Publications
Life cycle assessment of active spring frost protection methods in viticulture in the Loire Valley and Champagne French regions
Wind machines and sprinklers emerged as the most environmentally friendly active spring frost protection methods (ASFPMs) for viticulture, outperforming antifrost candles and heaters in both the Loire Valley and Champagne regions. A context-specific life cycle assessment (LCA) revealed that while these technologies reduce climate change impacts, sprinklers notably increased water scarcity. Sensitivity analysis showed that instant ASFPMs like heaters exhibited greater variability due to high direct emissions during use, whereas infrastructure-based methods demonstrated more stable performance. The study highlights the importance of integrating context-specific factors—such as frost hours and local conditions—to accurately assess environmental trade-offs in viticulture.
Weakly Supervised SVM-Enhanced SAM Pipeline for Stone-by-Stone Segmentation of the Masonry of the Loire Valley Castles
A novel machine-learning pipeline, combining the Segment Anything Model (SAM) and Support Vector Machines (SVM), achieves highly accurate stone-by-stone segmentation of historic masonry with an 85% Dice coefficient. This approach automates the labor-intensive task of mapping stones and joints, critical for monitoring deterioration in monuments like Château de Chambord. The system leverages SAM's zero-shot learning capabilities while using SVM to classify segmented elements, allowing for adaptive segmentation through multiple SAM iterations based on remaining unsegmented stones. This scalable solution offers a promising tool for cultural heritage conservation, reducing the reliance on manual expert analysis and advancing restoration efforts.
How Can Collective Action Support the Agroecological Transition in Geographical Indication Vineyards? Insights from the Loire Valley Wine Area
Collective action, structured through polycentric governance and overlapping institutional frameworks, plays a pivotal role in advancing agroecological transitions in viticulture. A study of the Anjou-Saumur wine region in France's Loire Valley—where 80% of production is under protected designations of origin—revealed that dynamic interactions between top-down and bottom-up strategies, facilitated by key actors and tacit organizational rules, drive sustainable practice adoption. Applying Elinor Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development framework alongside Social–Ecological Systems analysis, researchers identified three focal action situations that coordinate efforts across temporal and geographical scales. This novel application of theoretical lenses highlights the potential for interdisciplinary strategies to accelerate agroecological change in French viticultural systems.
Impact of climate change on ‘Chenin blanc’ in the middle Loire Valley
Climate change is significantly altering the suitability of the middle Loire Valley for 'Chenin blanc' grape cultivation, with rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns threatening traditional viticultural practices. Research indicates that increased heat stress and water scarcity are likely to reduce grape quality and yield, posing challenges for UNESCO-listed vineyard landscapes. The study employed climate modeling and viticultural assessments to evaluate the impact of projected climate scenarios on grapevine performance, highlighting the need for adaptive strategies to preserve this iconic wine-producing region.
Landholding in the Loire valley and the late Carolingian economy (c.840–c.1000)
Small, fragmented farmsteads were the backbone of the late Carolingian economy (c. 840–1000) in the Loire Valley, according to a new study. Unlike large, unified estates held by the elite with royal patronage, these small parcels of land frequently changed hands through grants and leases, fostering agricultural development and economic growth. The research demonstrates that these transactions provided social and material returns for owners, contributing significantly to the dynamism of the period's economy.
The earliest unambiguous Neanderthal engravings on cave walls: La Roche-Cotard, Loire Valley, France
Researchers have uncovered the earliest unambiguous Neanderthal engravings on cave walls, dating back over 57±3 thousand years ago at La Roche-Cotard (LRC) in the Loire Valley, France. The discovery, made within a cave sealed by cold-period sediments for millennia, provides direct evidence of Neanderthal abstract design capabilities. The study used optically stimulated luminescence dating on 50 sediment samples to determine the cave's closure timing, confirming that the engravings predate the arrival of Homo sapiens in the region. Taphonomic, traceological, and experimental analyses further validated the anthropogenic origin of the non-figurative marks. All artifacts within the cave are characteristic Mousterian lithics, uniquely attributed to Neanderthals in Western Europe, reinforcing the conclusion that these engravings represent a significant advancement in our understanding of Neanderthal cognitive and symbolic behavior.
A Socio-Ecological Approach to Conserve and Manage Riverscapes in Designated Areas: Cases of the Loire River Valley and Dordogne Basin, France
A socio-ecological approach to conserving and managing riverscapes demonstrates success in integrating diverse stakeholder knowledge, fostering trust, and addressing conflicting interests. The study highlights the Loire River Valley (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Dordogne Basin (France's first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve) as positive examples of transdisciplinary management. Key to their achievements are participatory decision-making, recognition of rivers' natural dynamics, and coupling social and hydrological systems. By analyzing stakeholder relationships, threats, and socio-ecological dynamics through case studies and content analysis, the research identifies best practices—such as moderation skills, ingenuity, and perseverance—that can be applied to other riverscapes. The findings underscore the potential for coordinated conservation in fragmented river basins and advocate for broader adoption of such approaches.
Exploration of cooperative management system of transregional cultural landscape heritage: a case study of Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes
A transregional cooperative management system effectively preserves and revitalizes the cultural landscapes of the Loire Valley. This study identifies key actors and coordination mechanisms that enable local authorities and stakeholders to implement protection and development projects, influencing landscape evolution sustainably. By analyzing the Loire Valley's management framework, the research demonstrates how such systems can actively rehabilitate cities and territories while serving as a model for other transregional heritage sites.
A DNA barcode-based survey of wild urban bees in the Loire Valley, France
A DNA barcode-based survey of wild urban bees in the Loire Valley, France, reveals that 96.17% of the 157 bee species identified can be reliably distinguished using DNA barcoding alone, including several closely related and notoriously difficult-to-identify species. This finding underscores the potential of DNA barcoding as a robust tool for non-expert identification in biodiversity monitoring programs. The study generated DNA barcodes for 2931 specimens from 28 genera, with 172 Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) assigned. Notably, 36 species (22.93%) were found in highly urbanized areas, highlighting the adaptability of wild bees to urban environments. The research demonstrates that DNA barcoding can facilitate accurate and rapid identification, which is crucial for understanding bee decline and conserving pollination services in UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Loire Valley.
Links between size fractionation, chemical speciation of dissolved copper and chemical speciation of dissolved organic matter in the Loire estuary
In the Loire estuary, dissolved copper concentrations exhibit non-conservative behavior, with significant fluctuations linked to colloidal dynamics and organic matter interactions. Upstream of the tidal front (salinity S = 0.1), copper levels reach 80 nmol kg−1, likely due to agricultural runoff from vineyards, before dropping sharply at early mixing stages (S ~ 0.5) and rising again in low-salinity zones (S = 4.7). The study reveals that while humic substances dominate the complexing capacity of copper ligands (LCu), accounting for up to 95% in continental shelf samples, additional ligand classes—such as thiol-like and proteinaceous components—emerge in the inner estuary, potentially sourced from wastewater treatment plants. These findings highlight the critical role of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in mitigating copper toxicity by keeping cupric ion activity below harmful levels for phytoplankton, while also identifying anthropogenic inputs that alter copper speciation dynamics.
Remote sensing of american maple in alluvial forests: a case study in an island complex of the Loire valley (France)
A groundbreaking study demonstrates that American maple (Acer negundo L.) can be detected with over 90% accuracy in alluvial forests using a combination of LiDAR data and very high-resolution multispectral imagery. The research, conducted on an island complex in the Loire Valley, France, reveals that coupling point cloud height standard deviation with a red-green-blue vegetation index effectively discriminates this invasive species from native Black poplar (Populus nigra L.) forests. This method offers a precise tool for monitoring biodiversity in riparian ecosystems, which are critical due to their unique topographic position between land and river. The findings highlight the potential of remote sensing techniques to enhance conservation efforts in these ecologically rich environments.
Tourism development at World Heritage Site: The case of Loire Valley in France
Tourism development at UNESCO World Heritage Sites faces complex challenges, as illustrated by the case of the Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes. Despite its innovative management, the region grapples with issues such as short tourist stays, slow growth in visitor numbers, and uneven distribution among castles. The study reveals that the blurred role of World Heritage status in shaping destination perception further complicates tourism strategies. To address these challenges, authorities have employed a multi-faceted approach, focusing on governance and marketing, attraction development, and community synergy. This research combines quantitative and qualitative data to provide a comprehensive analysis of both the obstacles and strategic solutions in sustainable tourism management for cultural landscapes.
Typing winegrower profiles to ease agroecological change in viticulture practices in the Loire Valley, France
A typology of winegrowers in the Loire Valley, France, reveals distinct behavioral patterns that can guide agroecological transitions. This study, the first to quantify viticulture networks using socioeconomic and technical surveys, found that winegrowers within the same networks share similar non-harvest practices, such as vine density planting and bud counts. These profiles offer viable options for adapting to changes like climate change while aligning with sociocultural characteristics. The typology serves as a tool for agricultural extension services to personalize support for winegrowers, enhancing the effectiveness of agroecological transitions in viticulture.
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