-Forest and wildlife management practices in the Vosges have changed rapidly during the last 200 years, modifying interactions between animals and plants, especially deer and silver fir. In order to assess the impact of browsing on fir regeneration, we compared two sets of similar forests which differed primarily in terms of deer population dynamics and history. On slopes with southern exposures, many fir seedlings did not reach heights above 30 cm and spruce developed; this was related to browsing intensity. Spruce expansion was also facilitated by its presence in nearby mature stands, and was not related to a particularly high level of browsing. Of the six site characteristics taken into consideration, only the presence of foliage from the understorey above seedlings was found to benefit fir by limiting spruce development and reducing browsing intensity. Results are discussed in light of current and proposed management practices for silver fir-beech forests and their wildlife.silver fir-beech forest / regeneration / browsing / deer / management Résumé -Conséquences de l'augmentation de l'abroutissement hivernal par les cerfs et chevreuils sur la régénération du sapin et de l'épicéa dans les Vosges du Sud. Implications pour la gestion forestière. Les récents changements de gestion forestière et faunistique ont profondément modifié les interactions entre la flore et la faune, notamment entre les cervidés et le sapin. Pour évaluer l'impact de l'abroutissement sur la régénération du sapin, nous avons comparé deux ensembles de forêts sur la base de conditions environnementales similaires mais à différents degrés de colonisation par les cervidés. Les résultats montrent que les sapins des versants exposés sud subissent une pression d'abroutissement forte et poussent difficilement au-delà de 30 cm, alors que l'épicéa est particulièrement abondant. L'expansion de l'épicéa au détriment du sapin abrouti est également facilitée par sa présence parmi les arbres matures, mais ici sans relation avec un abroutissement particulièrement fort du sapin. Un seul facteur parmi les sept étudiés joue en faveur du sapin : la présence d'une strate arbustive, qui limite le développement de l'épicéa et réduit l'abroutissement du sapin. Les résultats sont discutés en relation avec la gestion actuelle des hêtraie-sapinières vosgiennes et de leur faune, et des propositions sont émises pour une gestion qui intègre davantage la présence des animaux.hêtraie-sapinière / régénération / abroutissement / cervidés / gestion

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This paper presents a dendrochronological study of Common Ivy in alluvial environment. Our objective was to analyse the response of ivy plants to hydrological and climatic variations. The study was carried out in three forests: Rhinau, which is regularly flooded; Erstein, where floods were eliminated with the canalization of the Rhine River in 1967 and Heiteren, an upland forest. Multivariate models performed for each forest showed that the response of ivy to temperature, precipitation and water table level depended on the hydrological history of the site. In the flooded forest of Rhinau, ground water depth in June and July, that is at the time when floods usually occur, was one of the main factors stimulating growth while in Erstein, rises of the ground water levels stimulated growth only when they occurred in winter, that is when the water table is normally the lowest in the year. In the driest forest of Heiteren, growth was stimulated by hot summer temperatures coupled with rainfall from May to July. In the two riparian forests ivy displayed a positive response to increasing temperatures in February and March. The ability to take advantage of early temperature increases may be a particularly important aspect of ivy ecology in deciduous forests.

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