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A contrasting seasonality of wind erosivity and wind erosion between Central and Western SaheL

Wind erosion is a major phenomenon in the Sahel, and can affect soil fertility. Studies of Sahelian aeolian erosion or erosivity are scarce and have been mainly focused on the Central Sahel. Since February 2020, the number of saltating particles and the horizontal flux of aeolian sediment were monitored in Bambey (Senegal) in combination with […]

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Using urine to make sub-Saharan city region food systems more sustainable

Installing urine collection systems in sub-Saharan city regions would make those conurbations more sustainable. This was demonstrated by a study by four researchers from CIRAD, IRD, Boubakar Bâ University of Tillaberi (Niger) and Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), published on 3 May 2023 in the journal Regional Environmental Change.

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aculéates

Müllerian mimicry among bees and wasps: a review of current knowledge and future avenues of research

A study in Biological Reviews led by researchers from the Institute of ecology and environmental sciences – Paris, the Institute of Systematics, Evolution, Biodiversity and the Center for Ecology and Conservation Sciences makes the synthesis of published knowledge on Mullerian mimicry in aculeate wasps and bees. It argues that aculeates may be one of the most diverse groups of mimetic organisms and that the diversity of their mimetic interactions is currently underexplored.

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reine termite

How do termite queens and kings stay healthy for decades?

Reproductive and worker castes of termites differ greatly in their morphology and behavior but also in their fertility and longevity. Kings and queens of the highly social termite, Macrotermes natalensis, live for decades, with the queen laying thousands of eggs per day. Workers are sterile and only live a few weeks. In our HFSP project, we investigated the regulatory mechanisms involved in generating such diverse phenotypes. Our previous results indicate that well-regulated transcription allows reproductive castes to overcome simultaneously several well-known hallmarks of aging.

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Aude et Thomas

Vaisala supports iEES Paris in environmental research on insect pest

Since 2016, the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences (iEES Paris) at the Sorbonne University in Paris has been using the Vaisala Continuous Monitoring System to record data in real time and control the temperature and humidity of chambers used for insect breeding and experimentation. The IEES develops innovative strategies and tools for the rehabilitation of damaged environments, the ecologically sustainable management of biological resources and ecosystem services, and adaptation to global change. 

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Juvénile de Zootoca vivipara

Lizards from warm and declining populations are born with extremely short telomeres

This study unraveled the impacts of accelerated aging pace as a corollary of climate-driven population decline. We found transgenerational accumulation of telomere shortening implying that offspring were already born “old”. We suggest that this process may exacerbate across generations, leading to an aging loop in the population. This model posits that telomere dynamics should represent a molecular biomarker of extirpation, and likely a central cause and promising solution for future biodiversity managing actions.

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Florence Débarre, CNRS bronze medal !

The bronze medal rewards initial research that has established a researcher as a specialist in their field. This distinction is a form of encouragement to pursue research that is already well underway and proving successful.

Florence Débarre, CNRS researcher at iEES Paris, is one of the 2022 CNRS talents rewarded for her research in evolutionary ecology and epidemiology and its implications for better understanding the evolution of the COVID19 virus.

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Ver plat - Diversibipalium_multilineatum#/media/Fichier:Figure_11_(PeerJ_4672)_-_Diversibipalium_multilineatum wikipedia

The invasion of hammerhead flatworms is not over yet

In the the last years, predatory land flatworms have been introduced in many locations because of the trade of exotic plants. In this article published in Diversity and Distributions, a collaboration between iEES Paris, the National Museum of Natural History and James Cook University aimed to model the global invasion risk of these species. It turns out that they have not colonised all regions at risk yet, which demonstrates a need for increased vigilance in these areas.

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