Large carrion beetles (Coleoptera, Silphidae) in Western Europe: a review

in Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement = Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment [=BASE] (2011), 15(3), 425-437

This review focuses on carrion beetles (Coleoptera, Silphidae) of the Western Palearctic and their potential use in forensic entomology as bioindicators. Few studies have looked at Silphidae in forensic ... [more ▼]

This review focuses on carrion beetles (Coleoptera, Silphidae) of the Western Palearctic and their potential use in forensic entomology as bioindicators. Few studies have looked at Silphidae in forensic context and investigations. However, some Silphidae present the desirable characteristics of some Diptera used in postmortem estimates and thus may extend the minimum postmortem interval (PMImin). We review here the taxonomy and distribution of Western Palearctic Silphidae. The anatomical and morphological characteristics of both subfamilies are described for adults and larvae. The biology and ecology of silphids are also summarized for Silphinae and Nicrophorinae. A specific chapter gives an overview of the current uses of Silphidae in forensic entomology as postmortem indicator. [less ▲]

Enjeux fonciers, exploitation des ressources naturelles et Forêts des Communautés Locales en périphérie de Kinshasa, RDC

in Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement = Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment [=BASE] (2011), 15(4), 535-544

Peri-urban forests are under strong anthropic pressure. Any activity needs a previous identification of stakeholders, landscape perception, socio-economic trends in local communities and their ... [more ▼]

Peri-urban forests are under strong anthropic pressure. Any activity needs a previous identification of stakeholders, landscape perception, socio-economic trends in local communities and their relationships with land and natural resources. Kinshasa (capital of Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC) is a 10 millions inhabitants city with rapid growth and increasing impacts on surrounding villages linked with forest natural resources. This paper describes the relationship amongst local communities stakeholders and their relations with land areas and wood resources. Two areas surrounding Kinshasa (Bas-Congo and Bateke Plateaux) are considered as major fuel-wood and charcoal supply zones for the city. Those two areas are different in terms of land pressure (very high in Bas-Congo and focused on riparian forests on Bateke Plateaux), but show the same pattern of overuse of the forest and woody natural resources. In both areas, local management of forest resources by the traditional authorities (heads of village or lineage) has failed. Local population willingness for reforestation and forest restoration activities is much more important in Bas-Congo than on Bateke Plateaux. In both areas, shifting cultivation due to slash and burn practices for agricultural and charcoal practices are more and more quick. This has strong negative impact on the potential of regeneration process with local forest species. Sustainability of forest natural resources management by communities is discussed in regard to the on going negotiations on community based forest management regulations. [less ▲]

Production potentielle de bioéthanol, de biométhane et de pellets à partir des déchets de biomasse lignocellulosique du bananier (Musa spp.) au Cameroun

in Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement = Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment [=BASE] (2011), 15(3), 471-483

Like most African countries who are producers and exporters of banana, Cameroon is facing a major energy deficit. Yet, the country is generating annually about 4,500,000 tons of fresh banana plant ... [more ▼]

Like most African countries who are producers and exporters of banana, Cameroon is facing a major energy deficit. Yet, the country is generating annually about 4,500,000 tons of fresh banana plant lignocellulosic waste biomass matter equivalent to 402,750 tons of dry matter. The dry matter contained about 80,57% organic matter which are not exploited. Under the sustainable development, which is linked to environmental protection, the biotransformation of these residues can potentially produce about 93,800; 92,133; 447,500 tons of bioethanol, biomethane and pellets respectively. The waste transformation could reduce the energy deficit and create jobs opportunities. Productions of this renewable energy or biofuel also constitute a new area which could assure an important source of income for the banana cultivators and the entire country. [less ▲]

Méthodologie de constitution d'une collection d'échantillons de sols en relation avec les principaux matériaux parentaux en Wallonie (Belgique méridionale)

in Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement = Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment [=BASE] (2011), 15(S2), 683-697

Over the past few years, there has been growing concern about soils and their properties, thanks to greater environmental awareness. Consequently, existing documents on soil are valuable in risk ... [more ▼]

Over the past few years, there has been growing concern about soils and their properties, thanks to greater environmental awareness. Consequently, existing documents on soil are valuable in risk assessment and for the research of well-adapted solutions. In this context, this paper reviews the main stages of soil mapping in Belgium and presents current works to valorize the Digital Soil Map of Wallonia and update associated databases. Belgium is among the first countries to be completely covered by a detailed soil map (1:20,000). The origin of the Soil Map of Belgium, its realisation between 1947 and 1991, the principles and characteristics as well as the related products are described. But since its publication, due to the increasing need of soil information and thanks to the development of geographical information systems the Walloon part of the map was digitalised between 2000 and 2003 by the Digital Soil Map of Wallonia (DSMW) Project. From this early action at regional level, a selection of immediately derived products is presented and briefly commented. However, if these products go beyond the initial objective of agricultural production increase, they do not always meet the environmental challenges nor the future legislation at European, national and regional levels. To fill this gap, the recent tasks carried out by the DMSW team are presented through a description of their methodological and technical framework. The long-term objective is to build Regional Soil Information Systems based on the use of the Digital Soil Map of Wallonia as a tool of integration, structuring and referencing of pedological information. [less ▲]

Méthode pragmatique d’évaluation de la réserve en eau des stations forestières et cartographie à l’échelle régionale (Wallonie, Belgique)

in Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement = Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment [=BASE] (2011), 15(S2), 727-741

The assessment of the forest sites water availability constitutes a growing concern following the awareness of the potential impact of climate change on the soil moisture regime. At the present time, the ... [more ▼]

The assessment of the forest sites water availability constitutes a growing concern following the awareness of the potential impact of climate change on the soil moisture regime. At the present time, the forest managers lack tools for a quantitative estimation of the soil water reserve. This paper presents a simple estimation method that can be adopted on field by foresters. A map of this soil water reserve at the forest site scale has been established for the Southern Belgium. After the inventory of the possible techniques, the “textural method”, based on the pedotransfert classes of Jamagne et al. (1977), has been used. The soil profiles from the Aardewerk database have eased the translation of the Jamagne et al. (1977)’s results in the Belgian textural system. Moreover, the geodatabase of the Digital Soil Map of Wallonia (DSMW), through the typology of the major soil types, has been used as mapping support of the water reserve at the regional scale. Like a first attempt of validation, the result has been compared with the bioindicator character of forest understory vegetation. The regression results show a significant relationship between the soil water reserve and the vegetation estimate, but they also indicate that the water reserve does not explain alone the moisture level expressed by the flora. It emerges that the characterization of the Walloon parent materials will constitute an undeniable support for the development of the proposed method, the transposition of foreign results leading to some bias. The use prospects of this thematic map are multiple: integration as inputs for the autecological modelling, assessment of the moisture regime for the water availability of forest sites and building of sites catalogs; as many tools to guide forest managers in their planning measures. [less ▲]

Intérêt des cartes des sols pour l'élaboration d'une stratégie d'échantillonnage en sols contaminés par retombées atmosphériques : application à l'étude de l'effet sol sur le devenir des éléments traces métalliques

in Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement = Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment [=BASE] (2011), 15(2), 669-682

As a result of pollution from atmospheric dusts, some sites of Wallonia (Belgium) are contaminated by metallic trace elements (MTE) such as cadmium, lead and zinc. These metalliferous soils are called ... [more ▼]

As a result of pollution from atmospheric dusts, some sites of Wallonia (Belgium) are contaminated by metallic trace elements (MTE) such as cadmium, lead and zinc. These metalliferous soils are called ‘calaminary sites’. The major aim of this study concerns the multi-scalar characterization of MTE distribution in these contaminated soils and landscapes. The strategy of sampling described in this paper is based on the influence of soil type and its land use on the fate of MTE. After analysis of collected samples, it will be possible to have an idea of the distribution of MTE among soil components, and therefore, to evaluate the risks caused by environmental changes such as an agricultural use of afforested areas. [less ▲]

Cartographie des sols en Belgique : aperçu historique et présentation des travaux actuels de valorisation et de révision de la Carte Numérique des Sols de Wallonie

in Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement = Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment [=BASE] (2011), 15(S2), 647-656

Over the past few years, there has been growing concern about soils and their properties, thanks to greater environmental awareness. Consequently, existing documents on soil are valuable in risk ... [more ▼]

Over the past few years, there has been growing concern about soils and their properties, thanks to greater environmental awareness. Consequently, existing documents on soil are valuable in risk assessment and for the research of well-adapted solutions. In this context, this paper reviews the main stages of soil mapping in Belgium and presents current works to valorize the Digital Soil Map of Wallonia and update associated databases. Belgium is among the first countries to be completely covered by a detailed soil map (1:20,000). The origin of the Soil Map of Belgium, its realisation between 1947 and 1991, the principles and characteristics as well as the related products are described. But since its publication, due to the increasing need of soil information and thanks to the development of geographical information systems the Walloon part of the map was digitalised between 2000 and 2003 by the Digital Soil Map of Wallonia (DSMW) Project. From this early action at regional level, a selection of immediately derived products is presented and briefly commented. However, if these products go beyond the initial objective of agricultural production increase, they do not always meet the environmental challenges nor the future legislation at European, national and regional levels. To fill this gap, the recent tasks carried out by the DMSW team are presented through a description of their methodological and technical framework. The long-term objective is to build Regional Soil Information Systems based on the use of the Digital Soil Map of Wallonia as a tool of integration, structuring and referencing of pedological information. [less ▲]

Synthèse des connaissances sur la déshydratation osmotique

in Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement = Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment [=BASE] (2011), 15(1), 129-142

Parmi les procédés de conservation des produits végétaux, la déshydratation osmotique présente un intérêt économique et nutritionnel certain. Cette technique, économe en énergie, est susceptible de ... [more ▼]

Parmi les procédés de conservation des produits végétaux, la déshydratation osmotique présente un intérêt économique et nutritionnel certain. Cette technique, économe en énergie, est susceptible de prolonger la période de disponibilité des produits alimentaires et leur confère des propriétés sensorielles nouvelles et appréciées. Elle permet ainsi aux acteurs de la filière agro-alimentaire d’écouler leurs productions à de meilleurs prix et aux consommateurs d’en disposer tout au long de l’année. Cette technique est un outil facile à mettre en place, surtout dans les pays en voie de développement, en raison de son faible cout. Le présent article a pour objectif de présenter une synthèse de la littérature concernant la technique de déshydratation osmotique afin d’en rappeler les bases théoriques et pratiques, mais aussi d’en préciser les nouvelles tendances et voies de recherches récentes. [less ▲]

La vision artificielle: une méthode d'avenir pour la reconnaissance automatisée des plantes adventices?

in Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement = Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment [=BASE] (2011), 15(4), 597-610

Weeds compete with crop plants for sunlight, moisture and nutrients and can have a detrimental impact on crop yields and quality if uncontrolled. They are destroyed by chemical, non chemical and ... [more ▼]

Weeds compete with crop plants for sunlight, moisture and nutrients and can have a detrimental impact on crop yields and quality if uncontrolled. They are destroyed by chemical, non chemical and integrated methods. To perform a site-specific weeds destruction, combination of these techniques with ground-based machine vision technology has high potential. Several methods exist to differentiate weeds from soil, between the rows. The more complicated problem is encountered when weeds are mixed to crops within the rows. Algorithms based on colorimetric or shape features are widely dependant on the variability of weeds and crops and are difficult to transpose from one situation to another. Measurement of plant height is a promising method, since at low spatial scale, the growthing speed is more uniform for the plants than for the weeds. This growing speed is function of the height and of a characteristic time, such as the number of days after sowing. To implement this method, active stereoscopy combined to an accurate measurement of the soil microrelief is required. [less ▲]

In vitro culture of Jatropha curcas L (Culture in vitro de Jatropha curcas L.)

in Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement = Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment [=BASE] (2011), 15(4), 567-574