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Evolution Impacts Environment: Fundamental Shift in How Biologists Perceive Relationship Between Evolution and Ecology Biologists have known for long that ecology, the interaction between organisms and their environment, plays a significant role in forming new species and in modifying living ones. The traditional view is that ecology shapes evolution. The environment defines a template and the process of evolution by natural selection shapes organisms to fit that template.
Thirty-Eight Percent of World's Surface in Danger of Desertification Researchers have measured the degradation of the planet's soil using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a scientific methodology that analyses the environmental impact of human activities, and which now for the first time includes indicators on desertification. The results show that 38 percent of the world is made up of arid regions at risk of desertification.
Almond Tree's Secret Weapon Has the almond tree developed a unique way of drawing potential pollinators? A group of researchers at the Department of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology and the Department of Science Education at the University of Haifa-Oranim speculate that the toxin called amygdalin that is found in almond tree nectar is in fact an evolutionary development intended to give that tree an advantage over others in its surroundings.
Environmental Disaster in Southern Spain Compared With Cretaceous Mass Extinction Researchers from the University of Granada (UGR) have compared the disaster caused by the Aznalcóllar spillage in the Doñana National Park in Andalusia 11 years ago with the biggest species extinction known to date. What do these two disasters have in common?		First Discovery of the Female Sex Hormone Progesterone in a Plant In a finding that overturns conventional wisdom, scientists are reporting the first discovery of the female sex hormone progesterone in a plant. Until now, scientists thought that only animals could make progesterone. A steroid hormone secreted by the ovaries, progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy and maintains pregnancy. A synthetic version, progestin, is used in birth control pills and other medications.
World Wetlands Day Focuses on Climate Change World Wetlands Day 2010: 'Wetlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change' stresses the fact that caring for wetlands is a part of the solution to climate change with the slogan: 'Caring for wetlands -- an answer to climate change Wetlands are vulnerable to human-induced climate change but, if managed well, they also play a role in its mitigation. These habitats will also be important in helping humans to adapt to climate change through their critical role in ensuring water and food security.
The Secret Life of Smoke in Fostering Rebirth and Renewal of Burned Landscape The innermost secrets of fire's role in the rebirth and renewal of forests and grasslands are being revealed in research that has identified plant growth promoters and inhibitors in smoke. In the latest discovery about smoke's secret life, an international team of scientists are reporting discovery of a plant growth inhibitor in smoke.
Ecologists discover forests are growing faster Speed is not a word typically associated with trees; they can take centuries to grow. However, a new study to be published the week of Feb. 1 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has found evidence that forests in the Eastern United States are growing faster than they have in the past 225 years. The study offers a rare look at how an ecosystem is responding to climate change.			Plantations Can Provide the Same Ecosystem Services as Natural Forests Not all plantations need to be the biological deserts that have come to characterize large-scale, industrial plantations. According to scientists in a paper out in February's issue of the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, well-planned plantations can actually alleviate some of the social, economic and ecological burden currently being placed on natural forests.
Ecoregion Prioritization Suggests an Armoury Not a Silver Bullet for Conservation Planning In the face of accelerating species extinctions, map-based prioritization systems are increasingly useful to decide where to pursue conservation action most effectively. However, a number of seemingly inconsistent schemes have emerged, mostly focussing on endemism
Last Neanderthals in Europe Died out 37,000 Years Ago The paper, by Professor João Zilhão and colleagues, builds on his earlier research which proposed that, south of the Cantabro-Pyrenean mountain chain, Neanderthals survived for several millennia after being replaced or assimilated by anatomically modern humans everywhere else in Europe.		Cave Reveals Southwest's Abrupt Climate Swings During Ice Age Ice Age climate records from an Arizona stalagmite link the Southwest's winter precipitation to temperatures in the North Atlantic, according to new research. The finding is the first to document that the abrupt changes in Ice Age climate known from Greenland also occurred in the southwestern U.S., said co-author Julia E. Cole of the University of Arizona in Tucson
How Organisms Can Tolerate Mutations, Yet Adapt to Environmental Change Biologists at the University of Pennsylvania studying the processes of evolution appear to have resolved a longstanding conundrum: How can organisms be robust against the effects of mutations yet simultaneously adaptable when the environment changes? The short answer, according to University of Pennsylvania biologist Joshua B. Plotkin, is that these two requirements are often not contradictory and that an optimal level of robustness maintains the phenotype in one environment but also allows adaptation to environmental change.						Budget des Universités 2010
Des fleurs vont être plantées le long des routes de France pour les abeilles Des fleurs vont être plantées le long de certaines routes de France pour venir en aide aux abeilles butineuses en mal de pollen et décimées par les maladies, une initiative lancée par le gouvernement qui pourrait être étendue à terme à l'ensemble du réseau routier national. Au printemps 2010, des espèces végétales mellifères vont ainsi être semées sur plus de 250 kilomètres d'accotements routiers afin d'offrir aux abeilles de nouvelles ressources florales pour leur alimentation", ont expliqué mardi Dominique Bussereau, secrétaire d'Etat aux Transports, et Chantal Jouanno, secrétaire d'Etat à l'Ecologie.			Les glaciers fondent en Alaska, mais moins vite que prévu Des glaciologues du Laboratoire d'Etudes en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales (LEGOS) (CNRS/CNES/IRD/Université Toulouse 3) et leurs collègues canadiens (1) montrent que les pertes de masse des glaciers d'Alaska depuis 40 ans ont été largement surestimées, remettant en cause des résultats publiés en 2002. Des données récentes issues des satellites SPOT 5 et ASTER ont permis aux chercheurs de cartographier presque intégralement les pertes d'épaisseur de ces glaciers qui ont contribué à hauteur de 0.12 mm/an à la hausse du niveau de la mer entre 1962 et 2006 et non pas 0.17 mm/an comme avancé précédemment.
Sunflower Genome Holds the Promise of Sustainable Agriculture The sunflower family includes a number of valuable food crops, with sunflower seed production alone valued at about $14 billion annually. Yet the sunflower family is the only one of a handful of economically important plant families where a reference genome is not available to enable the breeding of crops better suited to their growing environment or consumers tastes.
Stable Climate and Plant Domestication Linked Sustainable farming and the introduction of new crops relies on a relatively stable climate, not dramatic conditions attributable to climate change. Basing their argument on evolutionary, ecological, genetic and agronomic considerations, Dr. Shahal Abbo, from the Levi Eshkol School of Agriculture at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and colleagues, demonstrate why climate change is not the likely cause of plant domestication in the Near East.
Muséum: Lancement du nouveau site Internet de l'inventaire national du Patrimoine naturel A l'occasion de l'Année Internationale de la Biodiversité, le Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle et le CNRS ouvrent une version rénovée du site internent de l'Inventaire national du patrimoine naturel, outil indispensable dédié à la connaissance de la biodiversité en France métropolitaine et dans les départements et territoires d'outre-mer. Cette nouvelle version, plus ergonomique et plus complète, présente les données compilées des nombreuses bases de données naturalistes conservées au Muséum national et fait le lien avec les statuts de protection des espèces. Site INPN
Genome of Woodland Strawberry, a Model System for Rosaceae Plants, Sequenced Fragaria vesca, commonly known as the woodland or alpine strawberry, is a member of the Rosaceae family, which consists of more than 100 genera and 3,000 species. This large family includes many economically important and popular fruit, nut, ornamental and woody crops, such as almond, apple, peach, cherry, raspberry, strawberry and rose.				Biologists Merge Methods, Results from Different Disciplines to Find New Meaning in Old Data A growing number of scientists are merging methods and results from different disciplines to extract new meaning from old data, says a team of researchers in a recent issue of Evolution.
ARTE à fond sur l'écologie Global mag est de retour à partir du lundi 11 janvier à 19h30, et en version quotidienne ! Voici un aperçu du Global mag mouture 2010			Biodiversity loss is 'wake-up call', warns UN The Secretary-General is expected to argue that the failure to protect biodiversity "should be a wake-up call", leading to effective ways of protecting forests, watersheds, coral reefs and other ecosystems
Can a drop of water cause sunburn or fire? To the gardening world it may have always been considered a fact, but science has never proved the widely held belief that watering your garden in the midday sun can lead to burnt plants. Now a study into sunlit water droplets, published in New Phytologist, provides an answer that not only reverberates across gardens and allotments, but may have implications for forest fires and human sunburn.				A new species of lichen discovered in the Iberian Peninsula Spanish scientists have described the lichen Phylloblastia fortuita, new to the Iberian Peninsula and to science. Another species from the same family, Phylloblastia dispersa, is also a new entry for Europe and is the first time it has been found outside the tropics.
How Plants 'Feel' the Temperature Rise Plants are incredibly temperature sensitive and can perceive changes of as little as one degree Celsius. Now, a report in the January 8th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, shows how they not only 'feel' the temperature rise, but also coordinate an appropriate response -- activating hundreds of genes and deactivating others; it turns out it's all about the way that their DNA is packaged.
Warmer Climate Could Stifle Carbon Uptake by Trees, Study Finds Our findings contradict studies of other ecosystems that conclude longer growing seasons actually increase plant carbon uptake," said Jia Hu, who conducted the research as a graduate student in CU-Boulder's ecology and evolutionary biology department in conjunction with the university's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, or CIRES.					Scientists Map Speed of Climate Change for Different Ecosystems
Evolution Experiments With Flowers Evolution uses every chance it gets to try something new. Dutch researcher Anneke Rijpkema investigated how petunia flowers are formed and discovered that nature is even more varied than the naked eye can spot. The genes involved in flower formation can function differently in different species. Evolution has discovered a system that works, but within that system it continues to innovate. Up until now, research into the regulation of flower formation focused mostly on two model species: Arabidopsis and Anthirrhinum. Yet according to Rijpkema that is not enough to gain a complete picture.
Phragmites Partners With Microbes to Plot Native Plants' Demise The invasive strain, which hails from Eurasia, overtakes its "native" cousin, which has lived in North America for the past 10,000 years, ironically by provoking the native plant to "take itself out," through a combination of microbial and enzymatic activity in the soil.
Europe's Flora Is Becoming Impoverished With increasing species richness, due to more plant introductions than extinctions, plant communities of many European regions are becoming more homogeneous. The same species are occurring more frequently, whereas rare species are becoming extinct.			The Past Matters to Plants It's commonly known that plants interact with each other on an everyday basis: they shade each other out or take up nutrients from the soil before neighboring plants can get them. Now, researchers at the University of Michigan have learned that plants also respond to the past.
Microorganisms Cited as Missing Factor in Climate Change Equation The research, publishing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, incorporates into global computer models the significant impact an enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, has on the chemical form of carbon dioxide released from the soil and reduces uncertainties in estimates of CO2 taken up and released in terrestrial ecosystems.
Valley in Jordan Inhabited and Irrigated for 13,000 Years You can make major discoveries by walking across a field and picking up every loose item you find. Dutch researcher Eva Kaptijn succeeded in discovering -- based on 100,000 finds -- that the Zerqa Valley in Jordan had been successively inhabited and irrigated for more than 13,000 years. But it was not just communities that built irrigation systems: the irrigation systems also built communities.
Les premières traces d'activités humaines connues en Europe occidentale repoussées de plus de 200 000 ans. Une équipe mixte du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle et du CNRS vient de mettre au jour un site archéologique d'exception dans la vallée de l'Hérault (Sud de la France). La carrière de basalte de la commune de Lézignan-la-Cèbe révèle en effet l'existence d'une nouvelle faune « villafranchienne (1) » du Pléistocène inférieur (entre 1,8 million d'années et 780 000 ans), couplée à un cortège d'objets fabriqués par l'homme.		Changement climatique et environnement Des cornes de bouquetin qui en disent long sur le climat des prairies Comment les écosystèmes végétaux réagissent-ils à long terme à la hausse de la concentration en dioxyde de carbone (CO2) dans l'atmosphère ? Cette question fondamentale dans un contexte de changement climatique a été soulevée par un groupe de chercheurs du département des sciences végétales de l'Université technique de Munich (TUM) [1]. Ceux-ci ont, lors d'une première mondiale, analysé le phénomène sur des prairies européennes. Leurs résultats sont le fruit de moyens plutôt inhabituels : des cornes de bouquetins suisses et du foin âgé de 150 ans provenant d'Angleterre.
Your Christmas Tree Has Seven Times More DNA Than You Do! Take a close look at your Christmas tree -- it has seven times more genetic material (DNA) than you do! Why this is so is still largely unknown, but now the DNA of the spruce is going to be mapped by Swedish researchers from Umeå Plant Science Center (a collaboration between the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Umeå University), the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), and the Karolinska Institute (KI), with the aid of a SEK 75 million grant from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation
‘Extreme’ genes sheds light on origins of photosynthesis While most school children understand that green plants photosynthesize, absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, few people consider the profound global-scale effects that photosynthesis has had on Earth. One of those actively shedding light on the origins and evolution of photosynthesis is Jeffrey Touchman, assistant professor in the School of Life Sciences.
Poissons de rivière : une espèce sur cinq menacée en France Selon un rapport publié hier, plus du quart des espèces de poissons d'eau douce vivant en France sont menacées de disparition. L'étude a porté sur 69 des 95 espèces connues en France métropolitaine. La plupart des espèces non étudiées sont des nouvelles venues sur le territoire, introduites par exemple au 19ème siècle comme le Silure glane ou l'Omble de fontaine. Le résultat majeur : 15 espèces sont menacées de disparition à court terme. En outre 22 espèces sur les 69 ne sont en réalité pas classées faute de données suffisantes. (photo Apron du Rhône, Marianne Georget, CREN).				Nearly 100 New Species Described by California Academy of Sciences in 2009 In 2009, researchers at the California Academy of Sciences added 94 new relatives to our family tree. The new species include 65 arthropods, 14 plants, eight fishes, five sea slugs, one coral, and one fossil mammal. They were described by two dozen Academy scientists along with several dozen international collaborators.
Europe's Flora Is Becoming Impoverished With increasing species richness, due to more plant introductions than extinctions, plant communities of many European regions are becoming more homogeneous. The same species are occurring more frequently, whereas rare species are becoming extinct. It is not only the biological communities that are becoming increasingly similar, but also the phylogenetic relations between regions. These processes have led to a loss of uniqueness among European floras ...			Can Biodiversity Persist In The Face Of Climate Change? Predictions made over the last decade about the impacts of climate change on biodiversity may be exaggerated, according to a paper published in the journal Science. Oxford University researchers, Professor Kathy Willis and Dr Shonil Bhagwat, argue that predicting the fate of biodiversity in the face of climate change is 'fraught with caveats and complexities'.
Glacial Rebound: 10,000-Year Study of Strata Compaction and Sea-Level Rise on English Coast Environmental scientists at the University of Pennsylvania and Durham University have employed a novel combination of geological and model reconstructions of wetland environments during a 10,000-year period to address spatial variations in sea-level history and provide quantitative estimates of subsidence along the east coast of England.
'Killer Petunias' Should Join the Ranks of Carnivorous Plants, Scientists Propose Scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Natural History Museum believe that carnivorous behaviour in plants is far more widespread than previously thought, with many commonly grown plants -- such as petunias -- at least part way to being "meat eaters." A review paper, Murderous plants: Victorian Gothic, Darwin and modern insights into vegetable carnivory, is published			Study finds new relationship between gene duplication and alternative splicing in plants Athens, Ga. – University of Georgia scientists looking to understand the genetic mechanisms of plant defense and growth have found for the first time in plants an inverse relationship between gene duplication and alternative splicing. The finding has implications for diversity not only in plants, but in animals and humans.
Iron Curtain kept out alien birds (Perruches à collier à Marseille) The Iron Curtain that divided Europe for 46 years left an indelible imprint on the continent's wildlife. The isolation of Eastern Europe meant that far fewer alien bird species colonised it, scientists have found. Restrictions on the movement of people and trade into Eastern bloc countries prevented the birds entering. While westerners imported exotic birds such as parrots and weavers, people in Eastern Europe introduced just a few game birds that were good for hunting. The discovery is published in the journal Biological Conservation.
Logging Effects Vary Based on a Forest's History, Climate A Smoky Mountain forest's woodland herb population has shown that climate may play a role in how forest understories recover from logging, according to Purdue University research. Despite heavy logging in portions of the forest nearly 80 years ago, the distribution of trillium plants on the secondary forest floor was similar to that of undisturbed areas. Michael Jenkins, a Purdue assistant professor of forestry and natural resources, said that contrasts with a study by other researchers of an Oregon forest in which trillium didn't recover after logging.
Carbon and Oxygen in Tree Rings Can Reveal Past Climate Information Scientists have long looked at the width of tree rings to estimate temperature levels of past years. Larger rings indicate more tree growth in a season, which translates into warmer summer temperatures. But the analysis of carbon and oxygen isotopes in tree rings can also provide accurate data on past climate events, say researchers working in northern Canada.		Découverte d'une nouvelle espèce d'arbre Andiroba au Guyana Une équipe de botanistes à laquelle appartiennent des scientifiques du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle et du CNRS, Pierre-Michel Forget et Odile Poncy, vient de décrire une nouvelle espèce d'arbre endémique du Guyana central(1) Carapa akuri, suite à une série de missions(2) réalisées entre 2003 et 2006. Ce précieux travail de terrain, associé à une combinaison d'études phylogénétiques et morphologiques a permis la mise en évidence de cette nouvelle espèce et de souligner sa fragilité. Les résultats de cette étude sont publiés dans la revue Brittonia (New York Botanical Garden) du mois de décembre
Some Trees and Insects Are Made for Each Other Christopher Irwin Smith describes research on Joshua trees, yucca moths and the question of whether coevolution between plants and their insect pollinators produced the spectacular diversity of plants and insects
Drought-Related Shrinking Processes Detected in Living Roots in the Soil for the First Time Plant roots can shrink as a result of water deficit and lose contact with the surrounding soil. This effect has been suspected for a long time, but has only now been demonstrated for a fact with the help of x-ray tomography. The formation of an air gap could initially help plants prevent impending water losses when the soil dries out, say scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) writing in the Vadose Zone Journal.				How Did Flowering Plants Evolve to Dominate Earth? To Charles Darwin it was an 'abominable mystery' and it is a question which has continued to vex evolutionists to this day: when did flowering plants evolve and how did they come to dominate plant life on earth? A new study in Ecology Letters reveals the evolutionary trigger which led to early flowering plants gaining a major competitive advantage over rival species, leading to their subsequent boom and abundance.
Dans les secrets du bois La dendrochronologie, qui permet de dater le bois en analysant les cernes de croissance, est un formidable outil de connaissance du patrimoine bâti. Pourtant, les professionnels de la restauration des monuments sont loin d'en exploiter tout le potentiel, peut-être à cause de son image un peu poussiéreuse », estime Yannick Le Digol. Pour y remédier, le jeune archéologue a cofondé Dendrotech1 en 2006, avec Vincent Bernard, chargé de recherche au Centre de recherche en archéologie, archéosciences, histoire
How Can Evolutionary Responses to Climate Change Be Measured? As global temperatures continue to rise, scientists are presented with the complex challenge of understanding how species respond and adapt. In a paper published in Insect Conservation and Diversity, Dr Francisco Rodriguez-Trelles and Dr Miguel Rodriguez assess this challenge.		Past Regional Cold and Warm Periods Linked to Natural Climate Drivers Intervals of regional warmth and cold in the past are linked to the El Niño phenomenon and the so-called "North Atlantic Oscillation" in the Northern hemisphere's jet stream, according to a team of climate scientists. These linkages may be important in assessing the regional effects of future climate change.
Big freeze plunged Europe into ice age in months In the film, ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ the world enters the icy grip of a new glacial period within the space of just a few weeks. Now new research shows that this scenario may not be so far from the truth after all. William Patterson, from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, and his colleagues have shown that switching off the North Atlantic circulation can force the Northern hemisphere into a mini ‘ice age’ in a matter of months. Previous work has indicated that this process would take tens of years.
Traditional Indigenous Fire Management Techniques Deployed Against Climate Change A landmark Australian project that mitigates the extent and severity of natural savannah blazes by deploying traditional Indigenous fire management techniques is being hailed as a model with vast global potential in the fights against climate change and biodiversity loss, and for protecting Indigenous lands and culture.			L'évolution du climat depuis 1500 ans précisée Ce travail permet de résoudre plusieurs mystères, notamment l'étendue spatiale du réchauffement perçu en Europe à l'époque médiévale (entre 950 et 1250), symbolisé par l'installation de Viking au Groënland (image d'Eric le Rouge ci-contre). Ou celle du Petit âge glaciaire (entre 1400 et 1700), lui aussi très marqué en Europe. Science podcast
Doctorats aux Etats-Unis : le rêve américain est encore bien présent ! Selon un rapport commandé par six agences fédérales et publié par la NSF, 48 802 doctorats ont été décernés par des établissements d'enseignement supérieur américains en 2008. Il s'agit de la sixième année consécutive d'augmentation (+1,4% par rapport à 2007).
Rare Woodland Plant Uses 'Cryptic Coloration' to Hide from Predators It is well known that some animal species use camouflage to hide from predators. Individuals that are able to blend in to their surroundings and avoid being eaten are able to survive longer, reproduce, and thus increase their fitness (pass along their genes to the next generation) compared to those who stand out more. This may seem like a good strategy, and fairly common in the animal kingdom, but who ever heard of a plant doing the same thing?
Safety Valve” Protects Photosynthesis from Too Much Light Photosynthetic organisms need to cope with a wide range of light intensities, which can change over timescales of seconds to minutes. Too much light can damage the photosynthetic machinery and cause cell death. Scientists at the Carnegie Institution were part of a team that found that specific proteins in algae can act as a safety valve to dissipate excess absorbed light energy before it can wreak havoc in cells.		LANCEMENT D’UN PLAN NATIONAL D’ACTIONS POUR LA RESTAURATION DES MILIEUX AQUATIQUES A l'occasion de la signature du contrat d’objectifs entre l’Onema et l’État à Lisieux le 13 novembre dernier , Chantal JOUANNO, secrétaire d’État chargée de l’Ecologie, a annoncé le lancement d’un plan d’action national pour la restauration des cours d’eau. Avec Jean-Louis BORLOO, elle juge en effet impératif, aujourd’hui, que l’Etat, ses établissements publics, dont l’ONEMA, mais aussi les agences de l’eau, adoptent tous un plan d’action ambitieux, regroupé autour de 5 piliers
On the Origin of Nematodes: Phylogenetic Tree of World's Most Numerous Group of Animals Scientists from Wageningen University and Research Centre have published the largest nematode phylogenetic tree to date in cooperation with the Dutch Plant Protection Service (PD) and the University of California (Riverside) in the November issue of the journal Nematology. It contains over 1,200 species and is entirely based on the analysis of DNA sequence data.				Time-Tunneling for Climate Change Clues ARS researchers have been studying plant reactions to changes in C02 levels, from the Ice Age 13,000 to 18,000 B.C. to the year 2050 A.D. by growing them in long, plastic-covered "time tunnels."
Can Biodiversity Persist In The Face Of Climate Change? Predictions made over the last decade about the impacts of climate change on biodiversity may be exaggerated, according to a paper published in the journal Science. Oxford University researchers, Professor Kathy Willis and Dr Shonil Bhagwat, argue that predicting the fate of biodiversity in the face of climate change is 'fraught with caveats and complexities'.
Paleoecologists Offer New Insight Into How Climate Change Will Affect Organisms An article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences written by a team of ecologists, including Robert Booth, assistant professor of earth and environmental science at Lehigh University, examines some of the potential problems with current prediction methods and calls for the use of a range of approaches when predicting the impact of climate change on organisms.
Ancient High-Altitude Trees Grow Faster as Temperatures Rise Increasing temperatures at high altitudes are fueling the post-1950 growth spurt seen in bristlecone pines, the world's oldest trees, according to new research. Pines close to treeline have wider annual growth rings for the period from 1951 to 2000 than for the previous 3,700 years, reports a University of Arizona-led research team. Regional temperatures have increased, particularly at high elevations, during the same 50-year time period. The National Science Foundation has a related audio slide show, "Written in Tree Rings,"					New Climate Treaty Could Put Species at Risk, Scientists Argue Plans to be discussed at the forthcoming UN climate conference in Copenhagen to cut deforestation in developing countries could save some species from extinction but inadvertently increase the risk to others, scientists believe.
La découverte de plantes rares dans des salins sème la discorde Dans ce salin, situé vers Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, le port prévoit de creuser une liaison fluviale qui permettra de connecter une darse au canal du Rhône. Informée du projet, l'association dépêche des équipes sur place pour faire un inventaire. « On ne s'attendait pas à ça, raconte Cyril Girard, de Nacicca. L'une de ces plantes aquatiques, qui est protégée, n'existe que sur quelques sites dans le sud de la France et de l'Italie. L'autre espèce avait disparu de l'Hexagone depuis trente ans. »
Claude Allègre insulte à nouveau les climatologues Dans Le Parisien, l'ancien ministre socialiste Claude Allègre affirme à propos des climatologues «c'est un lobby de spécialistes météo du monde entier qui travaille dans un intérêt financier.» Cette insulte est publiée sous un titre-citation qui affirme «la planète s'est refroidie depuis dix ans». Sur ce point, lire ici et ici. Cette nouvelle attaque du géochimiste, membre de l'Académie des sciences, survient alors que les négociations pour le sommet de Copenhague sont de plus en plus ardues, et laissent penser que cette Conférence des Parties des pays membres de la Convention Climat de l'ONU s'achemine vers un niveau de décision très faible, en tous cas très éloigné des recommandations des climatologues.			Can A Plant Be Altruistic? Although plants have the ability to sense and respond to other plants, their ability to recognize kin and act altruistically has been the subject of few studies. The authors explored kin recognition in Impatiens pallida (yellow jewelweed). By moving their resources into leaves, these plants not only positively affected their own growth, but also negatively affected their competitors' growth. This is the first instance where researchers demonstrated that a plant's response to an aboveground cue is dependent upon the presence of a belowground cue.
Etang de Berre : les élus locaux souhaitent une poursuite du contentieux Cinq ans après la condamnation de la France par Bruxelles concernant la pollution de l'étang de Berre et à l'approche du bilan final, les élus locaux demandent une poursuite du contentieux et de nouvelles mesures de protection.		Liste Rouge des espèces menacées en France (2009) L'Union mondiale pour la nature (UICN) a mis à jour la liste rouge 2009 des espèces menacées dans le monde. C'est un rapport alarmant qu'elle a publié, révélant que 17.291 espèces animales et végétales sont menacées d'extinction, dont 778 hébergées sur le territoire français.
L'avenir de la planète se prédit sous les étoiles de Haute-Provence Sur le site de Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire, des chercheurs ont installé, dans une forêt de chênes blancs, un laboratoire pour expérimenter le réchauffement climatique. Un observatoire pour explorer le changement climatique Parution du 8 novembre dans la Provence Lien vers le site de "La Provence"
How Bacteria Get Past Our Defenses Mucus is more than gross--it's a critical barrier against disease, trapping many of the germs that want to invade your body. A wet mesh of proteins, antiseptic enzymes and salts, mucus is what keeps all but a few microbes from wreaking havoc on many of our most exposed tissues.
L’environnement semi-boisé d’Ardipithecus ramidus, un hominidé vieux de 4,4 millions d’années La revue Science a publié il y a quelques semaines un numéro spécial contenant onze articles consacrés à Ardipithecus ramidus, un hominidé femelle de 4.4 millions d’années trouvé en Ethiopie en 1994. Dix-sept années de recherches ont été nécessaires à la cinquantaine de chercheurs ayant participé au Middle Awash research project. Des scientifiques du Centre européen de recherche et d’enseignement en géoscience de l’environnement (CNRS/Université Aix-Marseille 3) et du Centre de bio-archéologie et d’écologie (CNRS/Université Montpellier 2) ont notamment participé à ces travaux dont les résultats paléo-anthropologiques ouvrent un nouveau chapitre sur la connaissance de l'évolution des hominidés et leur environnement.				Common Plants Can Eliminate Indoor Air Pollutants Air quality in homes, offices, and other indoor spaces is becoming a major health concern, particularly in developed countries where people often spend more than 90% of their time indoors. Surprisingly, indoor air has been reported to be as much as 12 times more polluted than outdoor air in some areas. Indoor air pollutants emanate from paints, varnishes, adhesives, furnishings, clothing, solvents, building materials, and even tap water.
Le coussoul reprend ses droits sur les anciens vergers de Crau Il y a quelques mois encore, des milliers de pêchers s'élevaient là, sur quelque 380 hectares au beau milieu de la plaine de Crau, le long de la RN 568. Ça, c'était avant que la société "Cossure fruits" ne se retrouve sur le devant de la scène avec l'affaire des "forçats de la Crau". Depuis, le site, avec ses hectares d'arbres fruitiers, a été acquis par la Caisse des dépôts et consignations (CDC) et littéralement rasé . Les herbes folles ont gagné du terrain, et c'est bien là le problème. "Ce type de végétation n'a rien à voir avec les coussouls originels, qui rassemblent plus de 70 espèces au mètre carré, dont la fameuse "baouque", la brachypode, dont se nourrissent les troupeaux de moutons", relève Thierry Dutoit, de l'Institut méditerranéen d'écologie et de paléoécologie (Imep).
Secrets In A Seed: Clues Into The Evolution Of The First Flowers Approximately 120-130 million years ago, one of the most significant events in the history of the Earth occurred: the first flowering plants, or angiosperms, arose. In the late 1800s, Darwin referred to their development as an "abominable mystery." To this day, scientists are still challenged by this "mystery" of how angiosperms originated, rapidly diversified, and rose to dominance
Trees Facilitate Wildfires As A Way To Protect Their Habitat Fire is often thought of something that trees should be protected from, but a new study suggests that some trees may themselves contribute to the likelihood of wildfires in order to promote their own abundance at the expense of their competitors.		L'Europe finance 13 nouveaux projets français LIFE+ à hauteur de 33 millions € Les projets proviennent de toute l'UE et incluent des actions dans les domaines de la conservation de la nature, de la politique environnementale ainsi que de l'information et de la communication. Ensemble, ils représentent un investissement total de 431 millions €, dont 207,5 millions € seront financés par l’Union européenne. Description des projets français retenus...
Is a world without humans possible ? The potential annihilation of the human race is a topic that is often relegated to science fiction. Authors and film-makers seem sometimes gleefully inventive when it comes to eradicating human civilization: deadly viruses in Terry Gilliam's Twelve Monkeys (1995); nefarious aliens in H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds (1898); scientific experiments gone wrong in Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle (1963); the degeneration of oil-addicted civilization in George Miller's Mad Max (1979); or a massive environmental catastrophe in Roland Emmerich's The Day After Tomorrow (2004).
Advance In 'Nano-Agriculture:' Tiny Stuff Has Huge Effect On Plant Growth With potential adverse health and environmental effects often in the news about nanotechnology, scientists in Arkansas are reporting that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) could have beneficial effects in agriculture. Their study, scheduled for the October issue of ACS Nano, found that tomato seeds exposed to CNTs germinated faster and grew into larger, heavier seedlings than other seeds. That growth-enhancing effect could be a boon for biomass production for plant-based biofuels and other agricultural products, they suggest.			Scientists Reveals Secrets Of Drought Resistance A team of biologists in California led by researchers at The Scripps Research Institute and the University of California (UC), San Diego has solved the structure of a critical molecule that helps plants survive during droughts. Understanding the inner workings of this molecule may help scientists design new ways to protect crops against prolonged dry periods, potentially improving crop yields worldwide, aiding biofuels production on marginal lands and mitigating drought's human and economic costs.
Diverting Sediment-rich Water Below New Orleans Could Lead To Extensive New Land Diverting sediment-rich water from the Mississippi River below New Orleans could generate new land in the river's delta in the next century. The land would equal almost half the acreage otherwise expected to disappear during that period, a new study shows. For decades, sea-level rise, land subsidence, and a decrease in river sediment have caused vast swaths of the Mississippi Delta to vanish into the sea.		Norwegian Wood For The Ages: 'Mummified' Pine Trees Found Norwegian scientists have found “mummified” pine trees, dead for nearly 500 years yet without decomposition. Norway’s wet climate seems perfect for encouraging organic matter to rot – particularly in Sogndal, located on Norway’s southwestern coastline, in one of the most humid, mild areas of the country. In fact, with an average of 1541 millimetres of rain yearly and relatively mild winters, Sogndal should be an environment where decomposition happens fast
Oh, brother, it's true: Plants can recognize their siblings and now we know how The ID system lies in the roots and the chemical cues they secrete. The finding not only sheds light on the intriguing sensing system in plants, but also may have implications for agriculture and even home gardening. The study, which is reported in the scientific journal Communicative & Integrative Biology, was led by Harsh Bais, assistant professor of plant and soil sciences at the University of Delaware. Canadian researchers published in 2007 that sea rocket, a common seashore plant, can recognize its siblings -- plants grown from seeds from the same mother.
Une île surgit dans l'estuaire de la Gironde A deux kilomètres du phare de Cordouan, des sédiments se sont accumulés sur 4 hectares, formant un territoire encore ignoré des cartes. Un phénomène extrêmement rare. Aujourd'hui, on recense sur l'île une douzaine de plantes différentes, dont une partie relevant de la végétation spécifique aux dunes. Autant de signes, selon Jean-Marc Thirion, que le milieu évolue «vers quelque chose de plus complexe». Mais cet écosystème fragile pourrait être victime de sa toute nouvelle notoriété. «Ça devient presque un lieu à la mode. Deux cents personnes sont venues faire la fête sur l'île début septembre, et l'autre jour, elle a servi de terrain d'atterrissage à un groupe de parachutistes. Or, c'est un lieu sensible au surpiétinement», s'alarme l'écologue, qui s'est pour sa part rendu sur place à deux reprises avec d'autres naturalistes pour étudier la faune et la flore locales.					Sous les chantiers, les temps retrouvés L’archéologie préventive, «c’est 90 % des fouilles depuis vingt ans», explique Jean-Paul Demoule, protohistorien, ex-président de l’Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives (Inrap). Voies à grande vitesse, autoroutes, ZAC en périphérie des villes… Depuis 2001, tout cela suppose diagnostics et, souvent, fouilles. «Nous avons en permanence près de 300 chantiers en cours, petits et grands», annonce Nicole Pot, la directrice générale de l’Inrap.
Mediterranean forests require more research As the Mediterranean forest ecosystems provide multiple goods and services, their sound management calls for improved knowledge, targeted education and capacity building. The Mediterranean Forest Research Agenda (MFRA) 2010–2020 presents the challenges Mediterranean forests are facing and how science can best address them during the next decade. MFRA aims at networking and coordinating research at Mediterranean level, requiring a coordinated effort by the research community and related stakeholders (forest owners, NGOs, companies, public administration, etc) to utilise in an efficient and effective way the available international and national research funding resources.
A Tree's Response To Environmental Changes: What Can We Expect Over The Next 100 Years? The many environmental issues facing our society are prevalent in the media lately. Global warming, rainforest devastation, and endangered species have taken center stage. Our ecosystem is composed of a very delicate network of interactions among all species and the non-living environment. Predicting how each component of this complex system will respond to the many environmental changes sweeping the globe is a challenging problem today's scientists face.			Huelva Is Swallowing Up Coastal Lagoons In Doñana, Spanish Scientists Find A team of Spanish scientists from a variety of fields has analysed the effects of human activity on the peridunal lagoons in the Doñana National Park. Results show that the lagoons are in the process of regressing, largely due to the extraction of underground water for the Matalascañas tourist resort (Huelva). Moreover, the natural effects of the ecosystem itself are further aggravating the situation.
Livestock Can Help Rangelands Recover From Fires A 14-year study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Oregon found that rangelands that have been grazed by cattle recover from fires more effectively than rangelands that have been protected from livestock. These surprising findings could impact management strategies for native plant communities where ecological dynamics are shifting because of climate change, invasive weeds and other challenges.
Black rat does not bother Mediterranean seabirds Human activities have meant invasive species have been able to populate parts of the world to which they are not native and alter biodiversity there over thousands of years. Now, an international team of scientists has studied the impact of the black rat on bird populations on Mediterranean islands. Despite the rat's environmental impact, only the tiny European storm petrel has been affected over time by its enforced cohabitation with the rat. Ruffino, L.; Bourgeois, K.; Vidal, E.; Duhem, C.; Paracuellos, M.; Escribano, F.; Sposimo, P.; Baccetti, N.; Pascal, M.; Oro, D. "Invasive rats and seabirds after 2,000 years of an unwanted coexistence on Mediterranean islands" Biological Invasions 11(7): 1631-1651 agosto de 2009.
Les premiers agriculteurs ont-ils vraiment détraqué le climat ? Elégante et surprenante. Discutée et controversée. La théorie du paléoclimatologue William Ruddiman, professeur émérite à l'université de Virginie (Etats-Unis), avait tout pour séduire. A l'en croire, l'homme aurait commencé à influer sur le climat global de la Terre il y a environ 8 000 ans, en même temps qu'il apprenait le défrichage et l'agriculture. Las ! Des travaux menés par Thomas Stocker (université de Berne), publiés fin septembre dans la revue Nature, lui mettent un sérieux coup dans l'aile... Sans la tuer tout à fait.				New Ancient Fungus Finding Suggests World's Forests Were Wiped Out In Global Catastrophe Tiny organisms that covered the planet more than 250 million years ago appear to be a species of ancient fungus that thrived in dead wood, according to new research published October 1 in the journal Geology.
Algae And Pollen Grains Provide Evidence Of Remarkably Warm Period In Antarctica's History For Sophie Warny, LSU assistant professor of geology and geophysics and curator at the LSU Museum of Natural Science, years of patience in analyzing Antarctic samples with low fossil recovery finally led to a scientific breakthrough. She and colleagues from around the world now have proof of a sudden, remarkably warm period in Antarctica that occurred about 15.7 million years ago and lasted for a few thousand years
La France doit mieux contrôler les traces de radioactivité dans les dépôts industriels de cendres de charbon Entre terrils, silos et bassins de stockage, les stocks de cendres de charbon font souvent partie du paysage. La majeure partie dépend des centrales thermiques d'EDF et de la SNET, filiale du groupe allemand d'énergie E.ON. Malgré leur volume, ces sites n'attirent pourtant pas souvent l'attention. "Les dépôts de cendres sont oubliés", lance Jacky Bonnemains, de l'association de défense de l'environnement Robin des bois, qui a mené, pour l'Autorité de sûreté nucléaire (ASN), une étude sur ces dépôts. >>> Terrils de Gardanne >>> OHM Bassin minier de Provence
Paléo : Une saison de forage record sur le site groenlandais de NEEM La saison de forage sur le site de NEEM, situé sur la partie nord-ouest de la calotte de glace groenlandaise vient de s'achever. Cette mission, qui rassemble des laboratoires du CEA, de l'INSU-CNRS...		Mountains may be cradles of evolution Growing mountains may give rise to new species — and not simply provide a refuge to species whose traditional habitats have been lost, US scientists suggest. "The major times of [species] diversification directly coincide with times of large tectonic events," says Catherine Badgley, a palaeontologist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, who presented the findings this week at the annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Bristol, UK.
Peruvian Glacial Retreats Linked To European Events Of Little Ice Age A new study that reports precise ages for glacial moraines in southern Peru links climate swings in the tropics to those of Europe and North America during the Little Ice Age approximately 150 to 350 years ago. The study, published this week in the journal Science, "brings us one step closer to understanding global-scale patterns of glacier activity and climate during the Little Ice Age," says lead author Joe Licciardi, associate professor of Earth sciences at the University of New Hampshire. "The more we know about our recent climate past, the better we can understand our modern and future climate."
Focus On The Wild Could Avert Plant Pollination Threat The global threat to the pollination of flowers and food production crops, highlighted by a dramatic decline in honeybee colonies, could be eased by a renewed focus on ‘wild' pollinators. Agri-environment schemes that encourage farmers to create bee-friendly habitats could be the key to increasing numbers of valuable wild pollinators like bumblebees in the wider countryside.
Microbiology: Free-for-all On The Leaf Surface For the first time, ETH Zurich scientists have examined the genes and proteins of bacteria that live on leaves to clarify which unicellular organisms are found on leaf surfaces and what they are doing there. Bacteria are everywhere: in the ground, on the seabed, in boiling hot sources, in the gut. They are even on the surface of plants, and lots of them at that: one to ten million of the unicellular microorganisms live on every square centimeter of stem and foliage.
Woody Plants Adapted To Past Climate Change More Slowly Than Herbs Can we predict which species will be most vulnerable to climate change by studying how they responded in the past? A new study of flowering plants provides a clue. An analysis of more than 5000 plant species reveals that woody plants — such as trees and shrubs — adapted to past climate change much more slowly than herbaceous plants did. If the past is any indicator of the future, woody plants may have a harder time than other plants keeping pace with global warming, researchers say.			Plants' Response To Fire Tested A team from the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA) has developed a new method for identifying the flammability of plant species by using a device that measures how construction materials react to fire. The technique, which is being presented this week at the Fifth Spanish Forestry Congress, can be used to improve fire risk maps. Evaluation of Forest Fuel Flammability and Combustion Properties with an Adapted Mass Loss Calorimeter Device
‘Green Clean:’ Researchers Determining Natural Ways To Clean Contaminated Soil Researchers at North Carolina State University are working to demonstrate that trees can be used to degrade or capture fuels that leak into soil and ground water. Through a process called phytoremediation – literally a “green” technology – plants and trees remove pollutants from the environment or render them harmless. Through a partnership with state and federal government agencies, the military and industry, Dr. Elizabeth Nichols, environmental technology professor in NC State’s Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, and her team are using phytoremediation to clean up a contaminated site in Elizabeth City, N.C. Phytoremediation uses plants to absorb heavy metals from the soil into their roots. The process is an attractive alternative to the standard clean-up methods currently used, which are very expensive and energy intensive. At appropriate sites, phytoremediation can be a cost-effective and sustainable technology, Nichols says.
Une nouvelle chance pour Marseille LE MONDE \| 22.09.09 - Arenc, quartier de la zone portuaire, le prolongement de la ligne de tramway vers l'ancienne gare SNCF est en chantier. Au pied des docks réhabilités, on enfouit une passerelle autoroutière. Partout des grues élèvent de nouveaux bâtiments. Symbole provisoire du renouveau de l'arrière-port marseillais, la tour CMA-CGM, futur siège social de la troisième compagnie mondiale de fret maritime, est en voie d'achèvement. Ce bâtiment, dessiné par l'architecte britannique Zaha Hadid, donne une nouvelle visibilité à Euroméditerranée, ambitieux programme d'aménagement et de revitalisation économique, sociale et culturelle lancé par l'Etat et les collectivités locales en 1995 et qui devrait être achevé en 2014.
Direction régionale de l'environnement Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur Biodiversité et paysages Vous trouverez dans cette rubrique, des informations et des documents concernant l’inventaire et la protection du patrimoine naturel : Réserves naturelles, Parcs régionaux et nationaux, Sites classés et inscrits, Atlas des paysages, Natura 2000, Convention de Washington sur la protection des espèces (CITES)...
Uncertain Future Predicted For Forests The composition of some of our nation's forests may be quite different 200 to 400 years from today according to a recent study at the University of Illinois. The study found that temperature and photosynthetic active radiation were the two most important variables in predicting what forest landscapes may look like in the future. The uncertainties became very high after the year 2200
Melting Of The Greenland Ice Sheet Mapped Will all of the ice on Greenland melt and flow out into the sea, bringing about a colossal rise in ocean levels on Earth, as the global temperature rises? The key concern is how stable the ice cap actually is, and new Danish research from the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen can now show the evolution of the ice sheet 11,700 years back in time – all the way back to the start of our current warm period				Getting Plants To Rid Themselves Of Pesticide Residues Scientists in China are reporting the "intriguing" discovery that a natural plant hormone, applied to crops, can help plants eliminate residues of certain pesticides.
Link Between 1918 El Niño And Flu Research conducted at Texas A&M University casts doubts on the notion that El Niño has been getting stronger because of global warming and raises interesting questions about the relationship between El Niño and a severe flu pandemic 91 years ago. The findings are based on analysis of the 1918 El Niño, which the new research shows to be one of the strongest of the 20th century. El Niño occurs when unusually warm surface waters form over vast stretches of the eastern Pacific Ocean and can affect weather systems worldwide. Using advanced computer models, Benjamin Giese, a professor of oceanography who specializes in ocean modeling, and his co-authors conducted a simulation of the global oceans for the first half of the 20th century and they find that, in contrast with prior descriptions, the 1918-19 El Niño was one of the strongest of the century.
Fossils From Animals And Plants Are Not Necessary For Crude Oil And Natural Gas, Swedish Researchers Find Researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm have managed to prove that fossils from animals and plants are not necessary for crude oil and natural gas to be generated. The findings are revolutionary since this means, on the one hand, that it will be much easier to find these sources of energy and, on the other hand, that they can be found all over the globe		Humans Causing Erosion Comparable To World’s Largest Rivers And Glaciers, Study Finds A new study finds that large-scale farming projects can erode the Earth's surface at rates comparable to those of the world's largest rivers and glaciers. Published online in the journal Nature Geoscience, the research offers stark evidence of how humans are reshaping the planet. It also finds that - contrary to previous scholarship - rivers are as powerful as glaciers at eroding landscapes.
Weeds That Reinvented Weediness: New Research Sheds Light On Origins And Success Of Flowering Plants Flowering plants are all around us and are phenomenally successful. But how did they get to be so successful and where did they come from? This question bothered Darwin and others, and now a paper published in the September issue of the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society indicates that their ability to adapt anatomically may be the answer.			Early Warning Signals Of Change: 'Tipping Points' Identified Where Sudden Shifts To New Conditions Occur What do abrupt changes in ocean circulation and Earth's climate, shifts in wildlife populations and ecosystems, the global finance market and its system-wide crashes, and asthma attacks and epileptic seizures have in common? According to a paper published this week in the journal Nature, all share generic early-warning signals that indicate a critical threshold of change dead ahead.
Web Page Ranking Algorithm Detects Critical Species In Ecosystems Google's algorithm for ranking web-pages can be used to determine which species are critical for sustaining ecosystems. Drs. Stefano Allesina and Mercedes Pascual find that "PageRank" can be applied to the study of food webs, the complex networks describing who eats whom in an ecosystem. Article PloS
Les fleurs viennent avec le temps Les scientifiques de l'Institut Max Planck de biologie du développement de Tübingen viennent de découvrir une voie de signalisation qui "fait fleurir" les plantes, et ce, indépendamment de tous stimuli externes tels que la durée de la lumière du jour ou la température. Les biologistes sont en effet parvenus à montrer que la concentration d'un brin d'ARN agissait dans les cellules comme un sablier : lorsque la concentration du brin de microARN 156 - qui diminue avec le temps - atteint un certain seuil, la plante quitte alors son état de développement végétatif pour entrer dans une phase reproductive (floraison). Il est ainsi certain que la plante puisse fleurir et se propager même en cas de mauvaises conditions météorologiques. Les travaux de l'étude ont été publiés dans le numéro du 21 août 2009 de la revue scientifique Cell [1].			Le pissenlit : le futur du caoutchouc ! Le caoutchouc naturel provient en grande partie du Ficus elastica - plus communément appelé "caoutchouc" - un arbre surtout présent en Asie du Sud-Est. La production de ce matériau devenu essentiel pour notre société moderne est néanmoins aujourd'hui menacée : un champignon infecte en effet un nombre croissant de Ficus elastica sur la planète et notamment en Asie du Sud-Est. Afin de pouvoir continuer à récolter la précieuse substance, une équipe de scientifiques de l'Institut Fraunhofer de biologie moléculaire et d'écologie appliquée (IME) d'Aix-la-Chapelle travaille actuellement à l'obtention de caoutchouc naturel à partir de pissenlits. En empêchant la polymérisation spontanée du caoutchouc issu du pissenlit, les chercheurs viennent de réaliser un grand pas vers la production industrielle de caoutchouc naturel à partir de cette plante.
Restoring The Ecology Can Boost The Economy Research co-authored by Bournemouth University (BU) Professor Adrian Newton and published in the journal Science this week shows that ecological restoration in areas of environmental degradation can help reverse global biodiversity losses, as well as promoting recovery of ecosystem services.
Seeing The Tree From The Forest: Predicting The Future Of Plant Communities The ability to envisage the future may be closer than you would think. A recent paper by Sean Hammond and Karl Niklas in the August 2009 issue of the American Journal of Botany presents an algorithm that may be used to predict the future dynamics of plant communities, an increasingly interesting area of study as significant environmental changes, such as global climate change and invasive species, are affecting current plant communities. Hammond, Sean T., Niklas, Karl J. Emergent properties of plants competing in silico for space and light: Seeing the tree from the forest. American Journal of Botany, 2009; 96 (8)
Douglas-fir, Geoducks Make Strange Bedfellows In Studying Climate Change NEWPORT, Ore. – Scientists are comparing annual growth rings of the Pacific Northwest’s largest bivalve and its most iconic tree for clues to how living organisms may have responded to changes in climate. Analyzed by themselves, the rings from a single tree or mollusk may sometimes reflect conditions that are either favorable or unfavorable for growth. When scientists look at numerous individuals of the same species, however, the consistency of the ring patterns allows them to build a model and compare that to known climatic measurements.
Using Thread-like Fungi To Help High Elevation Pines Grow Thread-like fungi that grow in soils at high elevations may play an important role in restoring whitebark and limber pine forests in Canada. Montana State University professor Cathy Cripps is looking for ways to use fungi to help pine seedlings get a strong start.
Small Fluctuations In Solar Activity, Large Influence On Climate Subtle connections between the 11-year solar cycle, the stratosphere, and the tropical Pacific Ocean work in sync to generate periodic weather patterns that affect much of the globe, according to research appearing this week in the journal Science. The study can help scientists get an edge on eventually predicting the intensity of certain climate phenomena, such as the Indian monsoon and tropical Pacific rainfall, years in advance.		Des interactions biologiques plus riches sous les tropiques Le processus est bien connu en milieu tempéré : la plante, qui reçoit de la lumière du soleil, donne du carbone au champignon associé à ses racines qui, en retour, lui donne de l’eau et des sels minéraux. On sait aussi que parfois, certaines plantes non chlorophylliennes renversent le processus et reçoivent leur carbone du champignon lui-même. C’est le cas notamment de certaines espèces qui, poussant dans les sous-bois peu éclairés, s’adaptent ainsi à l’ombre. Le champignon, qui trouve son carbone sur les racines des plantes vertes voisines, devient alors la source de tous les besoins de la plante.
Unique Study Isolates DNA From Linnaeus' Botanical Collections Researchers at Uppsala University has succeeded in extracting long DNA fragments from dried, pressed plant material collected in the 1700s by Linnaeus' apprentice Adam Afzelius. It is hoped that the study, led by Associate Professor Katarina Andreasen, will shed light on whether plants growing today at Linnaeus' Hammarby estate outside Uppsala reflect the species cultivated by Linnaeus himself.				Global Model For The Origin Of Species Independent Of Geographical Isolation The tremendous diversity of life continues to puzzle scientists, long after the 200 years since Charles Darwin's birth. However, in recent years, consistent patterns of biodiversity have been identified over space, time organism type and geographical region.
Quand les e-mails augmentent le stress au travail "Les e-mails représentent la principale source de problèmes dans nos vies professionnelles" , décrypte Karen Renaud, du département de science informatique de la Glasgow University, sur le site de la BBC. Parlant d'un phénomène « harassant » , Karen Renaud relève notamment qu'il n'est pas rare qu'un salarié rafraîchisse « jusqu'à quarante fois par heure » sa messagerie électronique
Study Shows Why North America Tree is Invasive in Europe Black cherry trees, native to the United States, are an invasive species in Europe and thrive in that part of the world. Experiments show why: A soil-borne pathogen keeps these trees in check in the United States, but is too weak to stop them from spreading in Europe. That's according to a study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) ecologist Kurt Reinhart at the agency's Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory in Miles City, Mont. He and cooperators collected soil randomly around black cherry trees in more than 20 forests throughout their range in the United States, and nearly 20 forests throughout their range in Germany, France, Belgium and The Netherlands. They isolated the pathogen, called Pythium, from the soil samples.
Darwin’s Mystery Of Appearance Of Flowering Plants Explained The appearance of many species of flowering plants on Earth, and especially their relatively rapid dissemination during the Cretaceous (approximately 100 million years ago) can be attributed to their capacity to transform the world to their own needs. In an article in Ecology Letters, Wageningen ecologists Frank Berendse and Marten Scheffer postulate that flowering plants changed the conditions during the Cretaceous period to suit themselves. Ecology Letters
New Study Ranks ‘Hotspots' of Human Impact on Coastal Areas (Santa Barbara, Calif.) Coastal marine ecosystems are at risk worldwide as a result of human activities, according to scientists at UC Santa Barbara who have recently published a study in the Journal of Conservation Letters. The authors have performed the first integrated analysis of all coastal areas of the world. "Resource management and conservation in coastal waters must address a litany of impacts from human activities, from the land, such as urban runoff and other types of pollution, and from the sea," said Benjamin S. Halpern, first author, who is based at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) at UCSB.			Domestication Of Chile Pepper Provides Insights Into Crop Origin And Evolution Chile peppers have long played an important role in the diets of Mesoamerican people. Capsicum annuum is one of five domesticated species of chiles and is one of the primary components of these diets. However, little is known regarding the original location of domestication of C. annuum and the genetic diversity in wild relatives. Researchers have now found a large amount of diversity in individuals from the Yucatan Peninsula, making this a center of diversity for chiles.
L'origine de la lignée commune entre les hommes et les singes se trouverait en Asie La découverte d'un nouveau primate fossile au Myanmar (ex-Birmanie) conforte l'hypothèse d'une origine asiatique, et non africaine, de la lignée commune entre les hommes et les singes (primates anthropoïdes). Pour l'étayer, une équipe internationale de paléontologues, parmi lesquels deux chercheurs français, a établi que ce primate, âgé de 37 millions d'années et baptisé Ganlea megacanina, possède une aptitude aujourd'hui observée chez les singes modernes, et non chez les lémuriens : il ouvre et mange des graines d'une manière spécifique, au moyen de sa canine démesurée, comme certains singes actuels d'Amérique du Sud.
Scientists Closer To Developing Salt-tolerant Crops An international team of scientists has developed salt-tolerant plants using a new type of genetic modification (GM), bringing salt-tolerant cereal crops a step closer to reality. The research team – based at the University of Adelaide's Waite Campus in Australia – has used a new GM technique to contain salt in parts of the plant where it does less damage.			Plants Put Limit on Ice Ages When glaciers advanced over much of the Earth’s surface during the last ice age, what kept the planet from freezing over entirely? This has been a puzzle to climate scientists because leading models have indicated that over the past 24 million years geological conditions should have caused carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to plummet, possibly leading to runaway icehouse” conditions. Now researchers writing in the July 2, 2009, Nature report on the missing piece of the puzzle plants.
	Seconde édition du Pitch de la Science. Pole Sud Image Eric Vidal (Equipe IBBC Imep) Programme ALIENS (ANR) et projet documentaire "Les rats, pirates des îles" Voir la vidéo
Plants Save The Earth From An Icy Doom When glaciers advanced over much of the Earth's surface during the last ice age, what kept the planet from freezing over entirely? This has been a puzzle to climate scientists because leading models have indicated that over the past 24 million years geological conditions should have caused carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to plummet, possibly leading to runaway "icehouse" conditions. The international team of researchers led by the University of Castilla-La-Mancha (UCLM) has compiled the research carried out to date on this topic in order to understand the implications of the so-called “circadian clock” as regards the survival and ecology of a wide range of plant species.
Ferns Took To The Trees And Thrived As flowering plants like giant trees quickly rose to dominate plant communities during the Cretaceous period, the ferns that had preceded them hardly saw it as a disappointment. In fact, they flourished. While modern tropical rain forests were becoming established, ferns climbed aboard, and experienced a flowering of their own species diversity.
Plants’ Internal Clock Can Improve Climate Change Models The ability of plants to tell the time, a mechanism common to all living beings, enables them to survive, grow and reproduce. An international team has studied this circadian clock from a molecular viewpoint and has found an ecological implication: it makes climate change scenarios and CO2 level figures more accurate			Années froides dans climat chaud, un mystère ? Puisque 2008 n’est pas plus chaud que 1998, c’est que le climat ne se réchauffe pas. L’affirmation semble reposer sur un solide bon sens. Et donner du grain à moudre au climato-scepticisme. D’où l’effort de pédagogie réalisé par deux scientifiques américains, David Easterling et Michael Wehner, du National Climatic Data Center et du Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
«Reconnecter les diasporas scientifiques du Sud» Jean-Baptiste Meyer, de l’Institut de recherche pour le développement «Comment organiser des diasporas qui permettent la récupération des compétences des personnes qualifiées expatriées des pays du Sud, victimes de la fuite des cerveaux ?
Desert Dust Alters Ecology of Colorado Alpine Meadows Accelerated snowmelt--precipitated by desert dust blowing into the mountains--changes how alpine plants respond to seasonal climate cues that regulate their life cycles, according to results of a new study reported this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). These results indicate that global warming may have a greater influence on plants' annual growth cycles than previously thought. Current mountain dust levels are five times greater than they were before the mid-19th century, due in large part to increased human activity in deserts.
In The Warming West, Climate Most Significant Factor In Fanning Wildfires' Flames The recent increase in area burned by wildfires in the Western United States is a product not of higher temperatures or longer fire seasons alone, but a complex relationship between climate and fuels that varies among different ecosystems, according to a study conducted by U.S. Forest Service and university scientists.			Loss Of Coastal Seagrass Habitat Accelerating Globally An international team of scientists warns that accelerating losses of seagrasses across the globe threaten the immediate health and long-term sustainability of coastal ecosystems. The team has compiled and analyzed the first comprehensive global assessment of seagrass observations and found that 58 percent of world's seagrass meadows are currently declining.
Maroc : quand l'oasis reverdit Il faut du temps, beaucoup de temps, pour rejoindre l'oasis d'Asrir, aux portes du Sahara, à 800 km au sud de la capitale du Maroc, Rabat. Il faut rouler, prendre l'avion, et rouler encore, sur des routes de plus en plus défoncées. Mais au bout du voyage nous attend, dit-on, le paradis. "L'oasis, c'est le début du paradis quand on arrive du désert, au sud, et la fin du paradis quand on vient des zones arrosées, au nord", dit en riant Mbarak Nafaoui, le maire d'Asrir. Au-delà, il n'y a plus d'eau, plus d'arbres, rien que du vent et de la pierre.
Researchers find new method for computing evolutionary trees Detailed, accurate evolutionary trees that reveal the relatedness of living things can now be determined much faster and for thousands of species with a computing method developed by computer scientists and a biologist at The University of Texas at Austin. Since Charles Darwin, biologists have constructed evolutionary trees to explain the relatedness of plants, animals and other organisms. The science of figuring out these trees, known as systematics, has progressed significantly in the last two decades largely due to advances in computation, genetics and molecular biology.			Fungus Species Traced Using The Internet Studying the ecology and distribution of plants does not take place solely in the forest. A new way of searching in scientific databases has enabled researchers from the University of Gothenburg to discover kinship between fungi from Sweden and Thailand - and has revealed some species with incorrect generic names into the bargain.
	Olive Industry Waste, Such As Olive Pits, Pomace And Pruning Remains Used To Decontaminate Sewage The waste obtained from olive during the oil extraction process can be used to eliminate heavy metals from sewage or waste waters of productive activities. Olive pits, pomace and remains (from olive tree pruning) present an outstanding capacity to retain the lead present in this water, which confirms their capacity as biosorbents for their application in the depuration of effluents on an industrial scale.
The Legacy of Charles Darwin (An ActionBioscience original article) Darwin’s concept of evolution forever changed the way we understand how our natural world works.			Science 6 February 2009 Vol. 323. no. 5915, p. 727 Happy Birthday, Mr. Darwin Andrew Sugden, Caroline Ash, Brooks Hanson, Laura Zahn
New calculation for the ice volume of the Swiss glaciers Scientists at ETH Zurich have developed a new method of calculating ice volume and used it to recalculate the size of the Swiss glaciers. In 1999, the total ice volume of approximately 1500 glaciers in Switzerland was estimated at 74 cubic kilometres. Since then, however, some 12 percent has already melted away.
L'inquiétant parcours du "chlordécone perdu" Les Antilles ne sont pas les seuls territoires contaminés par le chlordécone, un polluant extrêmement persistant, soupçonné d'être cancérigène, employé comme pesticide dans les plantations de bananiers en Guadeloupe et en Martinique entre 1981 et 1993. Au nom de l'Office parlementaire d'évaluation des choix scientifiques et technologiques (Opecst), la sénatrice Catherine Procaccia (UMP, Val-de-Marne) et le député Jean-Yves Le Déaut (PS, Meurthe-et-Moselle) présentent mercredi 24 juin un rapport dans lequel ils retracent, pour la première fois, le parcours du "chlordécone perdue". - Rapport du Sénat
Notre Dame study provides insights into how climate change might impact species' geographic ranges A new study by a team of researchers led by Jessica Hellmann, assistant professor of biological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, offers interesting insights into how species may, or may not, change their geographic range — the place where they live on earth — under climate change. The lead author on the paper is recent Notre Dame doctoral degree recipient Shannon Pelini. Researchers have hypothesized that populations near the northern boundaries of geographic ranges in the Northern Hemisphere would be pre-adapted to warming and thus will increase with warming, facilitating range expansions. However, the assumptions underlying this theory have not been previously tested. If these northern populations do not increase under warming, species may not track changing climatic conditions and instead decline under climate change.
SEDIMENT YIELDS CLIMATE RECORD FOR PAST HALF-MILLION YEARS Researchers here have used sediment from the deep ocean bottom to reconstruct a record of ancient climate that dates back more than the last half-million years. The record, trapped within the top 20 meters (65.6 feet) of a 400-meter (1,312-foot) sediment core drilled in 2005 in the North Atlantic Ocean by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, gives new information about the four glacial cycles that occurred during that period.
Isolated forest patches lose species, diversity Failing to see the forest for the trees may be causing us to overlook the declining health of Wisconsin's forest ecosystems. Even areas with apparently robust trees and lush canopies are threatened as forests are increasingly fragmented by roads and development, becoming isolated green islands in a sea of agricultural fields, housing tracts, and strip malls, say University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.				Reviving American Chestnut Trees May Mitigate Climate Change A Purdue University study shows that introducing a new hybrid of the American chestnut tree would not only bring back the all-but-extinct species, but also put a dent in the amount of carbon in the Earth's atmosphere.
Global Warming Increasing The Dispersal Of Flora In Northern Forests As a result of stronger winds caused by global warming, seeds and pollen are being carried over longer distances. An increase in temperature of only a couple of degrees may increase the dispersal of plants in Northern forests and the spread of plant species into forest clearings after felling or forest fires.
Racing the Clock: Rapid Climate Change Forces Scientists to Evaluate Extreme Conservation Strategies Scientists are, for the first time, objectively evaluating ways to help species adapt to rapid climate change and other environmental threats via strategies that were considered too radical for serious consideration as recently as five or 10 years ago. Among these radical strategies currently being considered is so-called "managed relocation." Managed relocation, which is also known as "assisted migration," involves manually moving species into more accommodating habitats where they are not currently found.			Lessons From The Past: Research Examines How Past Communities Coped With Climate Change Research led by the University of Leicester suggests people today and in future generations should look to the past in order to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. The dangers of rising sea levels, crop failures and extreme weather were all faced by our ancestors who learnt to adapt and survive in the face of climate change.
Is Rural Land Use Too Important To Be Left To Farmers? As demands on rural land increase and we are all having to deal with the effects of climate change, we may need to take a fresh look at our priorities, according to leading academics at The Future of Rural Land Use, a conference organised by the UK Research Councils’ Rural Economy and Land Use Programme on 4 June 2009.
Postwar Food Vecht Is An Important Source Of Antioxidant Activity Researchers of Instituto de la Grasa (part of the Spanish National Research Council -CSIC) and the Vegetal Biology and Ecology Department of the University of Seville have found out that vetch is an important source of phenolic compounds with a high antioxidant activity. It is a leguminous plant of the Fabeae family, very popular during the Spanish post-war as a basic foodstuff. Currently, vetch is frequently grown in the Indian subcontinent, in Ethiopia and surrounding countries, in the Mediterranean area and in South America. ScienceDirect			De la difficulté de mesurer la biodiversité D’ici 2010, la communauté internationale s’est engagée à faire le bilan de ses avancées concernant la conservation de la biodiversité, dans le cadre de la Convention sur la diversité biologique adoptée à Rio en 1992. Mais l’évaluation reste complexe. Depuis quelques années, la communauté internationale semble avoir pris conscience que la protection de la biodiversité constituait l’un des enjeux majeurs de ce siècle aux côtés des changements climatiques. Depuis le sommet de la terre de Rio et la conférence de Johannesburg, le suivi de la biodiversité est considéré comme urgent et nécessaire. La Convention sur la diversité biologique engage les états signataires à publier en 2010 une évaluation précise de l'efficacité de leurs actions en faveur de l'arrêt de la régression de la biodiversité.
Quaternary geologists win timescale vote In 2006, astronomers reached a decision on the planetary status of Pluto; now, geologists may have done the same for the status of the Quaternary, the time period in which humans evolved and live today. But, as was the case with Pluto, resolving this long-standing controversy has left some researchers feeling alienated.				L’introduction du coton transgénique provoque la colère des paysans africains Monsanto à l’assaut du Burkina Faso
When Evolution Is Not So Slow And Gradual What's the secret to surviving during times of environmental change ? Evolve ... quickly. A new article in The American Naturalist finds that guppy populations introduced into new habitats developed new and advantageous traits in just a few years. This is one of only a few studies to look at adaptation and survival in a wild population
The end of theory in science? par Massimo Pigliucci Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) famously said that, "whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent." Although his counsel was given in a specific context, it is actually good general advice that Chris Anderson, Editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, would do well to heed. On June 23, 2008, Anderson posted an article on Wired's website, "The end of theory: the data deluge makes the scientific method obsolete," from which it is perfectly clear that he doesn't understand much about either science or the scientific method.				Time Series Identify Population Responses To Climate Change Biologists have for several years modeled how different species are likely to respond to climate change. Most such studies ignore differences between populations within a species and the interactions between species, in the interest of simplicity.
Massive Online 'Macroscopic Observatory' Of Earth's Biodiversity To Be Created Wanted (soon): observations from environment-minded citizens that will allow science to study biodiversity at a planetary level in a massive, comprehensive virtual observatory of historic importance. The online information system for life on Earth, now under construction, will take its place alongside the global network that records earthquakes, or the world meteorology data network that pools information to predict the weather.		Biodiversité en Europe : l'appauvrissement risque de s'accélérer EU Biodiversity Action Plan Report 2008 The mid-term report on implementation of the EU Biodiversity Action Plan provides the first comprehensive assessment of progress at both European Community and Member State levels The report studies four main policy areas: biodiversity in the EU, the EU and global biodiversity, biodiversity and climate change, and the knowledge base.
Nature Parks Can Save Species As Climate Changes Retaining a network of wildlife conservation areas is vital in helping to save up to 90 per cent of bird species in Africa affected by climate change, according to scientists. The research team – led by Durham University - including BirdLife International and the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) looked at the effects of climate change on 815 bird species of conservation concern in sub-Saharan Africa and on the network of sites designated for them (termed Important Bird Areas).
Des Racines et des Ailes...dans les Calanques Sur France 3, le mercredi 27 mai à 20 h 35, les Calanques, candidates au titre de Parc National seront à l'honneur dans le magazine "Des Racines et des Ailes". Pendant les cinq jours de tournage consacrés au territoire du futur Parc National, l'équipe aura vécu le territoire dans toute sa diversité L'équipe du tournage rencontre Thierry TATONI, membre du Conseil scientifique du GIP des Calanques, botaniste et chercheur dont la mission est également la protection du patimoine des calanques. Ce scientifique arpente les plateaux calcaires aux côtés des agents de l'Office National des Forêts afin de réaliser un inventaire de la flore. Sur ces roches arides, battues par les vents, et exposées à la sècheresse, poussent pourtant de la végétation : des plantes et des fleurs menacées de disparition, alors que certaines sont uniques. L'enjeu est donc énorme, et urgent, car les calanques se trouvent aux portes de Marseille, deuxième ville de France. Avec la participation de Alex Baumel et Samy Youssef (Sabline de Marseille)
Rising sea levels: Survival tips from 5000 BC With rising seas lapping at coastal cities and threatening to engulf entire islands in the not-too-distant future, it's easy to assume our only option will be to abandon them and head for the hills. There may be another way, however. Archaeological sites in the Caribbean, dating back to 5000 BC, show that some ancient civilisations had it just as bad as anything we are expecting. Yet not only did they survive a changing coastline and more storm surges and hurricanes: they stayed put and successfully adapted to the changing world. Now archaeologists are working out how they managed it and finding ways that we might learn from their example.				Hot And Cold: Circulation Of Atmosphere Affected Mediterranean Climate During Last Ice Age This innovative study paves the way for future interdisciplinary efforts to understand and predict regional climate change, and is co-authored by Professor Eelco Rohling of the University of Southampton School of Ocean and Earth Science, based at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.
Darwin revisité : le soulèvement de la Patagonie et un exemple de remise en cause du principe de l'isostasie Dans le cadre d'un projet financé par le programme INSU du CNRS « Reliefs de la Terre », une équipe du Laboratoire des mécanismes et transferts en géologie, , en collaboration les univ. de Rennes, Caen, Paris 11 et des collègues argentins et chiliens, a cherché à caractériser les terrasses de Patagonie pour comprendre les causes responsables du soulèvement de cette région.		Agricultural Aromatherapy: Lavender Oil As Natural Herbicide Elena Sturchio of the National Institute of Health and Safety at Work in Rome and colleagues there and at the Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, and the Department Crop Production, at Tuscia University, in Viterbo, have investigated the inhibitory effects on weed growth of aromatic oils, or mixtures of phytochemicals, from plants such as lavender, Lavandula officinalis.
Racing the Clock: Rapid Climate Change Forces Scientists to Evaluate Extreme Conservation Strategies Scientists are, for the first time, objectively evaluating ways to help species adapt to rapid climate change and other environmental threats via strategies that were considered too radical for serious consideration as recently as five or 10 years ago. Among these radical strategies currently being considered is so-called "managed relocation." Managed relocation, which is also known as "assisted migration," involves manually moving species into more accommodating habitats where they are not currently found.
Fire and water reveal new archaeological dating method Scientists at The University of Manchester have developed a new way of dating archaeological objects – using fire and water to unlock their ‘internal clocks’. A team from The University of Manchester and The University of Edinburgh has discovered a new technique which they call ‘rehydroxylation dating’ that can be used on fired clay ceramics like bricks, tile and pottery. Working with The Museum of London, the team has been able to date brick samples from Roman, medieval and modern periods with remarkable accuracy.
Beneficial Plant 'Spillover' Effect Seen From Landscape Corridors Research by a North Carolina State University biologist and colleagues shows that using landscape corridors, the "superhighways" that connect isolated patches of habitat, to protect certain plants has a large "spillover" effect that increases the number of plant species outside the conservation area.		Would eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day really benefit everyone? Eating more healthily might be better for us as individuals, but would it be bad news for farmers? A research project funded by the UK Research Councils' Rural Economy and Land Use Programme had found that if we all followed government advice to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day this could have serious implications for the countryside.
Grenelle: le gang des grille-pains à l'attaque A force de se faire détricoter à chaque réunion de travail, Grenelle rime de plus en plus avec grosse gamelle. La plupart des Français le croient voté, plié, et déjà appliqué. Que nenni ! Le projet de loi doit repasser en seconde lecture à l’Assemblée nationale au début de l’été. Et d’ici là, les moeuœuvres vont bon train pour vider de leur substance quelques décisions essentielles.			Critical Role Of Evolutionary Processes In Species Coexistence And Diversity Revealed A team of researchers, addressing long-standing conflicts in ecology and evolutionary science, has provided key directions for the future of community ecology. The team comprehensively synthesized emerging work that applies knowledge of evolutionary relationships among different species—phylogenetics—to understanding species interactions, ecosystems and biodiversity.
Les réformes ... à la hache ... Sarkozy annonce "un plan puissant" pour "multiplier par dix l'utilisation du bois" Nicolas Sarkozy a annoncé mardi un plan bois "extrêmement puissant", avec notamment la multiplication "par dix l'utilisation du bois dans la construction" afin de favoriser la filière bois, "un secteur d'avenir". "Nous allons faire en sorte que tout propriétaire, qui déciderait pour isoler sa maison ou son immeuble de le recouvrir de bois, n'ait pas besoin de déposer un permis de construire pour que cela aille plus vite", a précisé le chef de l'Etat ...
Insight Into Evolution Of First Flowers Charles Darwin described the sudden origin of flowering plants about 130 million years ago as an abominable mystery, one that scientists have yet to solve. But a new University of Florida study, set to appear in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is helping shed light on the mystery with information about what the first flowers looked like and how they evolved from nonflowering plants.			How Plants Survived Chernobyl You might expect the scene of the world's worst nuclear disaster to be a barren wasteland. But trees, bushes, and vines overtake abandoned streets surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear power facility in the Ukraine. Now, researchers say they've discovered changes in the proteins of soybeans grown near Chernobyl that could explain how plants survive despite chronic radiation exposure. The findings could one day help researchers engineer radiation-resistant crops.
Incendies et sécheresses répétés, une menace pour la forêt méditerranéenne Le feu est-il l’ennemi de la forêt méditerranéenne ou un facteur régulateur naturel de l’écosystème ? Quel est l’effet du changement climatique sur ces interactions ? Grace au programme IRISE, coordonné par le Cemagref, on sait aujourd’hui que tout est une question de fréquence, en lien avec le stock de matière organique qui conditionne la vie dans le sol. Les résultats obtenus ouvrent de nouvelles pistes pour gérer au mieux les écosystèmes les plus fragiles. >>> Programme IRISE
Plant Life Discovery On Boston Harbor Islands Could Help Future Damage Caused By Exotic Species When these non-native species of plants gain a toehold and start colonizing, they can cause tremendous economic and environmental harm. In 2005, damages resulting from these exotic colonies cost an estimated $120 billion. For that reason, scientists continue to try to identify what factors influence the establishment of exotic species in order to help prevent them from colonizing.
How Bees Hold Onto Flowers: 'Velcro'-like Structures On Flower Petals Help Bees Stick When bees collect nectar, how do they hold onto the flower? Cambridge University scientists have shown that it is down to small cone-shaped cells on the petals that act like 'velcro' on the bees' feet. New research shows that bumblebees can recognise the texture of petal surfaces by touch alone. More importantly, they choose to land on petals with conical cells that make it easier to grip, rather than on flat, smooth surfaces. With this extra grip, they can extract nectar from the flower more efficiently.
Pour mieux la préserver, l’Etat met la nature à prix Un rapport tente d’évaluer ce que coûterait à la France la perte de biodiversité. Où l’on découvre qu’un hectare de forêt vaut 970 euros. Qui est-ce qui bosse à l’œil en faisant bzzz bzzz toute la journée et qui pourtant fait gagner à la collectivité la bagatelle de 150 milliards d’euros par an ? Réponse : les abeilles et, plus largement, les insectes pollinisateurs, sans qui fruits et légumes seraient bien en peine de se reproduire. Le chiffre semble absurde, mais il est étayé économiquement : si les abeilles disparaissaient, c’est ce qu’il faudrait payer pour faire le travail à leur place ou trouver des produits de substitution. A l’échelle mondiale, les premières estimations prévoient qu’en 2050, la perte de biodiversité pourrait représenter 7 % du PIB mondial. 14 000 milliards d’euros par an.
Rapport Biodiversité : L’approche économique de la biodiversité et des services liés aux éco systèmes Quel bilan dresser des connaissances scientifiques sur le thème de la monétarisation des services rendus par les écosystèmes et de la valeur de la biodiversité ? Quels sont les enjeux socioéconomiques de la diversité biologique en France, y compris dans les départements et collectivités d’Outre-mer ? Quel cahier des charges pour d’éventuelles recherches ultérieures ? Quelles seraient les premières valeurs de référence pour la prise en compte de la biodiversité, qui pourront être utilisées notamment dans les études socioéconomiques relatives aux projets d’infrastructures ?					Combien ça vaut un MOUCHERON ? Une prairie humide, un insecte, un micro-organisme : donner un prix à la biodiversité peut être un outil précieux, enrayer son érosion, mais il serait illusoire - et réducteur - d’envisager une "unité de compte" similaire à la tonne de CO2 pour le climat.
Global Warming: Heat Could Kill Drought-stressed Trees Fast Widespread die-off of piñon pine across the southwestern United States during future droughts will occur at least five times faster if climate warms by 4 degrees Celsius, even if future droughts are no worse than droughts of the past century, scientists have discovered in experiments conducted at the University of Arizona's Biosphere 2.
Biological Diversity: Islands Beat Mainland Nine To One Rare and unique ecological communities will be lost if oceanic islands aren't adequately considered in a global conservation plan, a new study has found. Although islands tend to harbor fewer species than continental lands of similar size, plants and animals found on islands often live only there, making protection of their isolated habitats our sole chance to preserve them.			Home Energy Savings Are Made In The Shade Trees positioned to shade the west and south sides of a house may decrease summertime electric bills by 5 percent on average, according to a recent study* of California homes by researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
La Boudeuse : une exploration des milieux marins, estuariens, fluviaux et iliens Le voilier "La Boudeuse" va partir pour une série de missions scientifiques. À l'étude notamment : la biosphère, le réchauffement climatique, la protection de l'environnement, les rapports entre les hommes et leurs milieux. Réponse à l'appel à projets avant le 30 mai 2009. Le trois-mâts d'exploration "La Boudeuse", un voilier de 42 mètres construit en 1916, prendra le large, en septembre prochain, pour une série de 9 missions scientifiques. Son cap : les grands fleuves d'Amérique du sud (Amazone, Orénoque, Paraná), les canaux de Patagonie, puis, l'océan Pacifique et ses «îles en voie de disparition» du fait de la montée des eaux. Les scientifiques étudieront la déforestation, la pollution des fleuves, la dégradation des biotopes, la disparition des espèces animales et végétales, ou encore la montée des eaux dans les îles isolées de l'océan Pacifique...
Le brouillard se dissipe sur l'Europe Ces trente dernières années, les émissions de dioxyde de soufre dans l'atmosphère ont énormément baissé en Europe. Conséquence : les épisodes de brumes et de brouillard se sont raréfiés… ce qui, selon des chercheurs, aurait aggravé le réchauffement climatique. C'est un phénomène communément observé mais qui n'avait pas encore été étudié à grande échelle : le déclin manifeste des épisodes de brumes et de brouillards en Europe depuis une trentaine d'années. Robert Vautard, Pascal Yiou, chercheurs au Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l'environnement (LSCE)			Fire Influences Global Warming More Than Previously Thought Fire's potent and pervasive effects on ecosystems and on many Earth processes, including climate change, have been underestimated, according to a new report. "We've estimated that deforestation due to burning by humans is contributing about one-fifth of the human-caused greenhouse effect -- and that percentage could become larger," said co-author Thomas W. Swetnam of The University of Arizona in Tucson.
Why Invasive Plants Take Over New research shows that two key causes of plant invasion--escape from natural enemies, and increases in plant resources--act in concert. This result helps to explain the dramatic invasions by exotic plants occurring worldwide. It also indicates that global change is likely to exacerbate invasion by exotic plants.
Is the UK prepared for Sudden Oak Death? Britain's ability to stop the spread of so-called 'Sudden Oak Death', a disease threatening the country's trees, woods and heathland, will be assessed in a new review by Imperial College London researchers announced today. The review, which has been commissioned by the Government's Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), will be carried out as part of the UK Research Council's Rural Economy and Land Use Programme. It will look at the effectiveness of current strategies being used to keep this burgeoning disease under control.
One hundred questions to conserve global biodiversity Conservation experts from 24 world-leading organisations including the WWF, Conservation International and Birdlife International have identified one hundred key scientific questions that, if answered, would help conserve global biodiversity. Scientists say if the questions are answered swiftly, it could stem massive biodiversity loss.
Une première étude sur la capacité des écosystèmes chinois à absorber les émissions de CO 2 Les écosystèmes de la Chine ont absorbé entre 28 et 37 % des émissions chinoises de carbone issues des combustibles fossiles entre 1981 et 2000. L'étude scientifique qui parvient à cette conclusion a été réalisée par une équipe internationale, menée par le Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l'environnement (LSCE / CEA, CNRS, UVSQ)		Students Least Informed About Environmental Science Are Most Optimistic Will problems associated with environmental issues improve in the next two decades? According to an analysis of student performance on PISA 2006--an international assessment of 15-year-olds--students who are the best informed about environmental science and the geosciences are also the most realistic about the environmental challenges facing the world in the next 20 years. Meanwhile, students who are least informed in these areas are the most wildly optimistic that things will improve.
Epigenetics: DNA Isn’t Everything Research into epigenetics has shown that environmental factors affect characteristics of organisms. These changes are sometimes passed on to the offspring. ETH professor Renato Paro does not believe that this opposes Darwin’s theory of evolution.
Global Warming: Heat Could Kill Drought-stressed Trees Fast Widespread die-off of piñon pine across the southwestern United States during future droughts will occur at least five times faster if climate warms by 4 degrees Celsius, even if future droughts are no worse than droughts of the past century, scientists have discovered in experiments conducted at the University of Arizona's Biosphere - In PNAS
Invasive Species: Will Europe At Last Unite To Combat Thousands Of Alien Invaders? Europe’s borders have been breached by thousands of plants and animal species from other parts of the world: from the American mink to the New Zealand flatworm. The invaders feed on, hybridise with, parasitise and out-compete native species. They also introduce diseases, alter the balance within ecosystems, modify landscapes and impact upon agriculture, forestry and fisheries.		Le territoire français poursuit son artificialisation Conformément au programme européen CORINE Land Cover, la France vient de transmettre ses dernières statistiques concernant l’occupation des sols de son territoire métropolitain. Basée sur des données de 2006, cette édition est réalisée par 38 états européens investis dans le programme sous la coordination de l’Agence Européenne pour l’Environnement (AEE). Cet exercice est le troisième du genre après ceux réalisés sur la base des données de 1990 puis de celles de 2000. En France, il est réalisé par le Service de l’observation et des statistiques (ex-IFEN) du Commissariat Général du Développement Durable (CGDD).
Les plus anciennes traces de plantes vasculaires terrestres, découvertes en Arabie Saoudite, datent de 450 millions d'années. 15-04-2009 - Une équipe internationale de chercheurs Belges, Britanniques, Français (Domaines océaniques - INSU-CNRS/ IUEM et Géosciences Rennes INSU-CNRS/Université de Rennes 1), et d'Arabie Saoudite * décrivent...
La Méditerranée est montée de 11 cm en un siècle Le marégraphe, situé sur la Corniche, permet de calculer les altitudes en France Alain Coulomb présente ici le marégraphe d'origine toujours en activité et dont les relevés sont recueillis chaque semaine par un technicien de l'IGN. C'est à Berlin en 1864 qu'il a été décidé que "les hauteurs de chaque pays seraient rapportées à un point zéro solidement établi". Et il aura fallu près de 20 ans pour que l'abri de ce repère fondamental soit définitivement choisi. Ce fut Marseille, un grand port où les marées sont peu importantes. Le bâtiment du marégraphe a été élevé en 1883, le long de la toute nouvelle promenade de la Corniche. De par son importance, cette bâtisse construite sur le promontoire rocheux de l'anse Calvo est unique au monde. C'est d'ici, que toutes les altitudes de France sont déterminées.					Field Stations Foster Serendipitous Discoveries In Environmental, Biological Sciences North America's biological field stations have long been home to a rich legacy of research results, scientists say, making them important places for serendipitous discoveries in the biological and environmental sciences.
Evolution's Impact On Ecosystems Shown Directly For First Time Scientists have come to agree that different environments impact the evolution of new species. Now experiments conducted at the University of British Columbia are showing for the first time that the reverse is also true.		With wild fire season coming, satellites are powerful, new weapon against devastation Across California's grasslands and a widening stretch of the West, invading species of plants like cheatgrass and Medusa head rye make deadly wild fires more frequent and burn more intensely, destroying property, spewing greenhouse gases, and ruining the interdependent fabric of grasses, birds, insects and other animals. Last year, California lost over 900,000 acres to wild fires on national forest land alone — more than triple the average annual losses over the previous 38 years.
Ingénieries-EAT numéro spécial «Les boues résiduaires : quelle caractérisation et quels impacts expérimentaux pour l'épandage agricole ?» Dans un contexte de constante augmentation de la production des boues issues du traitement d'épuration, leur caractérisation physique et chimique devient un enjeu important pour optimiser leur valorisation par l'épandage agricole. Ce numéro spécial présente les dernières avancées dans le domaine de la définition des différentes caractéristiques des boues résiduaires en matière de composition, de consistance et des méthodes de traitemement En savoir plus ...
Climate Change To Spur Rapid Shifts In Wildfire Hotspots, Analysis Finds Climate change will bring about major shifts in worldwide fire patterns, and those changes are coming fast, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with scientists at Texas Tech University. Global Pyrogeography: the Current and Future Distribution of Wildfire (in PlusOne)
IUCN Congress SSC summary Summary of species issues and events from the 4th World Conservation Congress held in Barcelona in october 2008. Species Conservation Planning Task Force chaired by Robert Lacy (Chair, Conservation Breeding SG) has published a handbook to provide guidance to Specialist Groups on how and when to prepare and promote Species Conservation Strategies (SCSs). Download the handbook here (123 pages, 7MB). A much shortened version has been produced as an overview – download this overview here. (34 pages, 3MB).
Parc national des calanques : le GIP se veut rassurant Après la réunion du Comité écologique de sauvegarde de La Ciotat (lire La Provence du 26 mars), le Groupement d'intérêt public des calanques a tenu à répondre aux inquiétudes des usagers qui se disent contre la création du futur parc national. Point par point, Jean-Marie Lafond, directeur de cette structure présidée par Guy Teissier, a donné des explications.
Journée publique de réflexion : Quelle éthique face au changement climatique ? Agir en situation d’incertitude
Changement climatique : certitudes, incertitudes et idées fausses Édouard Bard (Collège de France) 27/02/09			Changement climatique : état des lieux André Berger (Univ. catholique de Louvain)
Invasive Species: Will Europe At Last Unite To Combat Thousands Of Alien Invaders? Europe’s borders have been breached by thousands of plants and animal species from other parts of the world: from the American mink to the New Zealand flatworm. The invaders feed on, hybridise with, parasitise and out-compete native species. They also introduce diseases, alter the balance within ecosystems, modify landscapes and impact upon agriculture, forestry and fisheries.				Evolution's Impact On Ecosystems Shown Directly For First Time Scientists have come to agree that different environments impact the evolution of new species. Now experiments conducted at the University of British Columbia are showing for the first time that the reverse is also true.
Une étude inédite témoigne d’une possibilité de transfert de gènes par les insectes pollinisateurs	Neuf projets retenus dans le cadre du programme de recherche ''ECOGER'' sur l'écologie des écosystèmes L'INRA a présenté le bilan de son programme de recherche ''Ecologie pour la gestion des écosystèmes et de leurs ressources''. Neuf projets ont été retenus rassemblant plus d'une centaine de chercheurs et bénéficiant d'un soutien de 3,7 M€. Les projets
Rapport de la FAO Situation des forêts dans le monde : un bilan mitigé, des pressions qui perdurent Au moment où la crise économique et le changement climatique portent la gestion des forêts au premier plan de l'intérêt mondial, la réforme des institutions forestières et l'accroissement des investissements de la science et de la technologie sont essentiels pour un meilleur aménagement des forêts, souligne le rapport "La situation des forêts du monde 2009", paru le 16 mars 2009.
Management Options After Fires In Diverse Ecosystems Described No single decision-support system exists for selecting alternatives for postfire management. That thesis is what a recently released report on management after fire hinges upon. The publication, Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America, tells us that the type of forest landscape determines the ways fire and logging may change an area after a wildfire.			Rock Rose Leaves And Olive And Date Pits Make Up New Anti-pesticide Formula A Spanish-Moroccan research team has developed an ecological means of reducing pesticide-related water pollution by using natural organic waste materials, such as olive and date stones, and the leaves of plants such as the rock rose and radish. This new formula could help to reduce this problem that causes damage to health and the environment.
Le puits de carbone de l'Amazonie menacé par les sécheresses L'Amazonie est étonnamment sensible à la sécheresse, selon une nouvelle étude menée au cœur de cette forêt tropicale humide, la plus grande du monde. Cette étude, publiée le 6 mars 2009 dans la revue "SCIENCE", met en évidence pour la première fois les preuves que l’accentuation récente des sécheresses provoque des baisses massives de la réserve de carbone dans les forêts tropicales, notamment du fait de la mortalité des arbres.
Herbiers de Provence Alpes et Côte d'Azur - Histoire - Botanique - Usage (Edisud) Ce beau livre présente un échantillon très diversifié des collections d’herbiers conservées dans les musées d’Histoire naturelle et institutions botaniques de la région PACA. Dans cet ouvrage : Verlaque R. & Vila B. (IMEP). Les herbiers et leurs utilisations. pp 57-71. Verlaque R. & Vila B. (IMEP). Origine et originalité de la flore méditerranéenne. pp 79-98. Verlaque R. & Vila B. (IMEP). Les Herbiers témoins de la flore et des changements globaux. pp 99-108.