A quantitative assessment of the ecological value of sycamore maple habitats in the French Alps

La naturalité est un critère important pour l'évaluation de mesures conservatoires des écosystèmes. Au niveau local, une telle évaluation doit être basée sur des indicateurs objectifs et quantifiables sur le terrain. Dans cette étude, nous avons utilisé une méthode multicritères basée sur la différence entre Valeur Naturelle (NV) et Valeur Conservatoire (CV) pour quantifier la valeur écologique des érablaies de versant à érable sycomore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) par comparaison avec les peuplements mixtes de hêtraie-sapinière-pessière avoisinants. En effet, les naturalistes ainsi que l'Union Européenne considèrent que les érablaies de versant ont une valeur de conservation et de naturalité élevée. Nos résultats montrent que les valeurs naturelle et de conservation sont significativement plus élevées pour l'érablaie que pour la forêt mixte avoisinante et que cette évaluation ne dépend pas de facteurs abiotiques tels que l'altitude ou l'exposition. En fait, la naturalité de structure et de composition des érablaies de versant sont plus fortes que celles des forêts mixtes et permettent de différencier les deux habitats en termes de valeur écologique. Les gestionnaires peuvent facilement utiliser cette méthode pour évaluer la valeur écologique de petits habitats en zone de montagne, ce qui permet d'établir des orientations sylvicoles pour une gestion conservatoire et proche de la nature. / Naturalness is an important criterion in nature conservation assessment. At the stand-level, such assessment must be based on objective and quantifiable indicators measurable in the field. In this study, we used a multi-criterion method based on the difference between a Natural Value(NV) and a Conservation Value (CV) to quantify the ecological value of sycamore maple patches compared to the surrounding mixed forests. Indeed, sycamore habitats are considered of high natural and conservation value both by naturalists and by European institutions. Our results showed that the natural and conservation values were significantly higher for the sycamore forests than for the surrounding mixed forests and that this assessment did not depend on abiotic factors such as elevation or aspect. Actually, naturalness of structure and composition in the sycamore habitats was higher than for mixed forests and allowed us to differentiate between the two habitats. Managers could easily use this method in order to assess the ecological value of small habitats in mountainous regions and to provide guidelines for close-to-nature and conservation-related silviculture.FORET DE MONTAGNE;ECOLOGIE FORESTIERE;EVALUATION;PROTECTION DE LA NATURE;ACER PSEUDOPLATANUS;METHODOLOGIE;HABITAT;VALEUR ECOLOGIQUE;NATURALITE;ALPES FRANCAISES;CHARTREUSE MASSIF;ACER PSEUDOPLATANUS;CHARTREUSE;INDICATORS;NATURALNESS;ECOLOGICAL VALUE

Conservation planning with spatially explicit models : a case for horseshoe bats in complex mountain landscapes

This work was partly Funded by the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, France in support of the development of the DEB-MOCHAB project (2013–2015) (Species distribution modelling: a tool for evaluation the conservation of species’ habitats and ecological continuities). This work was also partially supported by the OpenNESS project funded from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement n° 308428.Context Bats are considered as an ecological indicator of habitat quality due to their sensitivity to human-induced ecosystem changes. Hence, we will focus the study on two indicator species of bats as a proxy to evaluate structure and composition of the landscape to analyze anthropic pressures driving changes in patterns. Objectives This study develops a spatially-explicit model to highlight key habitat nodes and corridors which are integral for maintaining functional landscape connectivity for bat movement. We focus on a complex mountain landscape and two bat species: greater (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) and lesser (Rhinolophus hipposideros) horseshoe bats which are known to be sensitive to landscape composition and configuration. Methods Species distribution models are used to delineate high-quality foraging habitat for each species using opportunistic ultrasonic bat data. We then performed connectivity analysis combining (modelled) suitable foraging habitat and (known) roost sites. We use graph-theory and the deviation in the probability of connectivity to quantify resilience of the landscape connectivity to perturbations. Results Both species were confined to lowlands (<1000 m elevation) and avoided areas with high road densities. Greater horseshoe bats were more generalist than lesser horseshoe bats which tended to be associated with broadleaved and mixed forests. Conclusions The spatially-explicit models obtained were proven crucial for prioritizing foraging habitats, roost sites and key corridors for conservation. Hence, our results are being used by key stakeholders to help integrate conservation measures into forest management and conservation planning at the regional level. The approach used can be integrated into conservation initiatives elsewhere.PostprintPeer reviewe

Dispersion et persistance de la biodversité dans la trame forestière (DISTRAFOR)

L’établissement d’un trame forestière fonctionnelle, c’est -à-dire qui permette aux espèces de se déplacer et de migrer au sein des paysages, suppose de connaître les espèces qui se dispersent mal et les configurations paysagères délétères. Pour y répondre, le projet Distrafor a étudié la réponse à la connectivité spatiale et temporelle forestière de la flore vasculaire, des coléoptères saproxyliques et carabiques, et de la faune du sol, en contrôlant la qualité de l’habitat. Les analyses ont porté sur des données préexistantes et acquises pour ce projet, en étudiant à partir de cartes anciennes et de données de biodiversité contemporaines les assemblages faunistiques et floristiques dans des boisements anciens et récents. Les résultats montrent que près de la moitié des plantes réagit à l’ancienneté de l’usage forestier mais cette réponse peut s’expliquer en partie par des différences des caractéristiques chimiques des sols entre forêts anciennes et forêts récentes. Des analyses complémentaires restent à réaliser pour estimer la proportion de plantes véritablement limitées par de faibles capacités de dispersion. Ces espèces bénéficient de l’accroissement de la connectivité forestière, en particulier dans les zones de grandes cultures et les zones urbaines. La colonisation est nettement favorisée lorsque l’accroissement forestier se fait au contact direct de bois anciens. Les plantes naturalisées ne semblent pas particulièrement favorisées par la connectivité. En contexte agricole, la composition des assemblages de coléoptères carabiques et sa proxyliques varie entre boisements récents et anciens, alors qu’elle ne semble réagir ni à la qualité, ni à la connectivité de l’habitat forestier ; les cortèges sont moins riches dans les paysages les plus boisés. Certaines espèces de coléoptères semblent pouvoir compenser une plus forte fragmentation forestière par de meilleures capacités de dispersion. Sur les mêmes sites, la macrofaune du sol répond à ces paramètres mais de façon différenciée selon les taxons et la région. Ces résultats montrent qu’il faut cibler les opérations de restauration sur les zones les moins boisées, et qu’il faut encourager en parallèle le maintien et la restauration de la qualité des habitats forestiers les plus fragiles

Edge contrast does not modulate edge effect on plants and pollinators

Edge contrast, is one of the main determinants of edge effects. This study examines the response of plant and pollinator diversity (bees and butterflies) to forest edge contrast, i.e. the difference between forests and adjacent open habitats with different disturbance regimes. We also investigated a potential cascading effect from plants to pollinators and whether edge structure and landscape composition mediate the relationship between edge contrast and beta diversity of pollinators. We sampled 51 lowcontrast edges where forests were adjacent to habitats showing low levels of disturbance (i.e. grey dunes, mowed fire-breaks, orchards, grasslands) and 29 high-contrast edges where forests were adjacent to more intensively disturbed habitats (i.e. tilled firebreaks, oilseed rape) in three regions of France. We showed that plant diversities were higher in edges than in adjacent open habitat, whatever the edge contrast. However, plant beta diversity did not differ significantly between low and highcontrast edges. While we observed higher pollinator diversities in adjacent habitats than in low-contrast edges, there were no significant differences in pollinator beta diversity depending on edge contrast. We did not observe a cascading effect from plants to pollinators. Plant and bee beta diversities were mainly explained by local factors (edge structure and flower cover) while butterfly beta diversity was explained by surrounding landscape characteristics (proportion of land cover in grassland)

Are white storks addicted to junk food? Impacts of landfill use on the movement and behaviour of resident white storks (Ciconia ciconia) from a partially migratory population

Background: The migratory patterns of animals are changing in response to global environmental change with many species forming resident populations in areas where they were once migratory. The white stork (Ciconia ciconia) was wholly migratory in Europe but recently guaranteed, year-round food from landfill sites has facilitated the establishment of resident populations in Iberia. In this study 17 resident white storks were fitted with GPS/GSM data loggers (including accelerometer) and tracked for 9.1 ± 3.7 months to quantify the extent and consistency of landfill attendance by individuals during the non-breeding and breeding seasons and to assess the influence of landfill use on daily distances travelled, percentage of GPS fixes spent foraging and non-landfill foraging ranges. Results: Resident white storks used landfill more during non-breeding (20.1 % ± 2.3 of foraging GPS fixes) than during breeding (14.9 % ± 2.2). Landfill attendance declined with increasing distance between nest and landfill in both seasons. During non-breeding a large percentage of GPS fixes occurred on the nest throughout the day (27 % ± 3.0 of fixes) in the majority of tagged storks. This study provides first confirmation of year-round nest use by resident white storks. The percentage of GPS fixes on the nest was not influenced by the distance between nest and the landfill site. Storks travelled up to 48.2 km to visit landfills during non-breeding and a maximum of 28.1 km during breeding, notably further than previous estimates. Storks nesting close to landfill sites used landfill more and had smaller foraging ranges in non-landfill habitat indicating higher reliance on landfill. The majority of non-landfill foraging occurred around the nest and long distance trips were made specifically to visit landfill. Conclusions: The continuous availability of food resources on landfill has facilitated year-round nest use in white storks and is influencing their home ranges and movement behaviour. White storks rely on landfill sites for foraging especially during the non-breeding season when other food resources are scarcer and this artificial food supplementation probably facilitated the establishment of resident populations. The closure of landfills, as required by EU Landfill Directives, will likely cause dramatic impacts on white stork populations

Forest edges have high conservation value for bird communities in mosaic landscapes

A major conservation challenge in mosaic landscapes is to understand how trait-specific responses to habitat edges affect bird communities, including potential cascading effects on bird functions providing ecosystem services to forests, such as pest control. Here, we examined how bird species richness, abundance and community composition varied from interior forest habitats and their edges into adjacent open habitats, within a multi-regional sampling scheme. We further analyzed variations in Conservation Value Index (CVI), Community Specialization Index (CSI) and functional traits across the forest-edge-open habitat gradient. Bird species richness, total abundance and CVI were significantly higher at forest edges while CSI peaked at interior open habitats, i.e., furthest from forest edge. In addition, there were important variations in trait-and species-specific responses to forest edges among bird communities. Positive responses to forest edges were found for several forest bird species with unfavorable conservation status. These species were in general insectivores, understorey gleaners, cavity nesters and long-distance migrants, all traits that displayed higher abundance at forest edges than in forest interiors or adjacent open habitats. Furthermore, consistently with predictions, negative edge effects were recorded in some forest specialist birds and in most open-habitat birds, showing increasing densities from edges to interior habitats. We thus suggest that increasing landscape-scale habitat complexity would be beneficial to declining species living in mosaic landscapes combining small woodlands and open habitats. Edge effects between forests and adjacent open habitats may also favor bird functional guilds providing valuable ecosystem services to forests in long-standing fragmented landscapes

Overabundant ungulates in French Sologne? Increasing red deer and wild boar pressure may not threaten woodland birds in mature forest stands

Increasing ungulate populations have been considered to drive changes in woodland bird communities in temperate and boreal forests. Ungulates may negatively affect understory-dependent woodland birds either directly or indirectly. For instance ungulates may prey on nests, or they may reduce the availability of nesting sites, foraging resources or cover for understory-dependent bird species. We conducted ungulate pressure, vegetation and bird surveys on 95 plots, in nineteen mature forest stands (9 fenced and 10 unfenced properties) located in the Sologne region (France). In such private forests, ungulate population densities are highly variable; we were therefore able to explore the effects of varying red deer (Cervus elaphus) browsing and wild boar (Sus scrofa) rooting intensity on bird communities. Bayesian Binomial mixture models indicated that ground-nesting birds were more abundant in forests with high observed wild boar rooting intensity. Generally, increasing deer browsing pressure did not have any negative effect on woodland birds in mature forest stands with a developed canopy, and did not result in lower shrub cover. Most previous studies documenting a negative effect of browsing on birds focused on young forest stands where overstory vegetation was scarce. Our results suggest that the impact of ungulate pressure on forest birds may decrease with forest stand age

How natural capital delivers ecosystem services: A typology derived from a systematic review

There is no unified evidence base to help decision-makers understand how the multiple components of natural capital interact to deliver ecosystem services. We systematically reviewed 780 papers, recording how natural capital attributes (29 biotic attributes and 11 abiotic factors) affect the delivery of 13 ecosystem services. We develop a simple typology based on the observation that five main attribute groups influence the capacity of natural capital to provide ecosystem services, related to: A) the physical amount of vegetation cover; B) presence of suitable habitat to support species or functional groups that provide a service; C) characteristics of particular species or functional groups; D) physical and biological diversity; and E) abiotic factors that interact with the biotic factors in groups A-D. ` Bundles' of services can be identified that are governed by different attribute groups. Management aimed at maximising only one service often has negative impacts on other services and on biological and physical diversity. Sustainable ecosystem management should aim to maintain healthy, diverse and resilient ecosystems that can deliver a wide range of ecosystem services in the long term. This can maximise the synergies and minimise the trade-offs between ecosystem services and is also compatible with the aim of conserving biodiversity. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Quantifier la réponse de la biodiversité à l'exploitation forestière

Le projet Gestion forestière, Naturalité et Biodiversité a pour but d'étudier le lien entre biodiversité, exploitation forestière et naturalité en comparant des parcelles exploitées à des parcelles non-exploitées (Réserves Biologiques Intégrales ou parties intégrales de Réserves Naturelles). En partenariat avec l'ONF, RNF et l'INRA, nous travaillons depuis 2008 sur des réserves intégrales soustraites à l'exploitation depuis au moins 20 ans. L'étude repose sur l'échantillonnage de 7 groupes taxonomiques : plantes vasculaires, mousses, champignons, chauve-souris, oiseaux, coléoptères carabiques et saproxyliques

Forest management cessation and biodiversity: a synthesis of a nationwide French project

Extending the network of strict forest reserves is one of the conservation measures promoted by the French National Strategy for Biodiversity improvement. According to the scientific literature, strict forest reserves may help preserving a part of the biodiversity that is threatened by forestry. However, this strategy is based on poor knowledge in the temperate context and available studies may suffer from methodological shortcomings. The national-scale project named "Forest management, Naturalness and Biodiversity" aims at quantifying the effects on forest structure and biodiversity of management abandonment in strict reserves. Based on a meta-analysis of worldwide literature and original data from 213 study plots set up in 15 forest sites throughout France - around half of the plots in forests left unmanaged for from 8 to 148 years (mean: 46 years)- , we analyzed the response of 7 taxonomic groups to management abandonment. The meta-analysis demonstrates that forestry affects total richness of saproxylic taxa worldwide, which is verified in our national dataset. However, management abandonment per se is not always the best explanation of the differences between managed and unmanaged forests, but other variables, notably linked to deadwood, better explain the observed patterns for saproxylic groups. For other taxa, the response is weaker and depends more on structural features than on management abandonment. In terms of policy, our project has allowed methodological advances thanks to the development of inventory and remote sensing protocols, as well as statistical methods. The dataset we have gathered is also a first comparison of structure and biodiversity between strict forest reserves and managed forests for France. This network may therefore constitute a first basis for long term biodiversity monitoring in French forests