Montpellier Scientific Community



Mediterranean environment and modelling of agri-hydrosystems (EMMAH)

Director: Liliana Di Pietro
Website :
Research area
The JRU Mediterranean Environment and modelling of agri-hydrosystems conducts research on the impact of global changes on water resources and agricultural production and their interaction on a regional scale (of the landscape with the production and aquifer basin). Our work is based on the use of remote sensing data, intensive observation of instrumented sites, laboratory measurements and methodological developments to improve the understanding and model the operation of Mediterranean ecosystems. In particular, the unit works on transfers of mass (water, solutes, gases and particles) and energy transport in the groundwater-soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, the coupling of soil transport processes with biogeochemical cycles, and the development of vegetation in cultivated ecosystems in relation to climate, soil properties and farming practices. This work aims to develop tools for analysing and forecasting the dynamics of the biophysical operation of Mediterranean ecosystems at a regional scale. These tools should improve understanding of retroactions between the various forms of occupation of the area, agricultural practices and the extreme climate forcing in these areas, and the water cycle and agricultural production.


Research highlights
The unit has developed strong background in:
  • Modelling and quantification of soil transport processes (water flow including preferential flow, mass transport (solutes, colloids, bacteria, ...), coupling between microbial activity and geochemistry, non-fickian solute transport, soil water uptake by 3D plant root system architecture, ...;
  • Characterization and modelling in the soil-vegetation-atmosphere system (crop production processes, water transport, SVAT models);
  • Assimilation of remote sensing data (full range of wavelengths) into crop models and SVAT models and extraction of surface biophysical variables, including validation methods for remote sensing products;
  • Direct and inverse radiative transfer modelling inside canopies and soil (solar to µwave domains);
  • Evapotranspiration and microclimate mapping;
  • Aquifer modeling for water resources and water pollution assessment, and isotopic analysis of water composition for water origin and age determination.
The unit has developed widely used models (e.g. the STICS crop model, the PROSPECT leaf optical property models, the PASTIS model ...) and measurement methods (e.g. the Caneye software for LAI estimation).
Staff profile
Research Org. ResearchersProfessors Research Eng. Techn. & admin. staff Doct.
INRA - UAPV
33
4
10
27
19
Research teams
Our research is divided into five areas:
Area 1: Agricultural production, water resources and land use
Area 2: Landscape, observation, dynamics, evolution and spatialization
Area 3: Plant - soil - microbial interaction under extreme climate constraints
Area 4: Impacts of extreme climate events on groundwater resources
Area 5: Use of wastewater for irrigation
Platforms and other tools
Laboratories:
Five laboratories dedicated to Analytical chemistry, Isotope analyses, Microbiology, Soil hydrodynamic properties, and Plant analysis

Platforms:
Experimental site dedicated to monitoring soil water and solute transport to groundwater, equipped with a lysimeter, 24 piezometers and associated instruments
Experimental site dedicated to remote sensing operations and soil-atmosphere exchanges, equipped with a crane and a permanent follow-up structure for soil water status, crop evolution and surface flows (water, energy, CO2), and associated with climate monitoring following WMO standards.
Meteorological and micro-meteorological station network for evapotranspiration and microclimate assessment at the landscape scale.
Platform for remote sensing equipped with thermal and visible spectrum cameras borne by a tethered balloon (the platform can also be borne by a small aircraft)
Lower atmosphere parameter monitoring platform to be used with the tethered balloon or radioprobing

Measurement devices:
Large range of measurement devices for field experiments (including a field GC apparatus for soil gas analysis) and a sun photometer connected to the AERONET network

Software:
GIS, image processing software, crop and SVAT models, radiative transfer models, soil transport models (VIRTUAL SOIL, PASTIS, KDW, ...).
Most important international partnerships
The unit has been leading several large international programs, in particular for remote sensing studies: Alpilles-ReSeDA, CYCLOPES, VALERI, WATERMED, and involved in several Earth observation sensors and missions: VEGETATION and VENµS (CNES), SPECTRA and SMOS (European Space Agency).

Some of the most important partnerships are listed below.
Argentina: INTA
Canada: CCRS Ottawa
Chile: Univ. of Talca
Estonia: Tartu Observatory
Finland: Univ. of Helsinki
Germany: Univ. of Bayreuth / Agrosphere Institut, IGC 4, Jülich
Italy: Univ. of Milano
Japan: NIAES
Mexico: Univ. of Michoacan
Netherlands: ITC
Spain: CSIS (Barcelona) / Univ. of Valencia
Tunisia: Univ. of Sfax
USA: Univ. of Boston / NASA Godard Space Flight Center
Facts and figures
Publications in international ranking journals
2010: 45
2005-2009: 133

Representative publications
1. Baret, F., de Solan, B., Lopez-Lozano, R., Ma, K., & Weiss, M. (2010). Forest Meteorology, 150, 1393-1401

2. Bsaibes A., Courault D., Baret F., Weiss M., Olioso A., Jacob F., Hagolle O., Marloie O., Bertrand N., Desfond V. et F. Kzemipour, (2009). Remote Sensing of Environment, 113(4) : 716-729.

3. Celle-Jeanton H., Travi Y., Loye-Pilot M.D., Huneau F. et G. Bertrand, ( 2009). Atmospheric research 91(1) : 118-126.

4. Courault D., Jacob F., Benoit V., Weiss M., Marloie O., Hanocq J.F., Fillol E., Olioso A., Dedieu G., Gouaux P., Gay M. et A. French, (2009). International Journal of Remote Sensing, 30(5) : 1183-1205

5. Doussan C. et S. Ruy, (2009). Water Resources Research, 45: 12, W10408.

6. Lahlah J., Renault P., Cazevieille P., Buzet A., Hazemann J.L., Womes M. et P. Cambier, (2009). Geochemical resilience of a ferrasol subjected to anoxia and organic matter amandment. Soil Science Society of American Journal, 73 (6) : 1958-1971.

7. Mesgouez A. et Lefeuve-Mesgouez G., (2009). International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, 2009, 33, 1911-1931.

8. Michel E, Majdalani S and L Di Pietro (2010) . Vadoze Zone Journal, 9: 307-316.

9. Néel M.C., Zoia A. et M. Joelson, (2009). Phys. Rev. E 80 : 05631.

10. Onier, C., Chanzy, A., Chambarel, A., Rouveure, R., Chanet, M., Bolvin, H., (2011). IEEE Transaction on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 49(1): 415 - 425.

11. Ruget F., Satger S., Volaire F. et F. Lelievre, (2009). Crop Science, 49 : 2379-2385.

12. Varella H., Guérif M. et S. Buis, (2010). Environmental Modelling & Software, 25(3) : 310-319.
List of software and devices developed within the unit
SOL VIRTUEL, MultiSimLib, OptimiStics, CanEye
Total annual budget
2008
2009
Total annual budget (k€- excluding salaries)
871
1 142
External contracts (k€): 
561
773 
ANR
156
243
EU
125
166
Private sector
47
20
Others
233
344