Diagnostic préalable du marché alimentaire local sur le Pays de la Haute vallée de l'Aude et des Pyrénées Audoises

Ce rapport est le résultat de l’étude exécutée par les élèves de l’École d’Ingénieurs de Purpan sur le Pays de la Haute Vallée de l’Aude. Le diagnostic a révélé que ce territoire d’arrière-pays est composé d’entités territoriales multiples avec une démographie, des paysages et des activités économiques variés. Sur cet ancien bassin industriel, le tourisme et l’agriculture ont progressivement pris le pas sur l’industrie en tant qu’activité économique mais ne sont cependant pas exploités à leur optimum. Le principal enjeu de développement du territoire révélé est d’organiser conjointement les filières du tourisme, du bois et de production/distribution des produits locaux. Aussi, le maintien de la qualité de vie avec en autre le développement des transports et des services à la population a été identifié comme enjeux de développement sur le territoire. Afin de répondre à ces enjeux, le pays pourra mettre en action les préconisations formulées. Elles ont comme objectif d’exploiter les potentialités du territoire de manière cohérente. Parmi ces préconisations, la structuration et la coordination des activités et des acteurs est primordiale. Pour cela, il est important de fédérer la population autour d’une identité commune et de la mobiliser autour d’objectifs communs

Utilisation de séries temporelles d’images satellitales pour cartographier le dépérissement des boisements résineux du Sud Massif Central

La canicule de 2003 a provoqué dans le Sud Massif Central des dépérissements résineux brutaux et massifs. Après la crise est venu le temps de l’analyse, en évaluant d’abord l’étendue des impacts, ne serait-ce que pour organiser les reconstitutions à l’échelle régionale. La méthode de télédétection imaginée et mise en oeuvre avec succès est bien adaptée à ce type de phénomène, avec ceci d’original qu’elle intègre les coupes sanitaires d’urgence comme indicateur de l’intensité du dépérissement. Mais gardons-nous de généraliser, car de ce fait même elle ne se prêterait pas à l’évaluation d’autres types de dépérissement, plus diffus ou aux symptômes plus « subtils »

Detecting clear-cuts and decreases in forest vitality using MODIS NDVI time series

This paper examines the potential of MODIS-NDVI time series for detecting clear-cuts in a coniferous forest stand in the south of France. The proposed approach forms part of a survey monitoring the status of forest health and evaluating the forest decline phenomena observed over the last few decades. One of the prerequisites for this survey was that a rapid and easily reproducible method had to be developed that differentiates between forest clear-cuts and changes in forest health induced by environmental factors such as summer droughts. The proposed approach is based on analysis of the breakpoints detected within NDVI time series, using the "Break for Additive Seasonal and Trend" (BFAST) algorithm. To overcome difficulties detecting small areas on the study site, we chose a probabilistic approach based on the use of a conditional inference tree. For model calibration, clear-cut reference data were produced at MODIS resolution (250 m). According to the magnitude of the detected breakpoints, probability classes for the presence of clear-cuts were defined, from greater than 90% to less than 3% probability of a clear-cut. One of the advantages of the probabilistic model is that it allows end users to choose an acceptable level of uncertainty depending on the application. In addition, the use of BFAST allows events to be dated, thus making it possible to perform a retrospective analysis of decreases in forest vitality in the study area

Utilisation des données Google Street View pour cartographier la distribution géographique des espèces. Une étude préliminaire de la processionnaire du pin (Thaumetopoea pityocampa)

Article publié suite à l'événement : MEDINSECT 3 ; Hammamet-Tunis (Tunisie) - (2012-05-08 - 2012-05-11).Mapping species distribution is an important and useful task to monitor invasive species spread or native species expansion under climate change. Unfortunately it requires a lot of occurrence data that are not easily available from literature and that are very time-consuming to collect in the field. For that reason, we designed a survey with the aim to explore to which extent large-scale databases such as Google Street View could be used to derive valid occurrence data. We worked with an insect species, the Pine Processionary Moth (PPM) Thaumetopoea pityocampa because the larvae of that moth build silk nests on its host tree that are easily visible. The presence of the species at one location can therefore be inferred from visual records derived from the panoramic views available from Google Street View. We designed a standardized procedure allowing the evaluation of the presence of the PPM on a large sampling grid (covering 46 848 km2) located in France. Field sampling has been conducted in parallel, which allowed a straightforward comparison between field and Google-derived datasets. Data derived from Google Street View were highly similar to field data as we found an accuracy (percentage of field values correctly predicted using Google Street View) of 92.9%. We conclude that Google database might provide useful occurrence data for mapping the distribution of species which presence can be visually evaluated such as the PPM. More data are needed, however, to assess the range of spatial scales at which Google Street View actually provides reliable occurrence data.La cartographie de la distribution géographique des espèces est importante pour suivre l’évolution des aires de distribution d’espèces invasives ou d’espèces natives en expansion géographique. Malheureusement, les données nécessaires sont parfois difficilement accessibles à partir de la littérature et sont coûteuses à collecter sur le terrain. Pour cette raison, nous avons conçu une étude dans le but d'explorer dans quelle mesure il est possible d’utiliser les bases de données telles que Google Street View (GSV) pour obtenir des données d’occurrence valides. Nous avons choisi de travailler avec une espèce d’insecte, la chenille processionnaire du pin (PP) Thaumetopoea pityocampa car les larves de cette espèce se développent dans le feuillage des arbres hôtes et tissent un nid blanc aisément visible. La présence de l'espèce dans un site donné peut donc être facilement renseignée en examinant les vues panoramiques disponibles pour de nombreuses localités dans la base de données de Google Street View. Nous avons conçu une procédure standardisée permettant d'évaluer la présence de la PP à partir des données GSV et nous l’avons mise en oeuvre sur une aire d’étude couvrant 46 848 km2dans la région Centre en France. La distribution de l’espèce a également été décrite à l’aide d’échantillonnages réalisés sur le terrain. Les données issues de l’examen des images Google Street View ont été comparées aux données de terrain et se sont révélées de bons estimateurs de la présence de la processionnaire du pin avec une précision (proportion de valeurs correctement estimées) de 92.9% sur notre zone d’étude pour un maillage de 16 km x 16 km. Ces résultats suggèrent que l’exploitation des bases de données de GSV pourrait permettre de produire des données écologiques intéressantes pour les espèces dont la présence peut être estimée visuellement à partir de photographies. Des études complémentaires sont cependant nécessaires pour mieux cerner la gamme d’échelles spatiales auxquelles GSV fournit des données d’occurrence fiables

Mapping wildfire danger at regional scale with an index model integrating coarse spatial resolution remote sensing data

Wildfires are a prevalent natural hazard in the south of France. Planners need a permanent fire danger assessment valid for several years over a territory as large and heterogeneous as Midi-Pyre´ne´es region. To this end, we developed an expert knowledgebased index model adapted to the specific features of the study area. The fire danger depends on two complementary elements: spatial occurrence and fire intensity. Among the GIS layers identified as input variables for modeling, vegetation fire susceptibility is one of the most influent. However, the main difficulty at this scale is the scarcity or the lack of exhaustiveness of the data. In this respect, remote sensing imagery is capable of providing relevant information. We proposed to calculate an annual relative greenness index (annual RGRE) that reflects vegetation dryness in summer. We processed times series of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from SPOT-VEGETATION images over the last six available years (1998 to 2003). The first step was to verify that these images characterize vegetation types and highlight intraannual and interannual response variability. It is then possible to identify phenological stages corresponding to the maximum NDVI (and therefore to maximum photosynthetic activity) during the growing season, the minimum NDVI at the end of the growing season and the minimum NDVI during winter period. These phenology metrics ground the annual RGRE calculation. Values obtained for each observation year show significant correlation (r2 = 0.70) with the De Martonne aridity index calculated for the same period. A synthesis of yearly index was integrated in the model as a variable that expresses fire susceptibility

The Bostrichidae of the Maltese Islands (Coleoptera)

The Bostrichidae of the Maltese Islands are reviewed. Ten species are recorded with certainty from this Archipelago, of which 6 namely, Trogoxylon impressum (Comolli, 1837), Amphicerus bimaculatus (A.G. Olivier, 1790), Heterobostrychus aequalis (Waterhouse, 1884), Sinoxylon unidentatum (Fabricius, 1801), Xyloperthella picea (A.G. Olivier, 1790) and Apate monachus Fabricius, 1775 are recorded for the first time. Two of the mentioned species (H. aequalis and S. unidentatum) are alien and recorded only on the basis of single captures and the possible establishment of these species is discussed. Earlier records of Scobicia pustulata (Fabricius, 1801) from Malta are incorrect and should be attributed to S. chevrieri (A. Villa & J.B. Villa, 1835). A zoogeographical analysis and an updated checklist of the 12 species of Bostrichidae recorded from the Maltese Islands and neighbouring Sicilian islands (Pantelleria, Linosa and Lampedusa) are also provided. Rhizopertha dominica (Fabricius, 1792) form granulipennis Lesne in Beeson & Bhatia, 1937 from Uttarakhand (northern India) was overlooked by almost all subsequent authors. Its history is summarized and the following new synonymy is established: Rhizopertha dominica (Fabricius, 1792) form granulipennis Lesne in Beeson & Bhatia, 1937 = Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius, 1792), syn. n. Finally, records of Amphicerus bimaculatus from Azerbaijan, of Bostrichus capucinus (Linnaeus, 1758) from Jordan and Syria, of Scobicia chevrieri from Jordan and Italy, of Xyloperthella picea from Italy, and of Apate monachus from Corsica (France) and Italy, are also provided.peer-reviewe

Detecting clear-cuts and decreases in forest vitality using MODIS NDVI time series

This paper examines the potential of MODIS-NDVI time series for detecting clear-cuts in a coniferous forest stand in the south of France. The proposed approach forms part of a survey monitoring the status of forest health and evaluating the forest decline phenomena observed over the last few decades. One of the prerequisites for this survey was that a rapid and easily reproducible method had to be developed that differentiates between forest clear-cuts and changes in forest health induced by environmental factors such as summer droughts. The proposed approach is based on analysis of the breakpoints detected within NDVI time series, using the “Break for Additive Seasonal and Trend” (BFAST) algorithm. To overcome difficulties detecting small areas on the study site, we chose a probabilistic approach based on the use of a conditional inference tree. For model calibration, clear-cut reference data were produced at MODIS resolution (250 m). According to the magnitude of the detected breakpoints, probability classes for the presence of clear-cuts were defined, from greater than 90% to less than 3% probability of a clear-cut. One of the advantages of the probabilistic model is that it allows end users to choose an acceptable level of uncertainty depending on the application. In addition, the use of BFAST allows events to be dated, thus making it possible to perform a retrospective analysis of decreases in forest vitality in the study area

Mapping health status of chestnut forest stands using Sentinel-2 images

In many parts of France, health status of chestnut forest stands is a crucial concern for forest managers. These stands are made vulnerable by numerous diseases and sometimes unadapted forestry practices. Moreover, since last years, they were submitted to several droughts. In Dordogne province, the economic stakes are important. About 2/3 of the chestnut forest area are below the optimal production level. The actual extent of chestnut forest decline remains still unknown. Sentinel-2 time series show an interesting potential to map declining stands over a wide area and to monitor their evolutions. This study aim to propose a method to discriminate healthy chestnut forest stands from the declining ones with several levels of withering intensity over the whole Dordogne province. The proposed method is the development of a statistical model integrating in a parsimonious manner several vegetation indices and biophysical parameters. The statistical approach is based on an ordered polytomous regression to which are applied various technics of models’ selection. We aim to map 3 classes of predictive health status. In this study, Sentinel-2 images (10 bands at 10 and 20 m spatial resolution) acquired during the growing season of 2016 have been processed. Due to insufficient data quality related to atmospheric conditions, only 2 cloud-free images could be analyzed (one in July and one in September). About 36 vegetation indices were calculated from THEIA-MAJA L2A products and 5 biophysical parameters (Cover fraction of brown vegetation, Cover fraction of green vegetation, Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Green Leaf Area Index, Leaf water content) were processed from ESA level 1C product. These last parameters have been obtained with the Overland software (developed by Airbus DS Geo-Intelligence) by inverting a canopy reflectance model. This software couples the PROSPECT leaf model and the scattering by arbitrary inclined leaves (SAIL) canopy model. Calibration and validation of the predictive model are based on the health status of chestnut forest stands data survey. About 50 plots have been surveyed by foresters describing the chestnut trees health status by using two protocols (ARCHI and expert knowledge). Model stability over time and space will be further analyzed with Sentinel-2 time series during 2017 and 2018 on other different chestnut forest stands

Health status diagnosis of chestnut forest stands using Sentinel-2 images.

The Theia workshop for Sentinel-2 L2A MAJA products was held in Toulouse on the 13th and 14th of June 2018. About 80 people participated either on the 13th or 14th, and nearly 70 participants attended each day of this workshop, whose object was to collect feedback and share experiences on the quality, use and applications of the L2A surface reflectance products delivered by Theia from Sentinel-2 data

Spin crossover molecular ceramics by Cool-SPS: consequences on switching features beyond the sole microstructural effect

The sintering of spin crossover material using Spark Plasma Sintering at low temperature (Cool-SPS) lead to a new way of shaping such compounds into functional molecular ceramics. These ceramics reach a high relative density of 95%, what may address several issues for using spin crossover materials into barocaloric devices. Starting from the reference complex [Fe(Htrz)2(trz)]BF4, we first investigated the magnetic, structural, microstructural properties as well as the fatigability behavior of the starting powder using multiple magnetic measurements, X-ray diffraction and calorimetry to compare them to the elaborated ceramics. The best conditions of pressure and temperature during the SPS process to obtain reproductible molecular ceramics with high relative density where found to be between 250 and 300 °C, and 300 and 400 MPa. The same complete set of characterizations made on a molecular ceramic of 95% of relative density reveal that crystal structure as well as the abrupt hysteretic SCO of [Fe(Htrz)2(trz)]BF4 are perfectly conserved after sintering. However, ceramic presents a faster stabilization of their microstructural and magnetic properties upon cycling and a higher cooperativity at the macroscopic level was observed compared to the starting powder