What is a long-term thematic project?
These Long Thematic Programs are an initiative of the AEB cluster created in December 2017 within the MUSE foundation. The latter was established as an intermediate structure of the University of Montpellier when it was created as an experimental public institution in 2022.
It serves as a hub for synergizing research and scientific consultation structures in order to develop joint initiatives among I-Site members.
The four PTLs all aim to respond to the challenges of global change by mobilizing interdisciplinary approaches and collaborations to strengthen the resilience of ecosystems and societies.
PTL 1 – Plant adaptation to global change
Coordination : Stéphane Mari and Thomas Kroj
The objective of PTL1 is to study how plants respond to multiple environmental stresses using a multi-scale approach, from the molecule to the ecosystem. To do this, we need to understand the mechanisms by which plants adapt to climate and environmental change, as a lack of knowledge about plant responses is a major obstacle to improving the resilience of agrosystems.
An integrated approach combining molecular biology, physiology, genetics, and modeling will be used to analyze plant responses to combinations of abiotic and biotic stresses. The goal is to develop a holistic understanding of plants in their biotic and abiotic environments, thereby generating levers for sustainable agriculture adapted to global changes.
PTL2 – Agroecology and Food Systems
Coordination: Philippe Hinsinger and Sylvie Avallone
The objective of PTL2 is to support the agroecological transition and the implementation of healthy and sustainable food systems. The challenge is to promote interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral research
that integrates all environmental, economic, and social dimensions of agri-food systems to improve their resilience and reduce their impact on overall health (human, animal, and ecosystems, including soil and plants).
The PTL2 will support two structural projects to promote interdisciplinarity and cross-sectoral collaboration in contrasting regions (around Montpellier and in sub-Saharan Africa). It will also support around twenty exploratory interdisciplinary projects, including those at the interface with other PTLs in the AEB cluster. Through its various projects and outreach/training activities, PTL2 will seek to structure the scientific community, with a particular focus on mobilizing young scientists, in order to develop innovations in the field of agroecology and food systems, strengthening the links between agriculture, food and human nutrition, and global health.
PTL3 – Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution
Coordination : Cyrille Violle
The objective of PTL3 is to understand the ecological and evolutionary processes underlying biodiversity dynamics in response to environmental change, and the consequences for ecosystem functioning and human well-being. To achieve this, it explores the interactions between biodiversity, the environment, and health, analyzes the impact of human activities on biodiversity, and proposes solutions to reconcile conservation and human activities.
An interdisciplinary approach will be implemented, combining functional and evolutionary ecology, the development of innovative tools (bioinformatics, AI, remote sensing), and participatory science. One of the unique features of the
PTL3 is the diversity of objects and scales of study: from natural ecosystems to socio-ecosystems (including agroecosystems and urban ecosystems), from the Petri dish to the globe, via the landscape. The expected results are scientific advances in our understanding of how biodiversity responds to global change, the development of a foundation for nature-based solutions, and a significant contribution to the agroecological transition and public environmental policy.
PTL4 – Georesources, Risks, and Societies
Coordination : Olivier Barreteau & Bénédicte Cenki
The objective of PTL4 is to understand the interdependencies between georesources (water, soil, minerals), risks, and society in a context of global change. The aim is to explore the consequences of these interactions in order to ensure more resilient land management. To this end, the PTL will facilitate the development of knowledge on the complex processes that determine the evolution of risks, resources, and societies in a holistic approach.
We will need to revisit our analyses of the resource cycle under climate change constraints and societal adaptations, integrating their interactions, our understanding of how to adapt to global changes, improving monitoring capabilities for relevant decision support, and developing ways to combine models for the design of robust and fair governance trajectories.