Laboratoire Evolution et Diversite Biologique

UMR 5174 (UPS, CNRS, ENFA)

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Dernière mise à jour du site : mercredi 16 mai 2012

Accueil du site > Le laboratoire > Annuaire > Réjou-Méchain Maxime

Réjou-Méchain Maxime

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Biosketch

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the university of Toulouse working with Jérôme Chave. I principally study the ecological and evolutionary forces that structure tropical tree communities. My research integrates aspects of community ecology, spatial ecology, functional ecology and community phylogenetics at different spatial scales. I am also involved in several projects that aimed at measuring and monitoring carbon stock for tropical forests.

Bio

2010-present : Postdoctoral researcher. Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)/Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
Supervisor : Jérôme Chave
Grants : TropiSAR project (April 2010-June 2011) and CNES postdoctoral fellowship (October 2011-present).

2006-2009 : Ph.D. student. Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Montpellier, France.
Title  : Origins of the spatial structure of tree communities in tropical forests : multi-scales approaches in Central Africa
Supervisors  : John Thompson (CEFE/CNRS) and Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury (CIRAD)
Grants : French Ministry Doctoral Research Scholarship
Abstract  : Understanding the mechanisms which underlie community assemblage in tropical forest communities remains controversial. The purpose of this thesis was to examine the factors responsible for the spatial structure of tree communities at multiple spatial scales in Central Africa. First, we adopted a theoretical approach in which niche differentiation and dispersal limitation processes can be interpreted and inferred thanks to (dis)similarity indices. Second, we used regional floristic inventories established by forest companies in Central Africa, to examine the structure of tree communities at multiple scales. Thanks to botanical controls, we first estimated the scientific limits and interests of such floristic data. We then showed that edaphic and historic variations could explain most of the floristic structure detected at the landscape (10- 100 km) and regional (> 100 km) scales. At a more local scale (0.2-100 km), the degree of specific aggregation was consistent across sites, suggesting that life history traits drive species aggregation patterns at this scale. We also showed that, at the landscape scale, the environment filters species according to their life history traits : a particular common set of traits was associated with a particular habitat. Interestingly, we also evidenced that successional trajectory of tree communities depends on soil types. In this way, these studies highlight the importance of niche processes and past climate changes in the assemblage of tropical tree communities at a scale compatible with their management.

2005-2006 : Master 2 of science in ecology. University Montpellier 2 (France).
Project  : Variability of the structure and the repartition of tropical tree species : a regional approach in the south-west of the Central African Republic.
Supervisors  : Robert Nasi (CIFOR) and Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury (CIRAD)

2004-2005 : Master 1 of science in ecology. University Rennes 2 (France).
Project  : Abundances and distribution of ratan species in the Mount Nimba (Guinea).
Supervisor : Sylvain Dufour (Sylvatrop)

Publications

[5] Réjou-Méchain M., Flores O., Bourland N., Doucet J-L., Fétéké R., Pasquier A., Hardy O.J. (2011) Spatial aggregation of tropical trees at multiple spatial scales. Journal of Ecology 99 : 1373-1381.

[4] Gourlet-Fleury, S., Rossi, V.,Réjou-Méchain, M., Freycon, V., Fayolle, A., Saint-André,L., Cornu, G., Gérard, J., Sarrailh, Flores, O., J-M, Baya, F., Billand, A., Fauvet, N., Gally, M., Henry, M., Hubert, D., Pasquier, A., Picard, N. (2011) Environmental filtering of dense-wooded species controls aboveground biomass stored in African moist forests. Journal of Ecology. 99 : 981-990.

[3] Réjou-Méchain M., Hardy O.J. (2011). Properties of similarity indices under niche-based and dispersal-based processes in communities. American Naturalist. 177(5) : 589-604.

[2] Réjou-Méchain M., Fayolle A., Nasi R., Gourlet-Fleury S., Doucet J-L., Gally M., Hubert D., Pasquier A., Billand A. (2011) Detecting large-scale diversity patterns in tropical trees : can we trust commercial forest inventories ? Forest Ecology and Management 261 : 187–194

[1] Réjou-Méchain M., Pélissier R., Gourlet-Fleury S., Couteron P., Nasi R., Thompson J.D. (2008). Regional variation in tropical forest tree species composition in the Central African Republic : an assessment based on inventories by forest companies. Journal of Tropical Ecology 24 : 663-674.

Communications

Rejou-Mechain M., Bourland N., Flores O., Fétéké R., Pasquier A., Doucet J.L., Hardy O. Drivers of spatial aggregation of tropical forest tree species at multiple spatial scales. Joint Meeting of Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation & Society for Tropical Ecology (ATBC). 27.07.2009, Marburg, Germany.

Rejou-Mechain M., Bourland N., Flores O., Fétéké R., Pasquier A., Doucet J.L., Hardy O. Peut-on expliquer les patrons d’agrégation spécifiques d’arbres tropicaux à partir de leurs traits ? Une analyse de l’échelle locale à l’échelle régionale. 5ème congrès francophone d’écologie des communautés végétales (ECOVEG 5). 8.04.2009, Gembloux, Belgique.

Réjou-Méchain M. Structure spatiale des communautés d’arbres en forêt tropicale : importance relative des processus sous jacents. Séminaire au Cirad Baillarguet . 16.03.2009, Montpellier, France.

Réjou-Méchain M. Organisation spatiale des communautés en forêt tropicale : mise en évidence des facteurs écologiques et neutres en forêt dense Centrafricaine. Séminaire à l’Université Libre de Bruxelles. 20.11.2008, Bruxelles, Belgique.