The AQUALAND project

Ecosystem services at terrestrial-aquatic interfaces in agricultural landscapes AQUALAND

2016-2018 Coordinators: Jean-Marc Roussel (UMR ESE) et Manuel Plantegenest (UMR IGEPP) BAGAP Contact: Stéphanie Aviron BAGAP Research Theme: Biodiversity and biological regulation   Keywords: invertebrates, aquatic ecosystems, agroecosystems, ecosystem services, biological control of pests, pollination

Research

Context and Issues

Aquatic ecosystems cover a significant surface area in Northwestern France, where agricultural production is central. These ecosystems are often considered as highly polluted by agriculture. However, recent studies have shown that significant fluxes can also occur from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems. These fluxes especially concern invertebrates which exhibits larval development phases in aquatic habitats, and aerial dispersal of adults through surrounding agroecosystems.

Depending on species and intensity of fluxes, these aquatic invertebrates might contribute to soil fertilization, biological control of crop pests through direct predation or trophic cascading effects, or to pollination. Because they induce fluxes of organic matter and nutriments from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems, they might also contribute to the maintenance of water quality.

Objectives

The AQUALAND project focuses on these interactions between aquatic ecosystems and agroecosystems. The goal of the project is to explore the existence of ecosystem services related to natural aquatic habitats, and their interactions with agricultural areas. More precisely, the project will:

• Determine whether the processes (fluxes of species, nutriments...) related to these interactions can be detected and quantified
• Identify the ecological factors affecting the intensity of these processes
• Analyze the influence of landscape pattern on ecosystem services associated to aquatic invertebrates in agroecosystems.

BAGAP Staff Involved

Stéphanie Aviron (Landscape Agroecology)

Partners

Coordination: UMR ESE (Jean-Marc Roussel), UMR IGEPP (Manuel Plantegenest)
UMR IGEPP: Elsa Canard
UMR Ecobio: Christophe Piscart

Funding and Support

INRA Metaprogramme Services Ecosystémiques (EcoServ)