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Les voyageurs et leurs animaux : le lien au vivant comme mode de vie
No full textInternational audienceBased on an ethnographic survey carried out in the Occitanie region, this article explores the different facets of the relationship with animals observed among gypsy and traveler populations. Initially known and identified by their ability to show animals, these families have also lived through their relationship with horses and the work of breeding, training and selling or even slaughtering equines. Motorization has squeezed out these skills, which were highly valued until the 1980s, but have gradually declined. The aim of this article is to show how the relationship with animals continues to survive in these families, through both declared and undeclared agricultural activities, which provide them with pleasure and enhance the value of their way of life.À partir d’une enquête ethnographique menée dans la région Occitanie, l’article explore les différentes facettes de la relation à l’animal observées chez les populations gitanes et voyageuses. D’abord connues et identifiées par leurs capacités d’exhibition des animaux, ces familles ont aussi vécu à travers la relation aux chevaux et le travail d’élevage, de dressage et de vente ou même d’abattage des équidés. La motorisation a évincé ces compétences qui étaient fortement valorisées jusque dans les années 1980 puis qui ont progressivement péréclité. Cet article vise à montrer les survivances de la relation à l’animal qui se perpétuent dans ces familles à travers des activités agricoles déclarées ou non, qui leur procurent du plaisir et valorisent leur mode de vie
From organism traits to ecosystem processes: why size is so important
No full textInternational audienceUnderstanding the relationships between organism traits and ecosystem processes is crucial for advancing ecological theory and predicting ecosystem responses to environmental change. Fundamental biological functions—metabolism, growth, reproduction—scale predictably with organism size across diverse taxa. Moreover, scaling relationships are pervasive across organizational levels, governing population density, competitive interactions, and trophic food webs. This review synthesizes theoretical and empirical evidence linking organism size to ecosystem processes, highlighting the significance of allometric scaling laws, including the metabolic scaling theory and the energy equivalence rule. It discusses deviations from these predictions due to environmental heterogeneity, biotic interactions, and evolutionary dynamics. By exploring the role of size in modulating functional traits and ecosystem-level outcomes, we emphasize the need for integrated approaches to refine predictive models. This review underscores the centrality of size as a key driver of ecological processes and its implications for biodiversity conservation
Short alternating light/dark periods priming improves tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) tolerance to clomazone herbicide: growth, chlorophyll a fluorescence transient and photosynthesis rate
No full textInternational audienceNicotiana tabacum L. cv. Virginie vk51 seedlings at the three-leaf stage were grown in a hydroponic culture system. Those seedlings were subjected to a photoperiod priming treatment with alternating light/dark periods (AL) (16 min light/8 min dark cycles and a photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 50 μmol photons m−2 s−1) for 3 days. After 2 weeks, the plantlets were transferred to two soil types with 0 (control) or 100 µM clomazone. Compared with the non-primed plants, the AL-primed plants exhibited greater clomazone tolerance with respect to all of the growth parameters and during all of the growth stages. This AL priming effect was demonstrated by increases in plant leaf area and dry and fresh plant weights, which might have been related to increases in the CO2 assimilation rate (Pn and Pmax). Furthermore, the reduced photon absorption (ABS/RC) and heat dissipation (DI0/RC) rates as well as the observed increase in photosystem II (PSII) efficiency (the maximum quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching (qP), actual PSII efficiency (ФPSII)) and electron transport (the light-saturated electron transport rate (ETR) and electron flux beyond the first quinone electron acceptor of PSII (QA) evaluated as (1–VJ)) provide strong evidence of a higher tolerance to clomazone. Collectively, these results suggest that AL priming treatment could potentially improve the protection or production of other transplanted species
Comprendre la filière de la viande de cheval en France [Podcast]
No full textQuelles sont les attentes des cavaliers non-propriétaires pratiquant en centre équestre ? Comment mieux y répondre et faciliter leur fidélisation ?Ce podcast présente tout d’abord le parcours type d’un cavalier, abordant les motifs initiaux du choix pour l’équitation mais aussi pour un établissement, les motifs pour y rester ou pour en changer, et les raisons d’arrêt de l’équitation.Des profils de fidélité différenciant les cavaliers sont proposés, ainsi que des leviers d’actions qui peuvent être mis en place pour mieux fidéliser la clientèle, à travers la construction d’une offre et d’une communication adaptées, le rôle central de l’enseignant, de la cavalerie, des infrastructures et de l’accueil… Il est enfin souligné comme essentiel de se positionner sur son segment, en prenant en compte les demandes de sa clientèle cible pour adapter son offre.Entretien réalisé dans le cadres de : Parlons cheval - Le podcast de l'Institut français du cheval et de l'équitation
Root mixing effects on belowground decomposition depend on mycorrhizal type
No full textInternational audienceWhile there has been significant progress in understanding how species mixing affects leaf litter decomposition, the consequences for belowground root decomposition remains less known. This represents a critical knowledge gap, as roots are key contributors to soil carbon input. Here, we experimentally assess absorptive root decomposition in 138 paired-species combinations from 57 tree species, revealing significant non-additive mixing effects in 70% of all root combinations, with the majority of them decomposing faster than predicted from single species. Notably, non-additive effects occur only in mixtures containing at least one ectomycorrhizal species, with no net mixture effects in combinations of two arbuscular mycorrhizal species. We further find that these root mixing effects are associated with dissimilarities in condensed tannins across all mycorrhizal types and with nitrogen concentration when only ectomycorrhizal species are present. Overall, these root mixing effects are three times stronger than those documented for leaf litter decomposition in past studies. Collectively, our findings suggest that tree species mixing effects on decomposition are particularly robust belowground, especially in forests with ectomycorrhizal species of contrasting root chemistry. Absorptive root decomposition may have an essential role in how tree species mixing affects soil carbon and nutrient dynamics
Stabilization of macroscopic dynamics by fine-grained disorder in many-species ecosystems
No full textInternational audienceModels for complex, heterogeneous systems such as ecological communities vary in the level of organization they describe. When the dynamics at the species level is unknown, one typically resorts to heuristic "macroscopic" models that capture relationships among a few degrees of freedom, e.g., groups of similar species, and commonly display out-of-equilibrium dynamics. These models, however, exactly reflect the species-level "microscopic" dynamics only when microscopic heterogeneity can be neglected. Here, we address the robustness of such macroscopic descriptions to the addition of disordered microscopic interactions. While disorder is known to destabilize equilibria at the microscopic level, leading to asynchronous (typically chaotic) fluctuations, we show that it can also stabilize synchronous species fluctuations driven by macroscopic structure. We analytically find the conditions for the existence of heterogeneity-stabilized equilibria and relate their stability to a mismatch in the time scales of individual species. This may shed light on the empirical observation that many-species ecosystems often appear stable despite highly diverse and potentially destabilizing interactions between species and functional groups
Dimethyl sulfide transfers through closure during accelerated model wine ageing: proof-of-concept & prospects
No full textInternational audienceDimethyl sulfide (DMS) is a volatile sulfur compound that plays a complex role in wine aroma, contributing both positive and negative sensory attributes depending on its concentration. While DMS is known to accumulate during bottle aging through the degradation of precursors such as S-methylmethionine (SMM), this study presents the first evidence that DMS can also be lost through wine closures via a permeation mechanism.In practice, the permeation of DMS through closures was demonstrated using model wines spiked with DMS and aged under accelerated conditions at 35 °C. As DMS was detected only in the ®Tenax tubes placed above bottles containing the spiked model wines, we formally proved that DMS can permeate closures under these conditions and may account for 12 % of initial DMS. In Syrah wines, DMS concentrations increased during bottle aging due to the breakdown of SMM. However, wines sealed with more permeable closures exhibited lower DMS levels compared to those sealed with low-permeability closures, supporting findings from the model wine studies. This previously unreported phenomenon of permeation underscores the significant influence of closure permeability on the aromatic evolution of aged wines
Plant domestication reduced the net biodiversity effects on leaf litter decomposition in herbaceous crops
No full textInternational audienceLitter nitrogen (N) release during decomposition crucially influences ecosystem N cycling and the amount of N available to plants and other soil organisms. However, the role of initial litter traits in affecting patterns of temporal N release from litters and determining the fate of N in the soil is still poorly understood. Here, we measured litter N release during the 12‐month decomposition of 15 N‐labelled leaf and root litters of 12 common Mediterranean herbaceous species. We further traced the fate of N during decomposition of the litters into the soil and measured the inorganic N content in the soil solution as well as total N in the particulate (POM) and mineral‐associated organic matter (MAOM) fractions at the end of the incubation. While most litters exhibited a very rapid initial N release, they were also quite variable in their N dynamics. As such they differed in the quantity and temporal patterns of N release, the accumulation of inorganic N in the soil solution, as well as in the incorporation of N in stable soil organic matter (SOM) fractions during decomposition. This variability was driven by differences in initial litter chemistry, particularly N, but also P and Mn, and litter C leachate concentrations. These and other traits (including water‐soluble compounds and lignin concentrations) explained up to 81% of the variance in N release rate, 48% for N accumulation in the soil solution, 57% for N entering the soil POM and 55% for MAOM fraction. Synthesis . We identified litter traits and litter types (root versus leaf) with afterlife effects on N cycling in soils and important implications for ecosystem functioning. Highly decomposable litters (typically high N; including most leaf litters) generally support a fast N release through mineralization, thereby the immediate supply of N to plants, but also potentially higher losses from the system, and long‐term storage as MAOM‐N, likely within microbial resynthesis products. In contrast, poorly decomposable litters (typically low N; including most root litters) promote longer and weaker N release and foster N retention via lower N losses and increased POM‐N formation
Avis du conseil scientifique du comité de bassin Seine-Normandie sur les gestions alternatives des urines et matières fécales humaines.Un potentiel d’amélioration conjointe de la gestion de l’eau et de la souveraineté alimentaire
No full textCet avis vise à remettre en débat le mode de gestion des excrétats humains (urines et matières fécales) vers des alternatives davantage sobres et circulaires, présentant des bénéfices potentiels sur les plans hydriques, environnementaux, sanitaires, économiques et de souveraineté alimentaire. Depuis plusieurs décennies, le tout-à-l’égout est le mode dominant de gestion des excrétats humains dans les villes occidentales, ce qui tend à le faire considérer comme naturel. Pourtant, les limites de ce mode de gestion, majoritairement linéaire, présentent de forts enjeux en termes de soutenabilité et de résilience. Les nombreuses alternatives à ce mode de gestion, communément nommées « séparation à la source des excrétats humains », tendent à se développer depuis dix ans sur le bassin Seine Normandie, au point que ce bassin est désormais devenu une référence mondiale en matière de séparation à la source des excrétats humains (Binz, 2024). Les filières professionnelles de gestion alternative pour une valorisation agricole sont actuellement en émergence. Il y a un intérêt stratégique à favoriser le développement de ces filières, ce qui nécessite le soutien de la puissance publique et la coordination des acteurs. À court terme, de très nombreuses opportunités « sans regret » sont à saisir. À long terme, le déploiement de la séparation à la source doit être pensé en articulation avec la remise en cause plus générale du paradigme actuel de gestion de l’eau et de l’alimentation, incompatible avec le respect des limites planétaires et les adaptations nécessaires aux changements climatiques et géopolitique
Recommendations for the Adoption of Persistent Identifiers in Higher Education and Research in France
No full textThe current research landscape produces an increasing volume of publications, data and, more broadly, diverse scientific results and objects (digital and/or physical). In this context, the ability to uniquely and reliably identify different elements of the scientific ecosystem - researchers, publications, datasets, software, etc. - across multiple information systems has become a central challenge for structuring and enhancing scientific activity, particularly to enable traceability of scientific objects.Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) address this challenge. These are unique and permanent digital or alphanumeric codes that are readable by both humans and machines. Unlike URLs, which can change or become obsolete, PIDs are designed to provide lasting references, ensuring stable access to an entity (digital or otherwise). They enable identification, discovery, traceability, and standardized citation throughout the research lifecycle.The use of PIDs directly supports the implementation of FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) by making digital objects more easily discoverable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. Furthermore, they promote automation of data exchange between information systems, contributing to administrative simplification through a logic of reuse and non-duplication of information ("tell us once" principle). As such, PIDs are essential for ensuring sustainability, consistency, and interoperability of data in digital environments for higher education and research.Recognition of PIDs as structural instruments of open science is part of an international movement. Several initiatives converge in this direction, notably the Canadian federal government's roadmap for open science , guidelines from the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the United States , and the PID policy developed within the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) framework . The United Kingdom and Australia have measured the benefits of adopting PIDs in terms of the number of days of administrative work saved for researchers . These countries, as well as Finland, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, South Korea and New Zealand, have implemented policies or roadmaps in this area to improve the quality and efficiency of research . The G7 Research Compact (2021) also commits member countries to strengthening the availability, sustainability, interoperability, and accessibility of scientific data, technologies, and infrastructures . Finally, PIDs are explicitly mentioned in UNESCO recommendations on open science as fundamental elements for open, reliable, and sustainable research governance .This document is part of the work launched in 2024 by the MESR on the roadmap “Data for simplification and research management”, whose guiding principles aim to ensure the circulation and interoperability of data while respecting the autonomy of institutions.The roadmap is based on an action plan developed collectively by stakeholders and follows the principle of “tell us once”, reflecting the commitment to reduce the administrative burden on research teams. It relies on a set of qualified data to be shared across information systems, according to common quality standards and principles, under a framework of collective governance.The objectives are to strengthen interoperability between systems, consolidate and improve the reliability of shared data, enhance coordination between supervisory bodies, and reduce repeated data collections and surveys.In this context, persistent identifiers play a key role in ensuring the interoperability of data across heterogeneous higher education and research systems, by guaranteeing the traceability, reliability, and reusability of information