Thématiques de recherche

Climate change and microrefugia
Microrefugia are local patches where species persist when the regional climate becomes unsuitable. I am particularly interested in the understanding of microrefugia and in improving our ability to account for microrefugia in species distribution modelling. I have been participating in -and conducting a series of studies within this topic. We have been working on modelling the direct and indirect associations between landscape heterogeneity (mainly topography), local climate and species distribution at fine scale. Using this work, we have identified the most important topographic drivers of local climate and developed large domain climatic grids that improves our ability to account for microrefugia in species distribution modelling. I also participated in research demonstrating large impact of forest management, forest composition and forest structure on miroclimate and thereby on species fine scale distribution (see work of C.Greiser). Since recently, I focused my research on the Mediterranean region where we aim to better understand how populations situated at the extreme southern border of their species ranges use landscape heterogeneity to persist in regions with unsuitable climate (see work og M.Finocchiaro). My research within the topic of microrefugia will continue further, questioning the aspects of competition and of local adaptations within microrefugia.

Climate change effects on seedling recruitment
seedling recruitment is critical for plant species response to climate change because it allows for genetic recombination and production of dispersal units. My work tries to improve our understanding on how climate and biotic interactions drive the different substages of seedling recruitment and how predicted changes in temperature and precipitation are likely to affect recruitment success. This research suggests, that in cold and wet region, most impacts of climatic changes on seedling recruitment would be mediated through an increase of competition, likely due to increase frequencies of more competitive generalist species.

Other topics I have been working on and would like to develop further

  • Using species distributions models to improve ecological compensation
  • Modelling the spread of invasive species
  • Accounting for biotic interactions into species distribution models

Project participations

  • 2020-2023: MICROMED - Conservation de la flore face au réchauffement climatique : caractériser, cartographier et évaluer le rôle des microrefuges en région Sud-PACA, PI: Eric Meineri, funded by the région Sud-PACA
  • 2014-2020: Adaptation to climate change for both northern and southern species, PI: K.Hylander (Stockholm University)
  • 2008-2014: SEEDCLIM: The role of seeds in a changing climate - linking germination ecophysiology to population and community ecology, PI: Vigdis Vandik (University of Bergen)
  • 2013-2015: EKOKLIM, large transdisciplinary research program at Stockholm University
  • 2012-2013: ECREVISSE, Potential impact of red swamp crayfish in Camague, PI: Francois Mesleard