IMBE – Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale

Pourquoi est il nécessaire d’intégrer les perceptions et usages des populations locales dans les programmes de gestion des mammifères dans les îles ?

Borchiellini Carole — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 15:18:15 +0000

Mammals introduced to islands are often regarded as major contributors to biodiversity loss and ecosystem disruption. Their eradication is therefore a widely favoured strategy in conservation programmes. But what happens when these animals are also valued by local communities?

On some islands, introduced mammals may pose a a food source, a source of income or of cultural value. Over time, they may also become familiar and be seen as part of the local environment, or even as «native» species.

In an article published in Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Pauline Palmas and his colleagues propose to rethink the management of introduced mammals by taking greater account of the various aspects environmental, social, cultural and economic.

In particular, the authors advocate for participatory and intercultural approaches, enabling scientific knowledge to be combined with the knowledge and practices of local communities. The aim is to develop management strategies that are suited to island contexts and acceptable to the communities concerned.

This approach would make it possible to move beyond a perspective focused solely on eradication and to seek a better balance between the preservation of biodiversity, the well-being of communities and long-term sustainability.

Taking into account the different ways in which introduced species are perceived and utilised could therefore help to develop management strategies that are better suited to the realities of island territories.

👉 Read the article

Deer and cattle are depicted respectively on the Pacific franc banknotes, which were in circulation until 2014 in New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna (a), and on those of the vatu, the currency of Vanuatu (b). These depictions illustrate the role that certain introduced species can play in local identity and how they can become cultural and national symbols.

Olivia Bosc récompensée au congrès mondial de mutagénicité environnementale

Borchiellini Carole — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 15:32:46 +0000

A fine honour for Olivia Bosc, a contract research engineer at IMBE within the’SANTES team, who received the award for the best oral presentation by young researchers at the’ICEM 2026.

Olivia travelled to Edinburgh, in the UK, last week to take part in the’ICEM 2026, the world congress on environmental mutagenicity.

Originally registered to present her work as a poster, Olivia was eventually invited to present her research orally in front of the conference delegates.

Her presentation attracted particular attention, as it earned her the Prize for the Best Oral Presentation by Early-Career Researchers.

Olivia is carrying out her research at the IMBE as part of the EDIFIERS project, funded by the’ADEME, in collaboration with the Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry (LCE).

This award recognises the quality of his work and its presentation at this international conference, which brings together researchers working on the effects of environmental contaminants and mutagenicity.

Congratulations to Olivia on this wonderful achievement!

Valoriser le palmier chonta : Tania Ivanova González Rivadeneira nominée aux Trophées de l’innovation de l’IRD

Borchiellini Carole — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 15:03:47 +0000

Tania Ivanova González Rivadeneira, a young researcher from IMBE’s partner research team in Ecuador, is one of the six nominees for the 2026 IRD Innovation Awards.

His project, Chunda Mikuna, focuses on the chonta palm (Bactris gasipaes), a plant traditionally cultivated and consumed by the indigenous peoples of the Ecuadorian Amazon, but which is now gradually falling out of favour.

This project builds on the work carried out as part of the ANR project PeachPalm4Life – Science, knowledge and territories relating to the Amazonian chonta, co-organised by Irene Texidor-Toneu (IMBE) and Thomas Couvreur (UMR DIADE). Tania works there as a postdoctoral researcher.

The project aims to to restore this resource’s place in communities’ diets and economies drawing on a a co-innovation initiative combining traditional knowledge, scientific research and gastronomy.

Tania works with Kichwa, Sapara and Shuar women and girls to work together to develop new food products made from chonta. These products could help to diversify the communities’ diets, but could also be sold – particularly by women – to create new sources of income.

The initiative will result, in particular, in a Community Innovation Fair, enabling the sharing of products and knowledge developed collectively.

Through Chunda Mikuna, the project thus explores a different way of conducting research, by developing solutions together with communities, drawing on their knowledge and needs.

The six projects nominated this year are in line with the theme «Changing everyday life, building the future – committed research for women and girls».

The next stage of the adventure will take place at the Trophées final, where Tania will present her project in 180 seconds in front of an international jury. Two of the six nominated projects will then be awarded prizes: one in the category Take action now, the other in the category Shaping the future.

A story to watch out for involving Chunda Mikuna!

Mieux suivre la biodiversité marine grâce à l’ADN environnemental

Borchiellini Carole — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:23:16 +0000

A paper co-authored by researchers from IMBE, MIO and OSU Pythéas has just been published in Molecular Ecology Resources, following on from the Seamobb project. This study is the result of a fruitful collaboration, which brought together expertise ranging from from diving and sampling to genetics and bioinformatics, via the marine taxonomy and community ecology.

In this study, Anne Chenuil and his colleagues are investigating the use of environmental DNA to improve the monitoring of marine biodiversity. They combine an analysis using DNA metabarcoding with photographic observations carried out on artificial reef monitoring structures, the ARMS (Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures).

The study focuses on 10 sites in the north-western Mediterranean. The researchers first optimised the experimental protocols, in particular DNA extraction and the choice of polymerase, and then used a bioinformatics analysis method to minimise false positives and ensure the traceability of the results.

Particular attention was paid to the very structure of the ARMS. Rather than grouping together the organisms present on all the faces, the researchers analysed the different faces of the structures separately, in order to better take into account the microhabitats that they offer.

Metabarcoding has thus detected a species richness of approximately 15 times greater compared with that revealed by photographic surveys at the site level. However, the two methods provide complementary information: DNA analysis allows for the detection of greater taxonomic diversity, whilst photography provides information, in particular, on the major groups of organisms and their area coverage.

Above all, the results show that It is essential to preserve the spatial structure of the ARMS to fully exploit the potential of metabarcoding. The authors therefore propose grouping the 17 faces of each structure into five structural categories, a more operational approach to developing a reproducible, large-scale monitoring system for marine biodiversity.

Quand la génétique vient bousculer la classification des Romulées méditerranéennes

Borchiellini Carole — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:52:12 +0000

How can one identify Mediterranean Romulea species when they look very similar? This is the question they have been looking into Alex Baumel and his colleagues, in a study on the Romulées (Romulea) in the Tyrrhenian region.

Closely related to crocuses and belonging to the Iridaceae family, Mediterranean Romuleas are still little studied from a genetic perspective. The initial aim of the study was to assess their diversity more effectively, to test the current classification of the species and to trace their evolutionary history.

To this end, the researchers analysed 353 nuclear genes thanks to high-throughput sequencing, which produced a considerable amount of genetic data on several hundred Romuleas. But the results held a surprise: Conventional phylogenetic methods have proved largely unsuitable for these data.

Rather than giving up, the researchers developed a an original approach to species delineation, which enabled them to rigorously assess the diversity of 18 taxa from the Tyrrhenian region.

This study therefore represents a first major step forward in the genetic investigation of Mediterranean Romuleae and opens up new avenues for a better understanding of their diversification and their evolutionary history.

Une histoire du Muséum d’histoire naturelle d’Aix-en-Provence et de ses collections entomologiques

Borchiellini Carole — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:09:30 +0000

Founded in 1838, the Natural History Museum in Aix-en-Provence has a rich history, marked by several relocations, exceptional donations and also significant losses to its collections. In an article published in the Bulletin of the Linnean Society of Provence, Jean-Yves Meunier, IRD-IMBE, and Yves Dutour, a curator at the Museum, recount this history and focus in particular on the entomological collections.

Today, these collections account for approximately 40,000 specimens packed into 412 boxes, in addition to donations received more recently. These include, in particular, historical collections dating from the 19th century, such as the collections of Jean-Hubert Chabrier and Victor Achard, which bear witness to the importance of entomology in local scientific history.

The history of the Museum is also the story of a fragile heritage: part of the collections was lost during relocations and historical events, particularly during the Second World War. After being housed in several different venues, the Museum finally closed its doors to the public in 2014. Its collections are now stored in the Barida storage facilities in Aix-les-Milles, with no space available for them to be displayed to the public.

Through this work, the authors highlight the richness of these collections and their historical, scientific and heritage value, as well as the importance of their conservation and understanding.

Il y a 14 300 ans, une tempête solaire exceptionnelle enregistrée dans les Alpes

Borchiellini Carole — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 14:55:19 +0000

Subfossil pine trees from the Southern Alps reveal evidence of an exceptional solar event that occurred 14,300 years ago.

A study carried out by Edouard Bard, Cécile Miramont, Frauke Rostek, Thibaut Tuna, Frédéric Guibal, Christian Marschal and Timothy Heaton, highlights a extreme solar particle event which occurred around 14,300 years before the present, based on an analysis of subfossil pine trees preserved on the banks of the Drouzet in the French Alps.

Dendrochronological analyses, combined with high-precision radiocarbon measurements carried out at CEREGE, have made it possible to reconstruct nearly 700 years of records and to detect a sudden increase of approximately 30 ‰ in Δ¹⁴C.

This signature indicates an exceptional production of cosmogenic isotopes, consistent with an extremely intense episode of solar particle activity. Simulations of the carbon cycle, constrained in particular by ^10Be data from the GRIP ice core, support this interpretation.

Atmospheric models suggest that this event could be the most powerful extreme solar particle event identified to date, far exceeding the most significant cosmic-ray events recorded in recent decades.

These results thus show that subfossil trees can serve as genuine natural archives of past solar activity and enable us to document extreme solar events that occurred long before instrumental observations began.

A study which can be found in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A : Radiocarbon dating of subfossil trees from the southern French Alps and the extreme solar particle event at approximately 14,300 cal yr BP

Parcs photovoltaïques : que devient la végétation sous les panneaux ?

Borchiellini Carole — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 07:40:01 +0000

The rapid expansion of solar energy is transforming landscapes and natural habitats. A study published in Environmental Research Communications focuses on one of these effects: What happens to the vegetation in solar parks?

Researchers at the IMBE have carried out a meta-analysis involving 161 parks and 2,429 flora surveys in France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Their findings show that the Solar panels reduce vegetation cover and the number of species are present but favour plants that are better adapted to the shade. The management of plots through grazing or mowing also influences the composition of the vegetation, but in different ways depending on whether there are signs. The study also reveals that The site’s history prior to the installation of the panels continues to influence biodiversity several years later : Parks established on former wooded areas therefore have a lower species richness than those developed on former industrial sites.

These findings show that biodiversity in solar parks does not depend solely on the presence of solar panels or how they are managed, but also on the characteristics and history of the soil. They therefore highlight the importance of to consider the restoration and management of these spaces in accordance with the local context, in particular by promoting species suited to the shaded conditions beneath the panels and by reintroducing grassland species where necessary.

Offre de stage M2 “Effets d’une translocation de vers de terre et d’apports de matières organiques sur les fonctions d’un sol steppique méditerranéen artificialisé”

Borchiellini Carole — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 07:18:27 +0000

UMR 7263 IMBE and theUMR 1114 EMMAH offer a 6-month Master’s (Year 2) placement, in Avignon, from January/February 2027.

The work placement is part of a project to ecological restoration of degraded soils in the Crau plain, through the implementation of nature-based solutions. In particular, the intern will take part in field monitoring of introduced earthworm populations and in a laboratory experiment using soil columns, with a view to assessing their contribution to the restoration of the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils.

The work placement will be supervised by Lison Défossé (IMBE/INRAE – University of Avignon), Céline Pelosi (INRAE) and Thierry Dutoit (CNRS – IMBE).

📍 Venue: Avignon – UMR IMBE and UMR EMMAH

👤 Required profile: A university degree or engineering qualification in soil science, with an interest in soil fauna, ecological restoration and the impacts of land development. A good command of statistical analysis and modelling would be an advantage.

📅 Applications must be submitted by 1 November 2026
Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis.

📄 Find the full course description and application details.

L’hétérogénéité paysagère en montagne méditerranéenne façonnent une mosaïque microclimatique de phénomènes d’atténuation ou d’amplification du climat régional

Borchiellini Carole — Mon, 7 Sep 2026 09:14:23 +0000

The study of microclimates reveals critical differences between regional climates and local conditions.

A study carried out in the Sainte-Baume mountains by Laureline Leclerc, Frédéric Médail, Lenka Brousset, Emmanuel Corcket, Marie Finocchiaro, Daniel Pavon, Arne Saatkamp and Eric Meineri, and published in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, reveals the existence of a veritable mosaic of microclimates within a Mediterranean landscape.

Over a period of 15 months, 60 sensors spread across 30 hectares, in areas characterised by varied topography and vegetation structure, measured local variations in temperature and humidity.

In summer, maximum temperatures could locally be up to 8.3 °C lower or 10.8 °C higher than those expected based on the regional climate.

Microclimates may also be decoupled from the regional climate, and may warm more slowly or more rapidly than the macroclimate.

The relative importance of topography and vegetation as factors responsible for these landscape variations is explained: topography is a decisive factor in all seasons, whilst the effect of vegetation – particularly tree cover – predominates by far during the growing season.

These very fine-scale contrasts could provide certain species with more favourable local conditions in the face of climate change. Conversely, some areas may amplify the effects of global warming and expose organisms to more extreme temperature and water conditions.

These findings therefore highlight the importance of taking microclimates into account in order to better understand and anticipate the responses of Mediterranean ecosystems to climate change.