The influence of large-scale climate patterns on sediment loss from agricultural land—exploration using an instrumented field and catchment scale platform
Accelerated soil erosion and sediment delivery are threats to water quality. In Western Europe, weather patterns are strongly influenced by large scale climate systems such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAOi). Recently, however, a new climate index has been developed, called the West Europe Pressure Anomaly (WEPAi), which may be more relevant for weather in North Western Europe. Recent attempts have tried to link variability in weather patterns as described by hydro-climatic indices and amplifications in the degradation of water quality. However, to our knowledge, no previous work has been undertaken on investigating their effects on suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs). A study was conducted in southwest England using long-term meteorological, monthly NAOi and WEPAi, and 15 min discharge and turbidity datasets collected from an instrumented field and catchment scale monitoring platform. Monthly winter precipitation totals, and air temperature were both found to be significantly positively related to NAOi, but not in the summer. Both variables were significant and more strongly related with the WEPAi for both seasons. Flow weighted mean SSCs calculated for both seasons over a 4 year period were compared to monthly NAOi and WEPAi. In winter months, no significant relationships were found at any scale for NAOi. However, significant positive relationships with the WEPAi were present regardless of catchment size. In the summer months there were no significant relationships with either climate indices. Large-scale climate drivers are important in the sediment responses of agricultural landscapes. An ability to forecast monthly climate scale drivers could enable farmers to better plan for those periods when hydro-sedimentological responses are likely to be elevated. More work is needed across a range of landscape typologies to confirm that the relationships observed hold true more widely.
(Environmental Research Letters. vol. 20, n° 1748-9326, pp. 044023, 24/05/2026)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Assessing the invasion risk of the cnidaria Blackfordia virginica Mayer, 1910: a threat to the Baltic Sea ecosystem?
The ecological role, bloom extent and long-term dynamics of jellyfishes are mostly overlooked due to sampling limitations, leading to the lack of continuous long-term datasets. A rise in frequency and magnitude of jellyfish invasion around the world is shedding new light on these organisms. In this study, we estimate the current and future distribution of the introduced jellyfish Blackfordia virginica in the Baltic Sea. We determine the combination of favorable levels of temperature and salinity for this species by analyzing presence/absence data from areas outside the Baltic Sea and project the distribution of suitable habitat in the Baltic Sea across different scenarios with variable climate forcing and eutrophication levels. Our results show that suitability increases with rising temperature and optimal salinity range from 13 to 20 for this species. In addition, a relatively large area of the Baltic Sea represents favorable abiotic conditions for B. virginica , enhancing the concerns on its potential range expansion. Spatial analysis illustrates that the coastal areas of the southern Baltic Sea are particularly at risk for the invasion of the species. The observation of the projection of habitat suitability across time highlights that future Baltic Sea environmental conditions increase suitability levels for B. virginica and suggest a potential expansion of its distribution in the future.
(Biological Invasions. vol. 27, n° 1387-3547, pp. 106, 24/05/2026)
BOREA, MNHN, IRD, SU, CNRS, UA, GEOMAR, CCMAR, UAlg, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Altitudinal evolution of vegetation on the Vercors Massif since the Late Glacial Period: new pollen data from Combe‑Chevalière (Chichilianne, Isère, 1,650 m)
The Combe Chevalière provided an interesting sequence for reconstructing the subalpine vegetation over the last 18,000 years. This sequence, derived from a wetland area and documented in parallel with a sedimentological study, is subject to periods of low water input that lead to the drying of the area and, consequently, low or no sedimentation, as well as poorer preservation of pollen assemblages compared to other sediment types. The studied sequence is therefore incomplete, and despite a sedimentary hiatus at the Preboreal level, it still provides insight into the vegetation dynamics near the study area, at the subalpine level, as well as at the upper limit of the montane zone. Since Combe Chevalière is bordered by areas of Mesolithic occupations, this study provides an environmental context for these sites. The palynological analysis of Combe Chevalière follows numerous other studies conducted at different vegetation levels, thus contributing to a broader analysis of vegetation evolution within the Vercors Massif. The vegetation evolution is consistent with the various vegetation zones. Late-glacial climatic variations are characterized by oscillations of Pinus, Betula, and Juniperus in the hill and montane zones, while the more rigorous climate of the subalpine zone is dominated by herbaceous plants. Pinus and deciduous trees were present in the sub-alpine zone since 9,000 years ago (cal. BP), and were replaced by herbaceous and Picea during the Subboreal. Competition with Abies, recorded since 7,800 cal. BP, seems to be the cause of the decrease in this taxon from the Subatlantic period onwards. Human impact also varies with altitude. In the hill zone, Juglans, Castanea, and Populus were cultivated during the Subatlantic period, while at the same time, in the montane zone, human activity is reflected in the forest exploitation of Abies.
(Quaternaire. vol. Vol.36/1, n° 1142-2904, pp. 1 - 19, 24/05/2026)
EPHE, PSL, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Differentiating estuarine dissolved organic matter composition by unsupervised and supervised machine learning
Differentiating the composition of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in estuaries is a major environmental concern, as the DOM characteristics are closely linked to biogeochemical and ecological considerations (e.g. water properties and trophic cycling). However, tracing the spatiotemporal variations of estuarine DOM is challenging due to multiple sources and complex transformation processes. Here, we investigate the dynamics of estuarine DOM by analyzing the optical properties of DOM through UV-Visible absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy, while also capturing the variability of DOM using machine learning algorithms and explainable artificial intelligence. To this aim, we collected sub-surface water samples (n = 249) from a human-impacted estuary with intense industrialization and urbanization in France (Seine Estuary) across distinct land use characteristics in contrasting hydrological conditions. We then applied unsupervised and supervised machine learning techniques to analyze the optical properties of DOM, which were determined by UV-Visible absorbance and Excitation-Emission Matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy combined with parallel factor analysis (PAR-AFAC). Our results show that unsupervised machine learning (K-means clustering) captures the spatial variabilities of DOM, identifying three distinct estuarine zones based on pronounced spatial variations of several DOM optical parameters. Supervised machine learning (Light Gradient Boosted Machine, LightGBM) further validates the rationality of the defined zonation. Subsequently, explainable artificial intelligence based on SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis shows that DOM in each zone has specific characteristics. Our model indicates that DOM in the Seine Estuary is primarily influenced by high molecular weight materials and autochthonous contributions in the upper estuary (Zone I). The dominant contribution to DOM in the mid-estuary (Zone II) comes from autochthonous and aromatic material as well as transformation and (photo)degradation products. Lower estuary (Zone III) is mainly characterized by aromatic DOM (subject to photodegradation), low molecular weight compounds, autochthonous DOM, as well as transformation and (photo)degradation products. Overall, this study presents a workflow for differentiating the composition of DOM, tracing the variability and dynamics of DOM along the land-to-sea continuum, and elucidating the involved processes. The approach developed in the Seine Estuary has significant implications for environmental management and can be adapted to other land-sea continuums.
(Water Research. vol. 284, n° 0043-1354, pp. 123900, 24/05/2026)
METIS, EPHE, PSL, INSU - CNRS, SU, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Tidal Pumping, Alkalinity Production and Export: An Overlooked Carbon Sequestration Process in Salt Marshes
(24/05/2026)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Rapport intermédiaire du projet Vigie-Lacs
L’objectif du projet est d’acquérir des connaissances scientifiques indispensables à la préservation des communautés de plantes aquatiques des lacs et étangs du littoral aquitain fortement menacées par les activités humaines et le changement climatique. Ce projet pluridisciplinaire fait appel à plusieurs domaines scientifiques complémentaires, telles que l’écologie des communautés, l’autécologie, la biogéochimie, les biostatistiques, la génétique ou encore l’hydrogéologie.
(pp. 24, 24/05/2026)
UR EABX, INRAE, ECLA, USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry], INRAE, OFB, BioGeCo, UB, INRAE, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Digital PCR (dPCR) vs. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) approaches for quantification of two Perkinsus species within clam tissue samples
The parasite Perkinsus olseni (Perkinsea, Alveolata), the etiological agent of Perkinsosis, infects a wide range of bivalves and gastropods, including clams, particularly in Europe. This parasite coexists in sympatry with another Perkinsus species, P. chesapeaki, which, as opposed to P. olseni, has not been directly associated to mortality events. Accurate detection and quantification of Perkinsus infections, even at low infection intensities, are crucial for monitoring clam population health and assessing risks associated with emerging diseases. In this study, we compared molecular methodologies based on duplex real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and digital PCR (dPCR) in order to develop effective host resource management strategies. We first evaluated detection capabilities and the impact of potential inhibitors using both methodologies across varying DNA concentrations. Subsequently, we applied these methods to two contrasting French environments: Noirmoutier, characterized by low prevalence and infection intensity, and Arcachon Bay, which exhibits high prevalence and infection intensity. Our results demonstrate that dPCR should be prioritized for detecting and quantifying parasites at low infection intensities (101 -102 cp.µL-1), as it might minimize false-negative results compared to qPCR. Notably, dPCR provided new insights and revealed cryptic infections, demonstrating greater efficiency in detecting P. chesapeaki in lightly infected sites such as Noirmoutier. Conversely, infection intensity was underestimated with dPCR relative to qPCR for clams with moderate to high Perkinsus infection levels (103 cp.µL-1 or higher), proving the latter more suitable for medium to heavily infected areas like Arcachon Bay. These findings are important as they represent the first in situ monitoring of both Perkinsus species using culture-free methodologies. This work provides essential tools for resource management and conservation strategies to address emerging diseases.
(Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. vol. 213, n° 0022-2011, pp. 108417, 24/05/2026)
SBR, SU, CNRS, AD2M, SU, CNRS, SBR, SU, CNRS, ASIM, IFREMER, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Key concepts and a world‐wide look at plant recruitment networks
Plant–plant interactions are major determinants of the dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems. There is a long tradition in the study of these interactions, their mechanisms and their consequences using experimental, observational and theoretical approaches. Empirical studies overwhelmingly focus at the level of species pairs or small sets of species. Although empirical data on these interactions at the community level are scarce, such studies have gained pace in the last decade. Studying plant–plant interactions at the community level requires knowledge of which species interact with which others, so an ecological networks approach must be incorporated into the basic toolbox of plant community ecology. The concept of recruitment networks (RNs) provides an integrative framework and new insights for many topics in the field of plant community ecology. RNs synthesise the set of canopy–recruit interactions in a local plant assemblage. Canopy–recruit interactions describe which (“canopy”) species allow the recruitment of other species in their vicinity and how. Here we critically review basic concepts of ecological network theory as they apply to RNs. We use RecruitNet, a recently published worldwide data set of canopy–recruit interactions, to describe RN patterns emerging at the interaction, species, and community levels, and relate them to different abiotic gradients. Our results show that RNs can be sampled with high accuracy. The studies included in RecruitNet show a very high mean network completeness (95%), indicating that undetected canopy–recruit pairs must be few and occur very infrequently. Across 351,064 canopy–recruit pairs analysed, the effect of the interaction on recruitment was neutral in an average of 69% of the interactions per community, but the remaining interactions were positive (i.e. facilitative) five times more often than negative (i.e. competitive), and positive interactions had twice the strength of negative ones. Moreover, the frequency and strength of facilitation increases along a climatic aridity gradient worldwide, so the demography of plant communities is increasingly strongly dependent on facilitation as aridity increases. At network level, species can be ascribed to four functional types depending on their position in the network: core, satellite, strict transients and disturbance‐dependent transients. This functional structure can allow a rough estimation of which species are more likely to persist. In RecruitNet communities, this functional structure most often departs from random null model expectation and could allow on average the persistence of 77% of the species in a local community. The functional structure of RNs also varies along the aridity gradient, but differently in shrubland than in forest communities. This variation suggests an increase in the probability of species persistence with aridity in forests, while such probability remains roughly constant along the gradient in shrublands. The different functional structure of RNs between forests and shrublands could contribute to explaining their co‐occurrence as alternative stable states of the vegetation under the same climatic conditions. This review is not exhaustive of all the topics that can be addressed using the framework of RNs, but instead aims to present some of the interesting insights that it can bring to the field of plant community ecology.
(Biological Reviews. vol. 100, n° 1464-7931, pp. 1127-1151, 24/05/2026)
UJA, IISTA-CEAMA, UGR, CIDE, CSIC, UNCOMA, UCA, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, SYSU, CEFE, EPHE, PSL, CNRS, IRD [Occitanie], IRD, INRAE, Institut Agro, UM, UMPV
Semi-empirical forecast modelling of rip-current and shore-break wave hazards
Sandy beaches are highly attractive but also potentially dangerous environments for those entering the water as they can be exposed to physical hazards in the surf zone. The most severe and widespread natural bathing hazards on beaches are rip currents and shore-break waves, which form under different wave, tide, and morphological conditions. This paper introduces two new, simple semiempirical rip-current and shore-break wave hazard forecast models. These physics-informed models, which depend on a limited number of free parameters, can be used to compute the time evolution of the rip-current flow speed V and shore-break wave energy E sb . These models are applied to a high-energy mesotidal-macrotidal beach, La Lette Blanche, in southwest France, where intense rip-currents and shore-break wave hazards co-exist. Hourly lifeguardperceived hazards collected during patrolling hours (from 11:00 a.m. to 07:00 p.m. LT (UTC+2)) during July and August of 2022 are used to calibrate the two models. These data are also used to transform V and E sb into a five-level scale from 0 (no hazard) to 4 (hazard maximised). The model accurately predicts rip-current and shore-break wave hazard levels, including their modulation by tide elevation and incident wave conditions, opening new perspectives for forecasting multiple surf-zone hazards on sandy beaches. In addition, daily-mean hazard forecasts demonstrate even greater predictive skill, which is important for conveying straightforward messages to the general public and lifeguard managers. The approach presented here only requires a limited number of beach morphology metrics and allows for the prediction of surf-zone hazards on beaches where wave and tide forecasts are available.
(Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. vol. 25, n° 1561-8633, pp. 2379–2397, 24/05/2026)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, UR ETTIS, INRAE, SMGBL, UR EABX, INRAE
Restauration de zones humides de tête de bassin versant - Programme de suivi des sites - Phytoremed/Restaur - Volet écotoxicologie - Rapport final
(pp. 39, 24/05/2026)
UR EABX, INRAE, RiverLy, INRAE, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, UB, CNRS, INRAE