Research interests

My research interests are related to global change impacts (mainly climate change but also air pollution, prescribed fire) on plant specialized metabolism (volatile and non volatile metabolites) and the eventual consequences of such impacts on both, fundamental ecological processes (plant adaptation to global changes, trade-offs between defense and growth, plant defense, litter degradation, plant-organism interactions) and major environmental issues of our society including air pollution and fire risk. I carry out these works at different scales, from the leaf cell to the atmosphere through and interdisciplinary approach (chemical ecology, plant ecophysiology, fire ecology and atmospheric chemistry).

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The importance of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) was pointed out since the ’60 when they were identified as major precursors of secondary pollutants (ozone, aerosols). In this frame (importance of BVOC on air quality) my research aims to provide a better characterization of BVOC sources and the environmental conditions that drive them, whith a special focus on drought simulated in natura (as seing on the right figure that illustrates rain exclusion on a Downy oak fores at O3HP). One the major results of my carrier is the demonstration of Downy oak contribution to ozone at the regional scale and the publication of the first inventory of VOC emissions from leaf litter. As a whole, I carry out these investigations through interdisciplinary programs in collaboration with atmospheric chemists.

Specialized metabolites in plants are also well known for their multiple roles in ecosystem functioning and dynamics. For example, terpenes were identified in the ’80 to act as drivers of plant-pollinator and plant-to-plant relationships through complex allepathic processes. Cuticular waxes were identified to play important roles for water saving, and polyphenols for their antioxydant role, both being of primary importance under stress conditions. In this frame (ecophysiological role of plant specialized metabolites), my research has put some light onto plant allocation to these plant denses over long-terme stress periods ( 10 years) and has contributed to demonstrate that the storage of some of these specialized metabolites (terpenes, cuticular waxes) also acts as a driver of ecosystem functioning by favoring plant flammability. I carry out these investigations in collaboration with fire ecology laboratories.

Epiradiator

Investigating the sensitivity of plant metabolism to global changes and the eventual consequences on the environment (air pollution, fire hazard) are of especial interest in Mediterranean ecosystems, where species are rich in flammable metabolites (BVOCs, cuticular metabolites), aridity is predicted to be strengthened in the near future and VOC-driven secondary pollution (including O3 and secondary organic aerosol formation) is a major issue.