The sustainability of agro-ecosystems depends on their ability to deliver an entire package of multiple ecosystem services, rather than provisioning services alone. New social and ecological dimensions of agricultural management must be explored in agricultural landscapes, to foster this ability. We propose a social–ecological framework for the service-based management of agro-ecosystems, specified through an explicit and symmetric representation of the ecosystem and the social system, and the dynamic links between them. It highlights how management practices, with their multiple effects, could drive the provision of multiple services. Based on this framework, we have identified the design of collective multiservice management as a key research issue. It requires innovations in stakeholder organizations and tools to foster synergy between ecosystem functioning and social dynamics, given the complexity and uncertainties of ecological systems

We investigated the environmental impact of diffuse pesticide pollution on natural river biofilms in the River Morcille, France, during 2 seasons in pristine and contaminated stations. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic community compositions were assessed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, while microalgal community composition was determined by high pressure liquid chromatography pigment analysis. The sensitivity of microphytobenthos to the herbicide Diuron was investigated in the laboratory by short-term photosynthesis inhibition assays. Spatial changes in prokaryotic and eukaryotic species compositions were found in spring and in winter. Community structures were significantly different between contaminated areas and those that were uncontaminated or less contaminated. Associated changes in biodiversity were not found. Community tolerance towards Diuron (based on EC50 values for photosynthesis) was significantly lower in upstream than in downstream photoautotrophic organisms. Pesticide concentration increased along the downstream gradient. These results strongly suggest contamination-driven changes in biofilm community structure and in the tolerance of the photoautotrophic community, confirming the Pollution-Induced Community Tolerance (PICT) hypothesis.

Significance A record of lake sediment spanning approximately 100 years allowed us to reconstruct the long-term succession of herbicide, fungicide, and insecticide treatments in a vineyard catchment in France. This record of pesticide deposition is consistent with the historical onset and banning of these chemical substances by French and European environmental agencies. We also present evidence of the effects of postemergence herbicides, such as glyphosate, on soil erosion and evidence of the release of banned remnant pesticides, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), that are stored in vineyard soil back into the environment. These results indicate that the sink–source dynamics of pesticides, which are crucial in ecotoxicological risk assessment, should take into account the effects of a changing environment on pesticide storage.

8Vineyard areas are important causes of water contamination, especially by pesticides 9 and residues. These compounds can markedly disturb aquatic communities particularly 10 photosynthetic organisms that are targeted by herbicides. Biofilms and diatoms were used as 11 bioindicators for quality assessment in the Morcille watershed, an area impacted by 12Beaujolais vineyards (SE France), during the pesticide spreading period (April-May 2008). 13Biofilms were allowed to settle on glass slides for 4 or 8 weeks at three sites along a 7-km 14 long gradient of trophic (mainly orthophosphate) and pesticide pollution. After a 4-week 15 colonisation, samples from the two contaminated downstream sites were transferred upstream 16 to the clean site for four weeks while others were left in the same place. 17In vivo fluorescence measurements indicated that the periphytic communities were 18 dominated by diatoms. Going downstream, biofilm biomass and diatom species richness 19 decreased; normalized diatom indices (including the French standard BDI) expressed the 20 increase in trophic status quite well. The species composition of the assemblages was used to 21 discriminate between the effects of nutrients and toxicants, which increased simultaneously as 22 the river continued downstream. 23The way in which the biofilm samples transferred upstream recovered was quite 24 different depending on the location of the original site in the contamination gradient. Most of 25 the quantitative descriptors reached a level comparable to that of the reference communities, 26 Manuscript Click here to view linked ReferencesRecovery potential of periphytic communities in a river impacted by a vineyard watershed. Morin, S. etal. 2010. Ecological Indicators, vol. 10, n° 2. p. 419-426. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W87-4X30C60-1&_user=5403746&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docan but the diatom assemblages (cell density per surface unit, taxonomic composition) varied 27 between dates and along the gradient. These communities did not entirely recover a reference 28 structure but the increase in diversity, associated with the settlement of sensitive species, 29 suggested an elevated recovery potential. 30 31 Keywords 32 River biofilms; diatoms; pesticides; Biological Diatom Index; community analysis; diuron; 33 recovery 34 35Recovery potential of periphytic communities in a river impacted by a vineyard watershed. Morin, S. etal.

No abstract