD-Ridge), were aggregated over MAD-Ridge summit. Before sunrise, mid-water migrants initiated their vertical migration from the intermediate to the deep scattering layer (DSL, La Perouse: 500-650 m; MAD-Ridge: 400-700 m) or deeper. During sunrise, the other taxa contributing to the night SSL exhibited a series of vertical migration events from the surface to the DSL or deeper until all migrants have reached the DSL before daytime. Possible mechanisms leading to the observed patterns in micronekton vertical and horizontal distributions are discussed. This study contributes to a better understanding of how seamounts influence the DVM, horizontal distribution and community composition of micronekton and seamount-associated/resident species at two poorly studied shallow topographic features in the south-western Indian Ocean.
|
|
|
|
Arnaud-Haond, S., Aires, T., Candeias, R., Teixeira, S. J. L., Duarte, C. M., Valero, M., et al. (2017). Entangled fates of holobiont genomes during invasion: nested bacterial and host diversities in Caulerpa taxifolia. Mol. Ecol., 26(8), 2379–2391.
Résumé: Successful prevention and mitigation of biological invasions requires retracing the initial steps of introduction, as well as understanding key elements enhancing the adaptability of invasive species. We studied the genetic diversity of the green alga Caulerpa taxifolia and its associated bacterial communities in several areas around the world. The striking congruence of alpha and beta diversity of the algal genome and endophytic communities reveals a tight association, supporting the holobiont concept as best describing the unit of spreading and invasion. Both genomic compartments support the hypotheses of a unique accidental introduction in the Mediterranean and of multiple invasion events in southern Australia. In addition to helping with tracing the origin of invasion, bacterial communities exhibit metabolic functions that can potentially enhance adaptability and competitiveness of the consortium they form with their host. We thus hypothesize that low genetic diversities of both host and symbiont communities may contribute to the recent regression in the Mediterranean, in contrast with the persistence of highly diverse assemblages in southern Australia. This study supports the importance of scaling up from the host to the holobiont for a comprehensive understanding of invasions.
|
|
|
|
Aubin, J., Fontaine, C., Callier, M., & Roque d'orbcastel, E. (2018). Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) bouchot culture in Mont-St Michel Bay: potential mitigation effects on climate change and eutrophication. Int. J. Life Cycle Assess., 23(5), 1030–1041.
Résumé: Bivalve production is an important aquaculture activity worldwide, but few environmental assessments have focused on it. In particular, bivalves' ability to extract nutrients from the environment by intensely filtering water and producing a shell must be considered in the environmental assessment. LCA of blue mussel bouchot culture (grown out on wood pilings) in Mont Saint-Michel Bay (France) was performed to identify its impact hotspots. The chemical composition of mussel flesh and shell was analyzed to accurately identify potential positive effects on eutrophication and climate change. The fate of mussel shells after consumption was also considered. Its potential as a carbon-sink is influenced by assumptions made about the carbon sequestration in wooden bouchots and in the mussel shell. The fate of the shells which depends on management of discarded mussels and household waste plays also an important role. Its carbon-sink potential barely compensates the climate change impact induced by the use of fuel used for on-site transportation. The export of N and P in mussel flesh slightly decreases potential eutrophication. Environmental impacts of blue mussel culture are determined by the location of production and mussel yields, which are influenced by marine currents and the distance to on-shore technical base. Bouchot mussel culture has low environmental impacts compared to livestock systems, but the overall environmental performances depend on farming practices and the amount of fuel used. Changes to the surrounding ecosystem induced by high mussel density must be considered in future LCA studies.
|
|
|
|
Baidai, Y., Dagorn, L., Amande, M. J., Gaertner, D., & Capello, M. (2020). Machine learning for characterizing tropical tuna aggregations under Drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (DFADs) from commercial echosounder buoys data. Fish Res., 229, 105613.
Résumé: The use of echosounder buoys deployed in conjunction with Drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (DFADs) has progressively increased in the tropical tuna purse seine fishery since 2010 as a means of improving fishing efficiency. Given the broad distribution of DFADs, the acoustic data provided by echosounder buoys can provide an alternative to the conventional CPUE index for deriving trends on tropical tuna stocks. This study aims to derive reliable indices of presence of tunas (and abundance) using echosounder buoy data. A novel methodology is presented which utilizes random forest classification to translate the acoustic backscatter from the buoys into metrics of tuna presence and abundance. Training datasets were constructed by cross-referencing acoustic data with logbook and observer data which reported activities on DFADs (tuna catches, new deployments and visits of DFADs) in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans from 2013 to 2018. The analysis showed accuracies of 75 and 85 % for the recognition of the presence/absence of tuna aggregations under DFADs in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, respectively. The acoustic data recorded at ocean-specific depths (6-45m in the Atlantic and 30-150m in the Indian Ocean) and periods (4 a.m.-4 p.m.) were identified by the algorithm as the most important explanatory variables for detecting the presence of tuna. The classification of size categories of tuna aggregations showed a global accuracy of nearly 50 % for both oceans. This study constitutes a milestone towards the use of echosounder buoys data for scientific purposes, including the development of promising fisheries-independent indices of abundance for tropical tunas.
|
|
