Warming drives feedback between plant phenotypes and ecosystem functioning in sub-Antarctic ponds.

Ample evidence indicates that warming affects individuals in plant communities, ultimately threatening biodiversity. Individual plants in communities are also exposed to plant-plant interaction that may affect their performance. However, trait responses to these two constraints have usually been studied separately, while they may influence processes at the ecosystem level.

Ecosystem maturity modulates greenhouse gases fluxes from artificial lakes.

Lentic ecosystems play a major role in the global carbon cycling but the understanding of the environmental determinants of lake metabolism is still limited, notably in small artificial lakes. Here the effects of environmental conditions on lake metabolism and CO and CH emissions were quantified in 11 small artificial gravel pit lakes covering a gradient of ecosystem maturity, ranging from young oligotrophic to older, hypereutrophic lakes. The diffusive fluxes of CO and CH ranged from -30.

Cotton-strip assays: Let's move on to eco-friendly biomonitoring!

There is increasing recognition that functional bioindicators are needed for ecosystem health assessments. In this perspective, cotton strip assays are widely considered as a standard method to account for organic matter decomposition in streams. However, cotton cultivation and manufacture raise both environmental and societal dramatic issues that are - in our opinion - irreconcilable with the objectives of bioindication.

Scale dependency in the hydromorphological control of a stream ecosystem functioning.

Physical habitat degradation is prevalent in river ecosystems. Although still little is known about the ecological consequences of altered hydromorphology, understanding the factors at play can contribute to sustainable environmental management. In this study we aimed to identify the hydromorphological features controlling a key ecosystem function and the spatial scales where such linkages operate.

The contribution of a niche-based approach to ecological risk assessment: using macroinvertebrate species under multiple stressors.

We propose that a niche-based experimental approach at population level could be used to solve some uncertainties in traditional approaches in ecotoxicology. We tested this approach in the context of multiple stressors (i.e.

Scale-dependency of macroinvertebrate communities: responses to contaminated sediments within run-of-river dams.

Due to their nutrient recycling function and their importance in food-webs, macroinvertebrates are essential for the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. These organisms also constitute an important component of biodiversity. Sediment evaluation and monitoring is an essential aspect of ecosystem monitoring since sediments represent an important component of aquatic habitats and are also a potential source of contamination.