Abstract: Tension wood, a tissue developed by angiosperm trees to actively recover their verticality, has long been defined by the presence of an unlignified cellulosic inner layer in the cell wall of fibres, called the G-layer. Although it was known that some species have no G-layer, the definition was appropriate since it enabled easy detection of tension wood zones using various staining techniques for either cellulose or lignin. For several years now, irrespective of its anatomical structure, tension wood has been defined by its high mechanical internal tensile stress. This definition enables screening of the diversity of cell walls in tension wood fibres. Recent results obtained in tropical species with tension wood with a delay in the lignification of the G-layer opened our eyes to the effective presence of large amounts of lignin in the G-layer of some species. This led us to review older literature mentioning the presence of lignin deposits in the G-layer and give them credit. Advances in the knowledge of tension wood fibres allow us to reconsider some previous classifications of the diversity in the organisation of the fibre walls of the tension wood. © 2017 International Association of Wood Anatomists.

Abstract: Temporary ponds, acknowledged for their conservation value, are colonized by the invasive crayfish Procambarus clarkii. We have tested the consequences of this colonization for the ecosystem under two contrasted scenarios: one single individual arrival or three individuals arrival. We recreated the temporary pond ecosystem in 1 m2 tanks to investigate the impact of the two crayfish densities. We studied the macrophyte community composition and abundance, chlorophyll a and total suspended solids concentrations, and the diversity and functional composition of micro-crustacean and macro-invertebrate communities. We observed a reduction of macrophyte biomass in experimental crayfish mesocosms in comparison with control tanks, nearly 80 and 40% less in 3 and 1 crayfish/m2 tanks, respectively. The macrophyte community shifted, followed by a filamentous algae development, an increase of bare sediment and turbidity in crayfish tanks. The macro-invertebrate community suffered a richness loss of 28 and 22%, in 3 and 1 crayfish/m2 tanks, respectively. Functionally, macro-invertebrate diversity reduction most strongly affected the grazer, detritivore and predator trophic groups. Microcrustaceans seemed not to be affected by the introduction of the crayfish. The introduction of the crayfish greatly altered the ecosystem structure and subsequently the ecosystem functioning. © 2015, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.

Abstract: Technomyrmex vitiensis is a tramp ant that has spread through many parts of the Old World tropics via human commerce. This species has been previously reported only once in the New World, from San Francisco, California. Here, we report the first records of T. vitiensis in South America, from two sites deep in the forest of French Guiana. It is not clear how these ants were transported to such remote sites, 100 km inland. Copyright © 2011 BioOne All rights reserved.

Abstract: Tank-bromeliads are discrete habitats which contain distinct aquatic communities, and which commonly occur in the neotropics. Because they span a broad range of ecological gradients in terms of habitat structure and amount of resources, researchers study the associations between the biodiversity of communities and these gradients in rainforests, where the very high species richness and densities within other continuous habitats makes it difficult to quantify animal communities. We analysed the diversity of aquatic insect communities in relation to different tank-bromeliad species in a primary rainforest (French Guiana) using artificial intelligence and complex optimization techniques to classify communities and model their determinants. First, the self-organizing map (neural network) was used to classify 158 bromeliads according to the quantitative structure of the insect communities. Catopsis berteroniana and Guzmania lingulata formed separate clusters of plants on the virtual map, while Vriesea splendens, Vriesea pleiosticha and Aechmea melinonii were grouped together in the remaining clusters. Some insect taxa occurred in all bromeliads, while other taxa were specific to a given species. Second, general linear modelling allowed us to specify the influence of the bromeliad species; water volume and volume of fine particulate organic matter inside of the tank; elevation above the ground; and sampling site on taxonomic richness and insect abundance. The number of taxa and individuals per plant increased with greater water volume, but the slope of the relationships depended on the bromeliad species. The significant influence of bromeliad species suggested that at similar water volumes different plant species had different taxon richness and insect abundance. Greater amounts of fine particulate organic matter were detrimental to community diversity in the tanks, probably because they decreased available space by clogging it and/or affected oxygen concentrations. The influence of tank-bromeliad species on the aquatic insect community was primarily related to their physical (and probably chemical) features rather than to species-specific associations sensu stricto. The classification of bromeliads with respect to animal species is likely to provide referential schemes for those biodiversity patterns to be expected under certain conditions, and may help to target model communities for subsequent experimental research. (C) 2008 Elsevier B,V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Tank bromeliads form a conspicuous, yet neglected freshwater habitat in Neotropical forests. Recent studies driven by interests in medical entomology, fundamental aspects of bromeliad ecology and experimental research on food webs have, however, prompted increasing interest in bromeliad aquatic ecosystems. As yet, there is nothing in the literature about the life histories and environmental drivers of invertebrate population dynamics in tank bromeliads.
Based on fortnightly samples taken over one year, size frequency plots and individual dry masses allowed us to establish the life cycles and growth rates of the dominant aquatic invertebrates in a common bromeliad species of French Guiana. Linear mixed-effect models and Mantel tests were used to predict changes in density, biomass, and growth rates in relation to temperature, rainfall, humidity and detrital resources.
Annual variations in invertebrate densities and biomasses could be described according to three types of distribution: unimodal, bimodal or almost constant. Despite seasonal variations, precipitation, temperature, relative humidity and detritus concentration accounted significantly for changes in density and biomass, but we found no significant responses in growth rates of most invertebrate species. Species rather displayed non-seasonal life cycles with overlapping cohorts throughout the year. There was also a trend for delayed abundance peaks among congeneric species sharing similar functional traits, suggesting temporal partitioning of available resources.
Beyond novel knowledge, quantitative information on life histories is important to predict food-web dynamics under the influence of external forcing and self-organisation. Our results suggest that changes in species distribution that will affect population dynamics through biotic interactions in space and/or time could have greater effects on food webs and ecosystem functioning than changes in environmental factors per se.