Zone Atelier Moselle

Barium (Ba) is a non-essential trace element increasingly detected in coastal ecosystems, yet its sublethal effects on marine invertebrates remain poorly characterized. This study investigated the biochemical and mechanistic responses of the shrimp Palaemon adspersus to barium chloride (BaCl2) using an integrated dose-response and modeling framework. Shrimps were exposed for five days (0, 20, 40 and 80mg/L), and hepatopancreas biomarkers were quantified: oxidative stress (H2O2, LOOH, MDA), protein oxidation (PCO, AOPP), antioxidant defenses (SOD, CAT, GPx, GST, GSH, MTs, Vit C, FRAP), neurotoxicity (AChE), and fatty acid composition (SFA, MUFA, PUFA; n-3/n-6). Ba bioaccumulated dose-dependently and was associated with increased oxidative and lipid peroxidation damage, coordinated but ultimately insufficient antioxidant activation, AChE inhibition, and shifts in fatty acids consistent with peroxidation-driven membrane remodeling. Benchmark Dose (BMD) modeling identified LOOH and AChE as the most sensitive endpoints (BMDL=1.49 and 1.73mg/L), while higher BMDL values for antioxidant enzymes indicated later compensatory responses. EC50 analysis corroborated this ranking, confirming oxidative stress and cholinergic disruption as early biomarkers of Ba toxicity. Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM) showed that oxidative damage is the central driver linking antioxidant activation, fatty-acid remodeling, and AChE inhibition (GoF=0.92), supporting a mechanistic cascade from mitochondrial ROS overproduction to membrane damage and neurofunctional impairment. Altogether, this work establishes oxidative stress-mediated toxicity as the primary pathway of Ba in P. adspersus, highlights fatty-acid composition as an integrative endpoint, and validates this species as a sensitive sentinel for biomonitoring trace-metal impacts in coastal and lagoon systems.

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Urbanization and agricultural intensification are major drivers of biodiversity loss due to multiple stressors, including land artificialization, habitat fragmentation, isolation, and degradation. These land-use and land-cover changes (LUCC) also impact water quality, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem services. Designing Blue and Green Infrastructure Networks (BGINs) has been proposed as a strategic approach to land-use planning that enhances ecosystem services while preserving biodiversity and improving water management. This study focuses on the Couesnon watershed (Brittany, France) within the LTSER Zone Atelier Armorique (https://deims.org/31e67a47-5f15-40ad-9a72-f6f0ee4ecff6). A participatory approach was employed to develop five future LUCC scenarios incorporating BGINs. Narrative descriptions were then used as input for the FORESCEM model to simulate LUCC dynamics (Fig. 1 - Houet et al. 2022). The impacts on biodiversity were assessed by evaluating changes in landscape connectivity for woodlands, grasslands, and wetlands using the model developed by Boussard et al. (2020). Additionally, the effects on water quality and quantity were analyzed under LUCC and RCP8.5 climate change scenarios using the model developed by Álvarez-Cabria et al. (2016). The effectiveness of BGIN policies was assessed by comparing current landscape connectivity (2018) with projected connectivity in 2050 and by estimating future water quality. Results indicate that despite integrating BGINs, the projected impacts on biodiversity (Fig. 2) and water resources could still be significantly negative. Key drivers of future agricultural land-use changes and related environmental impacts include evolving CAP priorities, demographic trends among farmers, and climate change. While BGINs are effective in mitigating urbanization impacts, they may not be sufficient at the landscape scale. This study highlights the necessity of systemic environmental policies that foster synergies among different administrative services involved in land management. The current sectoral (or "siloed") organisation levels remain a barrier to achieving land sustainability goals. While LUCC simulations are designed to assist decision-makers in implementing sustainable policies, we examined whether our results effectively support local stakeholders in the Couesnon watershed. We conducted 14 public meetings involving nearly 150 participants, including farmers, policymakers, land and resource management professionals, and students. Surveys and interviews conducted during the meetings and 6 to 12 months later revealed that while scenario-based approaches can influence decision-making, their impact requires time to materialize (Rigo and Houet 2023, Rigo et al. 2024). These findings underscore the need for further research and the importance of effectively communicating scientific insights to support the understanding, monitoring, and sustainable management of socio-ecological systems within the critical zone.

Contaminant monitoring in agroecosystems is increasingly revealing overlooked molecules, particularly within complex pesticide mixtures. This study assessed the effectiveness of chemical and ecotoxicological methods for evaluating contamination and biological responses in Gammarus roeseli exposed to pesticides and transformation products (TPs) in lentic small water bodies (LSWBs) near agricultural zones. We examined 7 LSWBs, finding variable contamination levels shaped by watershed composition differences. Analysis of 136 compounds identified key TPs, including chlorothalonil R471811, metazachlor ESA, and OXA, which collectively represented 86.2 % of the total quantified contaminants. These results underscore the persistence of both current and banned pesticides in the ponds studied. While G. roeseli showed favorable survival rates, significant reductions in locomotion and ventilation were observed at heavily contaminated sites, with biochemical analyses suggesting neurotoxic effects and activation of detoxification mechanisms in response to contaminants. Multivariate analyses revealed site-specific variations, highlighting the complex interactions between contamination levels and environmental conditions. Biomarker responses in gammarids served as sensitive indicators of residual toxicity in LSWBs, with frequent associations with historical contamination or current pesticide applications. This in situ caging approach across a contamination gradient demonstrates strong potential for biomonitoring and ecotoxicological assessments in agroecosystems. Extending exposure durations and including more heavily contaminated ponds could further enhance risk evaluation, thereby improving biomonitoring accuracy in headwater aquatic ecosystems. By integrating site-specific environmental conditions, contamination profiles, and biological responses, this study provides valuable insights into the influence of agricultural practices on LSWBs contamination and underscores the critical need to incorporate TPs into future risk assessment frameworks.

Abstract Finding more sustainable ways to produce food is a major challenge for humanity in the face of biodiversity extinction and climate change. Consequently, research on the ability of agroecosystems to provide multiple functions is growing. In this regard, the relative importance of organic farming and landscape‐scale measures for improving multifunctionality has recently been debated. We investigated the effects of farming system (conventional vs. organic) at field scale, total length of hedgerows in the landscape and their interaction on the multifunctionality of 40 winter cereal fields in Brittany (France). Our multifunctionality assessment integrated 21 indicators of five agroecosystem goods: biodiversity conservation, nutrient cycling and soil structure, pest and disease regulation, food production and socio‐economic performance. Many indicators of biodiversity conservation, pest and disease regulation, and socio‐economic performance were higher in organic than in conventional systems. However, indicators of nutrient cycling and soil structure did not improve and food production was much lower in organic systems. Total hedgerow length in the landscape had less influence than organic farming on indicators, although we observed positive interactions. Granivorous carabid abundance and semi‐net margin were highest in organic fields located in well‐preserved hedgerow landscapes. Synthesis and applications. Our study suggests that field‐scale organic farming is necessary to promote biodiversity conservation and associated ecological functioning in crop fields, whereas landscape‐scale preservation of semi‐natural habitats alone is likely insufficient. Preservation of hedgerows in the landscape brings additional ecological and socio‐economic benefits for organic systems without compromising agricultural production. More broadly, our results call for more ambitious research into the myriad possible combinations of farming practices and agri‐environmental measures at both field and landscape scales, to improve both below‐ground and above‐ground functioning.

Abstract Urban expansion across the globe profoundly impacts local biodiversity. The growing body of urban ecology research on animals has largely focused on mammals and birds, whereas knowledge of insect ecology and conservation in urban areas remains limited. To anchor this Special Issue (SI), we have taken a broad approach to editorial and conducted a structured literature search to set the scene. We provide here an overview of existing literature reviews on urban insect ecology and conservation, indicate where the articles included in this SI contribute to developing our understanding and point to priority areas for further investigation. Key themes in the growing literature (at individual, species, and/or community level) include the influence of habitat quality, quantity and land use type on insect diversity; the impacts of anthropogenic pollution (for instance, heat, noise, light and chemicals); habitat connectivity and changes in habitat structure and impacts of urban density on genetic diversity. Insect diversity and abundance broadly decline with urban density and loss of habitat. Beyond this, variation in responses of different taxa, or in different regions, and methodological limitations of individual studies make it challenging to identify general patterns. Insect ecology and conservation research in urban environments should focus on applying ecological theory to understand variation in diversity patterns; investigating interactions between climate change and urban contexts; identifying impacts of novel environments on insect biodiversity; addressing methodological limitations and harmonising methodological approaches; and exploring the influence of social and historical factors on urban insect biodiversity. Insect conservation must also consider research into how best to communicate the value of urban insects to urban humans.

Abstract AimsWe introduce ReSurveyEurope — a new data source of resurveyed vegetation plots in Europe, compiled by a collaborative network of vegetation scientists. We describe the scope of this initiative, provide an overview of currently available data, governance, data contribution rules, and accessibility. In addition, we outline further steps, including potential research questions.ResultsReSurveyEurope includes resurveyed vegetation plots from all habitats. Version 1.0 of ReSurveyEurope contains 283,135 observations (i.e., individual surveys of each plot) from 79,190 plots sampled in 449 independent resurvey projects. Of these, 62,139 (78%) are permanent plots, that is, marked in situ, or located with GPS, which allow for high spatial accuracy in resurvey. The remaining 17,051 (22%) plots are from studies in which plots from the initial survey could not be exactly relocated. Four data sets, which together account for 28,470 (36%) plots, provide only presence/absence information on plant species, while the remaining 50,720 (64%) plots contain abundance information (e.g., percentage cover or cover–abundance classes such as variants of the Braun‐Blanquet scale). The oldest plots were sampled in 1911 in the Swiss Alps, while most plots were sampled between 1950 and 2020.ConclusionsReSurveyEurope is a new resource to address a wide range of research questions on fine‐scale changes in European vegetation. The initiative is devoted to an inclusive and transparent governance and data usage approach, based on slightly adapted rules of the well‐established European Vegetation Archive (EVA). ReSurveyEurope data are ready for use, and proposals for analyses of the data set can be submitted at any time to the coordinators. Still, further data contributions are highly welcome.