Frontmatter

Agroecology as a science, a movement and a practice. A review

Agroecology involves various approaches to solve actual challenges of agricultural production. Though agroecology initially dealt primarily with crop production and protection aspects, in recent decades new dimensions such as environmental, social, economic, ethical and development issues are becoming relevant. Today, the term `agroecology' means either a scientific discipline, agricultural practice, or political or social movement. Here we study the different meanings of agroecology. For that we analyse the historical development of agroecology. We present examples from USA, Brazil, Germany, and France. We study and discuss the evolution of different meanings agroecology. The use of the term agroecology can be traced back to the 1930s. Until the 1960s agroecology referred only as a purely scientific discipline. Then, different branches of agroecology developed. Following environmental movements in the 1960s that went against industrial agriculture, agroecology evolved and fostered agroecological movements in the 1990s. Agroecology as an agricultural practice emerged in the 1980s, and was often intertwined with movements. Further, the scales and dimensions of agroecological investigations changed over the past 80 years from the plot and field scales to the farm and agroecosystem scales. Actually three approaches persist: (1) investigations at plot and field scales, (2) investigations at the agroecosystem and farm scales, and (3) investigations covering the whole food system. These different approaches of agroecological science can be explained by the history of nations. In France, agroecology was mainly understood as a farming practice and to certain extent as a movement, whereas the corresponding scientific discipline was agronomy. In Germany, agroecology has a long tradition as a scientific discipline. In the USA and in Brazil all three interpretations of agroecology occur, albeit with a predominance of agroecology as a science in the USA and a stronger emphasis on movement and agricultural practice in Brazil. These varied meanings of the term agroecology cause confusion among scientists and the public, and we recommend that those who publish using this term be explicit in their interpretatio

Biogeography of soil microbial communities: a review and a description of the ongoing french national initiative

International audienceMicrobial biogeography is the study of the distribution of microbial diversity on large scales of space and time. This science aims at understanding biodiversity regulation and its link with ecosystem biological functioning, goods and services such as maintenance of productivity, of soil and atmospheric quality, and of soil health. Although the initial concept dates from the early 20th century (Beijerinck (1913) De infusies en de ontdekking der backterien, in: Jaarboek van de Knoniklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen, Muller, Amsterdam), only recently have an increasing number of studies have investigated the biogeographical patterns of soil microbial diversity. A such delay is due to the constraints of the microbial models, the need to develop relevant molecular and bioinformatic tools to assess microbial diversity, and the non-availability of an adequate sampling strategy. Consequently, the conclusions from microbial ecology studies have rarely been generally applicable and even the fundamental power-laws differ because the taxa-area relationship and the influence of global and distal parameters on the spatial distribution of microbial communities have not been examined. In this article we define and discuss the scientific, technical and operational limits and outcomes resulting from soil microbial biogeography together with the technical and logistical feasibility. The main results are that microbial communities are not stochastically distributed on a wide scale and that biogeographical patterns are more influenced by local parameters such as soil type and land use than by distal ones, e.g. climate and geomorphology, contrary to plants and animals. We then present the European soil biological survey network, focusing on the French national initiative and the "ECOMIC-RMQS" project. The objective of the ECOMIC-RMQS project is to characterise the density and diversity of bacterial communities in all soils in the RMQS library in order to assess, for the first time, not only microbial biogeography across the whole of France but also the impact of land use on soil biodiversity (Réseau de Mesures de la Qualité des Sols = French Soil Quality Monitoring Network, 2200 soils covering all the French territory with a systematic grid of sampling). The scientific, technical and logistical outputs are examined with a view to the future prospects needed to develop this scientific domain and its applications in sustainable land use

A scientific note on E-β-ocimene, a new volatile primer pheromone that inhibits worker ovary development in honey bees

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Influence of cryogenic cooling of cheese curd on yield and quality of semi-hard cheeses

International audienceThe influence of cryogenic cooling of cheese curd on the yield and the quality of semihard cheese (Trappist type) was studied. During three successive cheese manufacturing processes, the curd at moulding was separated into two aliquots: the first being directly pressed (control cheese) and the second being quickly cooled previously at 20 $\circ$C in a cryogenic cabinet (trial cheese). The cryogenic cooling of the curd slightly delayed the acidification and significantly reduced the syneresis. The increase in the cheese yield (+4.8% at brining and +3.8% at the end of ripening) was only due to the increase in the moisture retention. The sensory characteristics of the ripened cheeses were similar for both control and trial cheeses. The slight modifications in the melting texture and the acid taste were due to a post-acidification phenomenon that could be easily corrected by the classical operating parameters. Although stretchability was slightly increased in trial cheeses, the other functionalities were similar to those of control cheeses. Moreover, the comparison of the two experiments that were conducted with different kinetics of cooling suggests that optimisation of the cryogenic parameters could lead to a more marked increase in the cheese yield, due to higher moisture retention, and also lead to a better recovery of milk components.L'influence d'un refroidissement cryogénique du caillé sur la qualité et les rendements de fromages à pâte pressée non cuite a été étudiée. Au cours de trois fabrications successives, le caillé au moulage était réparti en deux lots homogènes, l'un directement pressé, l'autre préalablement refroidi rapidement à 20 $\circ$C en cellule cryogénique. Le refroidissement anticipé du caillé a conduit à un léger retard d'acidification et à une réduction significative de l'égouttage. L'augmentation des rendements fromagers (+4.8 % au saumurage, +3.8 % fin affinage) était uniquement liée à une rétention accrue d'humidité. Les caractéristiques sensorielles des fromages affinés étaient peu différentes de celles des fromages témoins. Les légères dérives de saveur acide et de texture fondante semblent directement liées à un phénomène de post acidification, facilement corrigeable par ailleurs. À l'exception d'une légère augmentation des propriétés filantes, les fonctionnalités à chaud des fromages affinés étaient similaires à celles des fromages témoins. La comparaison de deux essais se distinguant par leurs cinétiques de refroidissement laisse, par ailleurs, supposer que l'optimisation des paramètres cryogéniques pourrait conduire à des gains de rendement plus conséquents, liés à la fois à une humidité accrue et à une meilleure récupération des constituants du lait

Effects of trace elements and calcium on diabetes and obesity, and their complications: Protective effect of dairy products – A mini-review

Trace elements and minerals influence the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes and their complications, mainly through their involvement in peroxidation and inflammation. On the other hand, peroxidation and inflammation are liable to alter themetabolismof these nutrients, which should be taken into account when assessing their status. Milk products are capable of preventing iron-induced peroxidation and the metabolic complications of the diseases. Calcium, especially cow milk calcium, seems to be capable of preventing the development of adipocytes and obesity complications (inflammation, hypertension, and insulin resistance), mainly through interactions with vitamin D metabolism. These observations give an opportunity to influence the course of obesity by dietetic advices

Effects of trace elements and calcium on diabetes and obesity, and their complications: Protective effect of dairy products – A mini review

4th Colloquium Interdisciplinary in Instrumentation

This conference was created in 1998 in the École Normale Supérieure de Cachan, where the first event was organized in November 1998. For this initial experience, our aim was to propose to scientists coming from different disciplines to present their works in the interdisciplinary area of instrumentation. People came mostly from French laboratories and industries; however, papers from ten other countries were presented, among approximately a total of 120 papers of that conference. Numerous scientific fields were covered, from fundamental sciences to applications in physics, biology, chemistry, and so on. Second and third conferences were organized in Paris in 2001 and 2004 respectively, with approximately the same level of success, with regard to both participation and quality of papers. For all these events the Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. was a partner and published a selection of papers from those presented in the C2I.

Wettability and surface forces measured by atomic force microscopy: the role of roughness

International audienceThin films of titanium, copper and silver with various roughnesses were prepared by physical vapour deposition technique: dc magnetron sputtering. By varying the deposition time from few minutes to one hour it was possible to obtain metallic films with surface roughness average ranging from 1 to 20 nm. The wettability of these films was studied by measuring the contact angle using the sessile drop method and surface forces were investigated using the atomic force microscopy (AFM) by measuring the pull-off force between the AFM tip and the surfaces. Experimental results have been mainly discussed in terms of metal surface reactivity, Young modulus of the materials and real surface of contact between the AFM tip and the film surfaces

The influences of forest stand management on biotic and abiotic risks of damage

•  This article synthesizes and reviews the available information on the effects of forestry practices on the occurrence of biotic and abiotic hazards, as well as on stand susceptibility to these damaging agents, concentrating on mammal herbivores, pest insects, pathogenic fungi, wind and fire. •  The management operations examined are site selection, site preparation, stand composition, regeneration method, cleaning and weed control, thinning and pruning, and harvesting. For each of these operations we have examined how they influence the occurrence of biotic and abiotic damaging agents, the susceptibility of European forests, and describe the ecological processes that may explain these influences. •  Overall, we find that the silvicultural operations that have the largest influence on both biotic and abiotic risks to European forest stands are closely related to species composition and the structure of the overstorey. Four main processes that drive the causal relationships between stand management and susceptibility have been identified: effect on local microclimate, provision of fuel and resources to biotic and abiotic hazards, enhancement of biological control by natural enemies and changes in individual tree physiology and development. • The review demonstrates an opportunity to develop silvicultural methods that achieve forest management objectives at the same time as minimising biotic and abiotic risks.•  Cette revue bibliographique s'intéresse aux effets de la sylviculture sur la sensibilité des peuplements forestiers aux principaux agents de dégâts biotiques et abiotiques que sont les mammifères herbivores, les insectes ravageurs, les champignons pathogènes, le feu et les vents forts. • Les pratiques forestières analysées sont la sélection et la préparation des sites de reboisement, la définition de la composition en essences et le choix du matériel génétique, les méthodes de régénération et d'entretien, les modalités d'éclaircie et d'élagage, le mode de récolte finale. L'influence de chacune de ces opérations sur l'occurrence des agents de dégâts biotiques et abiotiques et sur la sensibilité des peuplements est examinée ainsi que les processus écologiques sous-jacents. • Les opérations sylvicoles qui se révèlent les plus déterminantes pour la sensibilité des forêts en Europe sont celles qui affectent la composition et la structure de la strate arborée. Quatre principaux processus écologiques semblent expliquer la relation entre sylviculture et sensibilité des peuplements: la modification du micro-climat, l'apport de ressources ou de combustible aux agents de dégâts, l'amélioration du contrôle biologique par les ennemis naturels et l'altération de la physiologie et du développement des arbres. •  Cette revue permet donc d'envisager le développement de méthodes de gestion des peuplements forestiers qui permettent d'atteindre les objectifs de production tout en minimisant les risques de dégâts sanitaires