Impacts sociaux de la certification du Forest Stewardship Council : Évaluation dans le bassin du Congo

Ce document occasionnel a évalué la performance sociale de neuf unités forestières d'aménagement (UFA)certifiées par le Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) et l'a comparée à la performance de neuf autres UFA similaires mais non certifiées au Cameroun, en République du Congo et au Gabon. Les résultats montrent que plus une société reste longtemps dans un lieu, plus les liens sociaux avec la population sont solides, ce qui favoris eun environnement dans lequel il y a moins de conflits entre ces deux acteurs. Cependant, ce n'est en général qu'après la décision des entreprises d'obtenir la certification que l'on a constaté de réelles améliorations sociales.Cette étude a notamment constaté dans les UFA certifiées de meilleures conditions de vie et de travail pour les travailleurs et leurs familles ; des institutions plus inclusives et mieux gouvernées pour les négociations entre la population locale et les entreprises forestières, sauf en ce qui concerne les mécanismes de résolution de conflits; des mécanismes de partage des bénéfices mieux gérés et plus efficaces ; et des manières innovantes de régler les problèmes liés à l'exercice souvent illégal de certains droits coutumiers.La réalité historique, politique et économique complexe dans laquelle s'est développée la certification dans le bassin du Congo pourrait bien être à l'origine de la difficulté à expliquer les problèmes d'attribution et de causalité.Pourtant, les résultats aident à tracer la frontière claire qui existe actuellement entre le bois d'oeuvre certifié et non certifié : le premier provient des UFA qui appliquent non seulement des normes sociales légalement autorisées, mais également celles adoptées volontairement qui sont supérieures et plus efficaces.Il ne faut pas que le FSC et les sociétés certifiées soient complaisantes en se comparant à des UFA non certifiées,qui à l'heure actuelle sont moins bien gérées. En effet, toute la logique de la certification FSC est d'évaluer les gestionnaires forestiers plus responsables avec des normes toujours plus performantes, quelle que soit la qualité de la législation nationale. Mais il ne faut pas non plus oublier que les entreprises avec UFA certifiées dans les pays de l'étude sont chaque jour en concurrence avec des entreprises non certifiées qui produisent les mêmes espèces et vendent sur des marchés similaires, mais avec des investissements beaucoup plus faibles, en particulier pour l'amélioration de leur performance sociale. Dans ce domaine très concurrentiel, et avec les primes limitées obtenues jusqu'ici, les résultats présentés indiquent que la certification dans le bassin du Congo a été en mesure de pousser les entreprises vers un progrès social significatif. (Résumé d'auteur

The Development of Critical Thinking Skills during Practical Training: The Perspectives of Pedagogical Supervisors and Sports and Physical Education Trainees

In the Republic of Congo, formal teacher training is comprised of both theoretical and practical components. Theoretical training takes the form of theoretical courses within the training institution itself. On the other hand, practical training takes place in professional settings such as secondary school. The purpose of this comparative study was to identify the conceptions of critical thinking development held by pedagogical supervisors and student trainees. Rooted in a qualitative methodological approach, this research was based on Eric Lavertu's (2013) conceptual approach to the development of critical thinking during internships. Eight (08) pedagogical supervisors and nineteen (19) student-interns voluntarily participated in the study via focus groups. The results revealed a categorization  of several didactic-pedagogical devices for the development of student-interns' critical thinking, according to both the pedagogical supervisors and the student-interns themselves. To foster the development of critical thinking in student trainees, the devices mentioned specify that the supervisor must implement a supervisory pedagogical approach anchored in a socio-constructivist paradigm to accompany the student's development while employing a reflective approach in coaching. In addition, these systems stress the importance of placing the student at the center of their learning, making them a real player in their own development

The development of Critical Thinking Skills during Practical Training: The Perspectives of Pedagogical Supervisors and Sports and Physical Education Trainees

In the Republic of Congo, initial teacher training has both a theoretical and a practical dimension. Theoretical training takes the form of theoretical courses within the training institution itself. Practical training, on the other hand, takes place in professional settings (secondary schools). This comparative study consisted of identifying the conceptions relating to the development of critical thinking by educational supervisors and by student-trainees. Inscribed in a qualitative methodological approach, this research was based on Eric Lavertu's (2013) conceptual approach to the development of critical thinking in internships. Eight (08) educational supervisors and nineteen (19) student-trainees voluntarily participated in the study via three focus groups. The results obtained, following a content analysis of the corpus collected, reveal several didactic-pedagogical devices for the development of student-trainees' critical thinking, both according to the perception of pedagogical supervisors, and also, according to that of student-trainees. As didactic-pedagogical devices, educational supervisors identify three: the communication strategies highlighted by the supervisor, the climate of exchange established by the supervisor and the attitude of the supervisor. The student-trainees, for their part, emphasize the educational supervision environment, the attitude of the supervisor and the attitude of the student-trainee. Thus, to promote the development of critical thinking among student trainees, the measures mentioned specify that the supervisor must implement a pedagogical approach to supervision anchored in a social-constructivist paradigm to support the development of the student, using a reflective approach in support. In addition, these mentioned systems emphasize the importance of placing the student at the center of their learning by making them a real actor in their development

The Development of Critical Thinking Skills during Practical Training: The Perspectives of Pedagogical Supervisors and Sports and Physical Education Trainees

In the Republic of Congo, formal teacher training is comprised of both theoretical and practical components. Theoretical training takes the form of theoretical courses within the training institution itself. On the other hand, practical training takes place in professional settings such as secondary school. The purpose of this comparative study was to identify the conceptions of critical thinking development held by pedagogical supervisors and student trainees. Rooted in a qualitative methodological approach, this research was based on Eric Lavertu's (2013) conceptual approach to the development of critical thinking during internships. Eight (08) pedagogical supervisors and nineteen (19) student-interns voluntarily participated in the study via focus groups. The results revealed a categorization  of several didactic-pedagogical devices for the development of student-interns' critical thinking, according to both the pedagogical supervisors and the student-interns themselves. To foster the development of critical thinking in student trainees, the devices mentioned specify that the supervisor must implement a supervisory pedagogical approach anchored in a socio-constructivist paradigm to accompany the student's development while employing a reflective approach in coaching. In addition, these systems stress the importance of placing the student at the center of their learning, making them a real player in their own development

The Arabidopsis Thylakoid Chloride Channel AtCLCe Functions in Chloride Homeostasis and Regulation of Photosynthetic Electron Transport.

Chloride ions can be translocated across cell membranes through Cl(-) channels or Cl(-)/H(+) exchangers. The thylakoid-located member of the Cl(-) channel CLC family in Arabidopsis thaliana (AtCLCe) was hypothesized to play a role in photosynthetic regulation based on the initial photosynthetic characterization of clce mutant lines. The reduced nitrate content of Arabidopsis clce mutants suggested a role in regulation of plant nitrate homeostasis. In this study, we aimed to further investigate the role of AtCLCe in the regulation of ion homeostasis and photosynthetic processes in the thylakoid membrane. We report that the size and composition of proton motive force were mildly altered in two independent Arabidopsis clce mutant lines. Most pronounced effects in the clce mutants were observed on the photosynthetic electron transport of dark-adapted plants, based on the altered shape and associated parameters of the polyphasic OJIP kinetics of chlorophyll a fluorescence induction. Other alterations were found in the kinetics of state transition and in the macro-organization of photosystem II supercomplexes, as indicated by circular dichroism measurements. Pre-treatment with KCl but not with KNO3 restored the wild-type photosynthetic phenotype. Analyses by transmission electron microscopy revealed a bow-like arrangement of the thylakoid network and a large thylakoid-free stromal region in chloroplast sections from the dark-adapted clce plants. Based on these data, we propose that AtCLCe functions in Cl(-) homeostasis after transition from light to dark, which affects chloroplast ultrastructure and regulation of photosynthetic electron transport

K⁺ and Cl⁻ channels/transporters independently fine-tune photosynthesis in plants

In variable light environments, plants adjust light use in photosynthetic electron transport and photoprotective dissipation in the thylakoid membrane. In this respect, roles of the K+/H+ antiporter KEA3, the Cl- channel/transporter CLCe and the voltage-dependent Cl- channel VCCN1 have been unraveled in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we report that they independently adjust photosynthesis on the basis of analyses using single and higher order loss-of-function mutants. In short experiments of photosynthetic response on transition from dark to low light, we reveal a sequential functioning of VCCN1 and CLCe in the activation of photoprotection and of KEA3 in its downregulation to a low steady state while adjusting the electron transport. On transition from low to high light, VCCN1 accelerates the activation of photoprotection, whereas KEA3 slows it down on transition from high to low light. Based on parallel electrochromic band shift measurements, the mechanism behind is that VCCN1 builds up a pH gradient across the thylakoid membrane, whereas KEA3 dissipates this gradient, which affects photoprotection. CLCe regulates photosynthesis by a pH-independent mechanism likely involving Cl- homeostasis. Nevertheless, all genotypes grow well in alternating high and low light. Taken together, the three studied ion channels/transporters function independently in adjusting photosynthesis to the light environment

Impact couplé des essais de fluage et des conditions climatiques sur des poutres entaillées de Pseudotsuga Menziesii et Abies Alba Mil

L'un des objectifs principaux du Projet français CLIMBOIS JCJC ANR N° ANR-13-JS09-0003-01, est de connaitre l'impact des variations climatiques sur le comportement mécanique des structures en bois. Pour atteindre cet objectif, un protocole expérimental a été mis en place. Il consiste à prendre en compte l'impact couplé des variations climatiques, du chargement différé (fluage) et de la variabilité spatiale des défauts initiaux (orientation des cernes, disposition des n?uds, gerces, ...) sur des poutres entaillées de Pseudotsuga Menziesii et Abies Alba Mil. Au préalable, les poutres entaillées testées, tout au long du projet, sont dimensionnées selon la norme Européenne EUROCODE 5. Puis elles sont chargées en fluage extérieur, en flexion 4 points. Les dispositions des entailles sont faites de telle sorte que, juste après le chargement, il y ait apparition des fissures au droit des entailles. L'apparition de ces fissures entraine un suivi quotidien et régulier de leur propagation (longueur, ouverture) en fonction des paramètres climatiques (température T, humidité relative HR), jusqu'à la rupture de la poutre. Le dépouillement des données issues des premiers essais montre un impact certain des variations climatiques (T, HR) sur la propagation (longueur et ouverture) de la fissure et à fortiori sur la durabilité des structures en bois. Ceux en cours consistent à prendre en considération l'effet du fluage couplé aux variations climatiques et à la disposition spatiale des défauts initiaux sur la durabilité de la structure. Les résultats expérimentaux issus de ces essais, permettrons de caler un modèle numérique sur le logiciel CAST3M prenant en compte le caractère mécanosorptif du bois en climat ambiant et les paramètres (intensité du chargement, défauts initiaux du bois,...) précédemment énumérés. Remerciements: Les auteurs voudraient par cette occasion remercier l'Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) Française pour le support financier apporté tout au long du projet CLIMBOIS ANR-13-JS09-0003-01 ainsi que le label du pôle Français ViaMéca