Plant Landscape and Models of French Atlantic Estuarine Systems. Extended Summary of the Doctoral Thesis

The present study proposes a theoretical common model of environmental gradients and functioning of vegetation and Plant Landscape of the French Atlantic estuarine systems. This model offers a basis to improve classification and ecological studies of estuarine systems, and to helps the monitoring and assessment of land uses, land forms transformation and human impacts, thanks to the develop of a spatio-temporal predictive model based on actual and potential vegetation following a dynamico-catenal approach. In eight selected estuaries, fieldworks was undertook for a total of 98,315 ha highlighting two vegetation series and four geopermaseries, corresponding to 131 plant associations, 60 alliances, 43 orders, and 28 classes. The vegetation of three representative estuaries was mapped, for a total of 74,433 ha. A synthetic scheme of estuary vegetation landscape is proposed, integrating geographical and ecological gradients as well as geomorphologic forms.