Karst hydrological changes during the Late-Holocene in Southwestern China
The frequent alternation between droughts and floods in the karst regions of Southwestern China has a serious impact on the ecological environment and socio-economic development. Although some high-resolution records for this region have been published, there is a lack of multi-proxy geological records that could be used to reconstruct the relationships between the changes in the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) and the regional hydrology and ecological environment since the Late Holocene. In this study, the history of the ASM from 3109 to 694 yr BP with a mean temporal resolution of 2.5 yr is reconstructed based on 47 high-precision 230Th dating results (mean 2-sigma error of ±14 yr), 959 pairs of δ18O/δ13C data, and multiple trace element analyses of a stalagmite from Shijiangjun (SJJ) Cave in the karst area of Southwestern China. The positive δ18O and δ13C excursions accurately recorded eight interdecadal-centennial weak summer monsoon events at ∼779, 1013–911, 1282–1172, 1736–1638, 1961–1864, 2472–2375, 2931–2818, and 3050–3014 yr BP. The cross-wavelet spectrum analysis of the δ18O and δ13C of stalagmite SJJ7 indicates that they have similar periods. The 7 yr period of the δ18O record was determined to have the maximum contribution rate (36.8%) to the periods using ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) analysis. In the Late Holocene, the weak ASM events were dominated by the southward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and the frequent El Niño events on an interdecadal-centennial timescale. The southward migration of the ITCZ lead to frequent El Niño events, and the resultant Hadley Circulation and Walker Circulation were weakened, leading to a weak ASM and changes in the hydrological conditions in the monsoon region. The δ13C values of the stalagmite changed relatively slowly compared with the δ18O values, which may indicate that the degradation and restoration of the regional ecological environment caused by abrupt changes in the climate is a relatively slow process. When the summer monsoon decreased, the stalagmite’s Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios were relatively high due to CO2 degassing, and the prior calcite precipitation (PCP)/prior aragonite precipitation (PAP) increased in the karst zone. However, the Mg/Ca ratio increased and the Sr/Ca ratio rapidly decreased during the calcite deposition due to differences in the crystal structures and partition coefficients of aragonite and calcite. The dark layers in stalagmite SJJ7 correspond to transition from heavy to light δ18O values, reflecting the transition in the ASM. The pulsed increases in the elements (Mn, Fe, Al, and Si) in the dark layers reflect the stronger mechanical transport caused by more rainfall. The multi-proxy analysis of this stalagmite may reflect the interactions between the changes in the ASM and the atmosphere-hydrosphere-pedosphere-biosphere-lithosphere in the karst critical zone during the Late Holocene.
(Quaternary Science Reviews. vol. 258, n° 0277-3791, pp. 106865, 01/04/2021)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Fire slightly decreases the competitive effects of a thorny cushion shrub in a semi‐arid mountain steppe in the short term
AbstractQuestionsStudies in alpine environments have highlighted dominant facilitative effects of cushion species for diversity. Many fewer studies have assessed the effects of cushion shrubs in drier and less cold mountain habitats and how these effects vary within the shrub canopy and with increasing drought stress with exposure and disturbance by fire.LocationA mountain steppe of the Golestan National Park in the semi‐arid climate of northeast Iran.MethodsWe quantified the cover of understorey species at the center and edge of the canopy of the thorny cushion shrub Onobrychis cornuta and in paired open areas, in north and south exposures and unburned and burned plots, two years after a fire. Soil chemical variables and moisture were measured in treatments. We quantified cushions’ center and edge effects on understorey species cover with the Relative Interaction Index (RII). Treatment effects on RII cover were analyzed with generalized linear mixed‐effects models (GLMM) and species composition with Correspondence Analysis.ResultsIn unburned plots, competition for cover was very high at cushion centers and strongly decreased at cushion edges. Exposure stress did not affect competition in unburned plots. Fire slightly decreased competition but only at center cushion shrub position and at south exposure. Species composition was mostly affected by exposure and fire treatments, although there was subtle variation in species composition among patches due to fire. Cushion position, fire and exposure treatments affected soil moisture and chemical variables, but soil changes did not explain cushion effects on understorey cover and their variations along treatments.ConclusionsThe effects of the cushion shrub were highly negative and in particular at cushion center, likely due to interference and competition for light in a dry and not too cold environment. Fire only slightly decreased competition in the short term, likely due to the delayed response of understorey species to disturbance induced by fire.
(Applied Vegetation Science. vol. 24, n° 1402-2001, 01/04/2021)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Reconstruction of fire regime changes in the French Mediterranean region during the last 8,500 years using microcharcoal
Nowadays, the Mediterranean region is strongly impacted by fires. Projected warming scenarios suggest increasing fire risk in this region considered as hot-spot of the climate change (Liu et al., 2010; Pechony and Shindell, 2010). However, models based on modern-day statistical relationships do not properly account for interactions between climate, vegetation, and fire. In addition, process-based models must be tested not only against modern observations but also under different past climate conditions reflecting the range of climate variability projected for the next centuries (Hantson et al. 2016). Marine sediments are a major source of fire history of nearby land masses. Here, we present a unique 8,500 yr long record of biomass burning changes from southeastern France based on a marine microcharcoal sedimentary record from the Gulf of Lion, located in the subaqueous Rhone river delta. Sediment delivery to the Gulf of Lion comes mainly from the Rhône River draining a large watershed in southeast France (ca.100,000 km2). Due to the direction of dominant winds blowing from the North-North-West (Mistral and Tramontane) and carrying fine particles from the land to the sea, the microcharcoal record likely reflects the biomass burning in the Rhone watershed and South-East of France. Our results show multi-centennial to millennial changes in biomass burning with a periodicity of 1000 years for the full record and between 500 and 700 years before 5,000 cal BP and after 3,000 cal BP. Large peaks of biomass burning are associated with marked dry periods observed in the region. Burning of biomass is higher when the region is dominated by xerophytic vegetation than when mesophyte vegetation dominates. The trend and periodicity of the biomass burning record suggest a predominant climatic control of fire occurrences since 8,500 cal BP in this region
(01/04/2021)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, CEFREM, UPVD, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, LOCEAN, MNHN, IRD, INSU - CNRS, SU, CNRS, IPSL (FR_636), ENS-PSL, PSL, UVSQ, CEA, INSU - CNRS, X, IP Paris, CNES, SU, CNRS, UPCité, LOCEAN-VOG, LOCEAN, MNHN, IRD, INSU - CNRS, SU, CNRS, IPSL (FR_636), ENS-PSL, UVSQ, CEA, INSU - CNRS, X, CNES, SU, CNRS, UPCité, HNHP, MNHN, UPVD, CNRS
Dissolved organic matter modulates the impact of herbicides on a freshwater alga: A laboratory study of a three-way interaction
In freshwater environments, microorganisms such as microalgae are influenced by the concentrations of dissolved chemicals but can modify the fate of these substances by biosorption, accumulation and even metabolization. In this laboratory study, we assessed the growth and physiology of non-axenic cultures of the chlorophyte Sphaerellopsis sp. exposed to environmental concentrations of diuron, irgarol and S-metolachlor (0.5, 0.5 and 5 μg·L−1, respectively) singly and in mixture, in the presence or absence of natural dissolved organic matter (DOM). The growth, photosynthetic efficiency and relative intracellular lipid content of Sphaerellopsis sp., as were measured after 14 days of exposure, as were the concentrations of bacteria in the cultures. DOM absorbance and fluorescence, and concentrations of the herbicides and their metabolites in the culture medium were also recorded. The growth of Sphaerellopsis sp. was very low in the absence of DOM but dramatically enhanced in treatments where DOM was added. As a result, the toxicity of the herbicides observed in treatments without DOM was overcome in those where DOM was added. The chemical characteristics of DOM were modified by the microalgae, and the fate of the herbicides was affected by the interaction between microorganisms (both bacteria and algae) and the DOM. Herbicide concentrations decreased over time, with a simultaneous increase in some of their metabolites, suggesting a biological degradation in the presence of DOM.
(Science of the Total Environment. vol. 782, n° 0048-9697, pp. 146881, 01/04/2021)
UR EABX, INRAE, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, BE, IFREMER
Drawing lessons from a pluridisciplinary approach associating stakeholders for a better management of a bivalve population (French Atlantic coast)?
(Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. vol. 251, n° 0272-7714, pp. 107194, 01/04/2021)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, LMAP, UPPA, CNRS
Sediment archives reveal irreversible shifts in plankton communities after World War II and agricultural pollution
(Current Biology, n° 0960-9822, 01/04/2021)
DYNECO, IFREMER, LERBO, COAST, IFREMER, BE, IFREMER, LEMAR, IRD, IFREMER, UBO EPE, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, GM, IFREMER, LERBN, COAST, IFREMER, LGO, UBS, IFREMER, UBO EPE, CNRS, IFREMER
The sediments of Lake Singkarak and Lake Maninjau in West Sumatra reveal their earthquake, volcanic and rainfall history
Natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, and heavy rainfall causing floods and debris avalanches are common phenomena in many tropical settings, including the island of Sumatra, located in the Indonesian archipelago. To enhance our understanding of the recurrence of these often destructive events, we studied the sedimentary infill of two lakes in the Padang highlands, West Sumatra. This includes Lake Singkarak, a tectonically-formed lake located on a step-over of a major strike-slip fault system (the Sumatran Fault), and Lake Maninjau, a caldera lake. Both lakes are located -300 km from the Sunda subduction trench and surrounded by steep slopes and a chain of active volcanoes. Hence, considering their unique tectonic setting, these lakes may potentially record a wide range of natural hazards that affect the region. A combination of seismic-reflection pro¬files and short sediment cores revealed that both lakes indeed record various types of natural hazards, each with their own sedimentary response to a specific type of event. Lake Singkarak can be used to study past floods and major debris avalanches in addition to high-magnitude megathrust earthquakes, while traces of past intraplate earthquakes have been identified in both lakes. Furthermore, we argue that Lake Singkarak is an ideal recorder of volcanic activity in the region, while Lake Maninjau itself can pose a volcanic hazard toits surroundings as demonstrated by potential activity of the volcano below the lake
(Sedimentary Geology. vol. 416, n° 0037-0738, pp. 105863, 01/04/2021)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Etude comparative de l’écodynamique de micropolluants organohalogénés historiques et d’intérêt émergent dans l’estuaire de Seine
Dans un contexte de changement global, les effets de la pollution d'origine anthropique sont importants. Cette pollution est liée à l'urbanisation, l'activité industrielle ou encore l'agriculture intensive. Ces multiples sources génèrent de nombreuses catégories de pollution, dont la pollution chimique. Afin de mieux comprendre l'écodynamique de certains polluants ubiquistes, toxiques et bioaccumulables, l'estuaire de Seine a été choisi car il constitue le réceptacle final d'un bassin versant soumis à une forte pression anthropique. Plusieurs compartiments y ont été étudiés. Quatre espèces d'oiseaux marins (goéland argenté : Larus argentatus ; goéland brun : Larus fuscus ; goéland marin : Larus marinus ; cormoran huppé : Phalacrocorax aristotelis) sentinelles, bioindicatrices, représentatives d’un niveau trophique élevé et ayant des habitats et des habitudes d'alimentation variés et caractéristiques des milieux estuariens ont été choisies afin de suivre leur imprégnation en différentes classes de contaminants historiques tels que les polychlorobiphényles (PCB), les pesticides organochlorés (OCP) et les polybromodiphényléthers (PBDE) et de contaminants d’intérêt plus émergents comme les composés per- et poly-fluoroalkylés (PFAS). Les PCB, l'hexabromocyclododécane (HBCDD) et les PFAS ont été également suivis dans le milieu de vie et le réseau trophique de la sole commune (Solea solea) afin d’appréhender les transferts du sédiment vers le biote, au sein du réseau trophique benthique, mais aussi entre les stades juvéniles d'un organisme d’intérêt halieutique et écologique majeur.
(30/03/2021)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Benefit versus cost trade-offs of masting across seed-to-seedling transition for a dominant subtropical forest species
Masting is a common reproductive strategy regulating seedling regeneration in many perennial plant species. The evolutionary origins and functional benefits of masting have been explained by well-supported hypotheses relating to economies of scale of seed production. Nevertheless, our understanding of the potential costs of masting for the plant seed-to-seedling transitions remains limited. We tracked the seed fate and documented changes in the seed spatial distribution patterns during the seed-to-seedling transition process of Castanopsis fargesii, a dominant species of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests in China under natural conditions for more than 6 years. Masting resulted in a high proportion of seeds escaping predation by vertebrates and rodents, supporting the predator satiation hypothesis. However, it increased the pre-dispersal seed predation by insects, and decreased the seed germination rate due to a negative effect on seed mass. This resulted in seed-to-seedling transition rates during mast years to be roughly half as much as during non-mast years. In addition, masting negatively affected the spatial rearrangement of seeds, resulting in a spatial aggregative distribution pattern of newly germinated seedlings. The combined negative effects of smaller seeds and spatially aggregated seedlings reduced the survival rate of newly germinated seedlings at seedling establishment stage. Synthesis. Considering the whole seed-to-established seedling transition process, the benefits of masting on seedling recruitment due to the effective seed predator situation by vertebrates and rodents were decreased by the additional costs on seed mass, seed germination, seed spatial arrangement and seedling establishment. Our results highlight the importance of considering both the positive and negative effects of masting at each stage of the seed-to-seedling transition. Inferences based on seed predation and recruitment of newly germinated seedlings alone would lead to an overly optimistic conclusion about the benefits of masting. © 2021 British Ecological Society
(Journal of Ecology. vol. 109, n° 0022-0477, pp. 3087-3098, 26/03/2021)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Monitoring of 53 contaminants of emergent concern: occurrence in effluents, sludges, and surface waters upstream and downstream of 7 wastewater treatment plants
(25/03/2021)
INERIS, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, ISA, UCBL, INC-CNRS, CNRS