Humans in their environment

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

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

Drought warning on the canopy

© Patrick Aventurier

30% less rainfall: that's what climatologists are predicting by 2100. A drought that has been getting worse in recent years. In Puéchabon, about 30 kilometers from Montpellier, our researchers are accelerating the drought phenomenon to better understand it.
Don't worry, 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, researchers have installed a gutter system that collects rainwater before it seeps into the ground. They also have a mobile roof covering more than 200 m² that can be moved over the forest to shelter certain plots.
The forest is studied from all angles thanks to a walkway installed in the canopy that allows scientists to take measurements on leaves and branches while a "flux tower" continuously measures the forest's carbon and water balance.
These devices make it possible to study the behavior of the ecosystem in the face of 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 of Puéchabon. How will the holm oaks withstand the dry climate that is expected? The first part of the answer is that they are reducing the number of their leaves to sweat less and save 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: this is also the goal of the "Megafauna" expedition. The research field here is the boundless ocean. In July 2017, led by David Mouillot from the Marbec laboratory, a team of researchers set out to map a still little-known oceanic life. Three years of expedition work to take the pulse of the tropical seas and compile an unprecedented inventory of marine life, including large bony fish, sharks, mammals, and more. These fragile giants that inhabit the oceans are particularly vulnerable to fishing and global changes: they represent 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, with its 80 meters and reinforced hull, is capable of venturing into all the seas of the globe. The Yersin will travel throughout tropical waters, visiting most of France's overseas territories (the Antilles, Polynesia, New Caledonia, the Coral Sea, Tromelin, etc.) and many countries in the South (Cape Verde, Mauritius, Seychelles, etc.).
The expedition is based on a revolutionary scientific process. Just like forensic scientists, the researchers will trackthe"environmental DNA" left behind by marine creatures. Upon arrival, the researchers will have an unprecedented map of life in the oceans: a gigantic DNA catalog compiled from nearly 2,000 sites across the tropical seas.

Last paradises of biodiversity

© Opti’Pousse Hedge

The University of Montpellier also supports student associations and initiatives. Summer 2017: Six UM students took a leap into the unknown, heading for the Indian Ocean. Their project— to create a marine protected area in Madagascar —received support 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, animal trade, destruction of mangroves, 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 mainly carried out by people from outside the island. It poses a direct threat to local populations, who depend directly on these natural resources.
At the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Montpellier, six third-year biology and ecology students are taking action. Marie, Ninon, Florine, Tiffany, Quentin, and Gaël have named their project Protect Mada. Supervised by the Opti'Pousse Haie association, they are compiling an inventory of the island's biodiversity and analyzing its resources with the aim of demonstrating the island's ecological and cultural value.
Their goal is also to raise awareness among the local community about environmental preservation and to enable them to become fully involved in the project. The students have just completed the first phase of the project and are now preparing to submit the preliminary application for the creation of the marine area.

The number: 2

This is the UM's global ranking in ecology, according to the latest Shanghai ranking. The UM is only surpassed 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