Humans and Their Environment

[Article] - Published on May 31, 2018 in Science and Society

Our planet is fragile: this new awareness is shaping the 21st century. Together with its partners, Montpellier University of Excellence is committed to advancing science that takes full responsibility for the future of humanity and the environment.

Drought Advisory for the Canopy

© Patrick Aventurier

30% less rainfall: that’s what climatologists are predicting by 2100. A drought that has been worsening in recent years. In Puéchabon, about thirty kilometers from Montpellier, our researchers are accelerating the drought phenomenon to better understand it.
Rest assured, everything is under control. Here, the Center for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology (CEFE) has transformed the holm oak forest into an open-air laboratory. To selectively increase drought conditions, the researchers have installed a gutter system that collects rainwater before it seeps into the ground. They also have a movable roof covering over 200 m² that can be moved over the forest to shelter specific plots.
The forest is studied from every angle thanks to a walkway installed in the canopy that allows scientists to take measurements on leaves and branches whilea “flux tower”continuously measures the forest’s carbon and water balance.
These devices make it possible to study the ecosystem’s response to climate change. Researchers are studying the development of leaves, flowers, and acorns on branches that have been monitored for several years in the canopy of the holm oaks at Puéchabon. How will the holm oaks withstand the dry climate that lies ahead? A first clue: they reduce the number of their leaves to transpire less and conserve water.

Mapping the hidden life of the oceans

© ECA Group, IRD, Ph. Borsa, J-M Boré, R. Armelle, P. Chabanet, B. Bourlès

Better understanding for better protection: that is also the goal of the “Megafauna” expedition. Here, the field of research is the boundless ocean. In July 2017, led by David Mouillot of the Marbec laboratory, a team of researchers set out to map a still largely unknown oceanic ecosystem. A three-year expedition to take the pulse of the tropical seas and compile an unprecedented inventory of marine life, including large bony fish, sharks, and mammals… These fragile giants that inhabit the oceans are particularly vulnerable to overfishing and global changes: they account for a quarter of all species threatened with extinction.
Funded by the Scientific Center of Monaco, the expedition has a major asset: the oceanographic vessel Yersin, an 80-meter ship with a reinforced hull designed to venture into all the world’s seas. The Yersin will traverse all tropical waters, visiting most of France’s overseas territories (the Antilles, Polynesia, New Caledonia, and the Coral Sea, Tromelin, etc.) and numerous countries in the Global South (Cape Verde, Mauritius, the Seychelles, etc.).
The expedition relies on a revolutionary scientific method. Just like forensic experts, the researchers will trackthe “environmental DNA” that marine creatures leave in their wake. Upon completion, the researchers will have an unprecedented map of life in the oceans: a massive DNA catalog compiled from nearly 2,000 sites across the tropical seas.

The Last Havens of Biodiversity

© Opti’Pousse Hedge

The University of Montpellier also supports student organizations and initiatives. Summer 2017: Six UM students took the plunge into the unknown, heading for the Indian Ocean. Their project— to create a marine protected area in Madagascar —received funding from the university’s Student Initiative Solidarity and Development Fund.
In northern Madagascar lies Nosy Lava, a small island populated by fishermen: a paradise of terrestrial, coastal, and marine biodiversity. But it is a paradise under threat. Poaching, the animal trade, mangrove destruction, and intensive fishing… Animal species have already disappeared, such as the iconic dugong; turtles are slaughtered for their meat, and fish are overfished. This overexploitation of resources is primarily the work of outsiders. It poses a direct threat to local communities, who depend directly on these natural resources.
At the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Montpellier, six third-year biology-ecology students are taking action. Marie, Ninon, Florine, Tiffany, Quentin, and Gaël have named their project Protect Mada. With support from the Opti’Pousse Haie association, they are compiling an inventory of the island’s biodiversity and analyzing its resources, with the goal of demonstrating the island’s ecological and cultural value.
Their goal is also to raise awareness among the local community about environmental conservation and to enable them to become fully involved in the project. The students have just completed the first phase of this project: they are preparing to submit the preliminary application to establish the marine protected area.

The number: 2

This is the University of Marseille’s global ranking in ecology, according to the latest Shanghai Ranking. The University of Marseille is surpassed only by the University of Oxford and ranks ahead of other prestigious institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley (4th).

Keywords: Environment, I-SITE, Research