South-western Australia is a globally significant hotspot of plant species diversity, with high endemism and many rare plant species. Proteaceae is a major component of the south-western flora, though little is known about how its diversity developed. This prompted the present study to investigate changes in the abundance and diversity of Proteaceae, in south-western Australia, by concurrently studying three sediment sequences of different ages over the Cainozoic and a modern pollen rain study. Modern pollen-vegetation relationships in the two Proteaceae species rich nodes of the northern and southern sandplains were quantified. It was found that Proteaceous genera can contribute up to 50% of the total pollen rain. Banksia/Dryandra pollen was the most abundant with Isopogon, Petrophile and Lambertia also commonly noted. The vegetation and environmental setting during three pivotal periods of the Cainozoic: Holocene, Pliocene and Eocene, were investigated. Eocene sediment from Lake Lefroy confirmed the presence of a Nothofagus dominated rainforest in the Middle to Late Eocene. At this time Proteaceae species were at least as diverse as today, if not more so, contributing up to a maximum of 42% of the total pollen rain. Taxa recorded included: Banksieaeidites arcuatus, Propylipollis biporus, Proteacidites confragosus, Proteacidites crassus, Proteacidites nasus and Proteacidites pachypolus. Several taxa remain undescribed and unnamed. This study also identified that Proteaceae pollen representation varies across small lateral distances. Thus as samples varied spatially and temporally, single core samples are not sufficient to identify spatial patterns in Proteaceae or other low pollen producing taxa. Some 7.91 cm of laminated Pliocene sediment from Yallalie, south-western Australia, was also examined. It covers 84 years of record and confirmed other regional reports that south-western Australia was covered by a rich vegetation mosaic consisting of heathy and wet rainforest elements. Although Proteaceae species were a consistent component of the pollen counts, diversity and abundance (maximum of 5%) was low throughout the studied section. Banksia/Dryandra types were most commonly noted. A 2 m core was retrieved from Two Mile Lake, near the Stirling Ranges and provided an early Holocene vegetation history. Geochemical and palynological evidence recorded little change, suggesting the environment of deposition was relatively uniform. Proteaceae species were noted throughout the core, though in low numbers, at a maximum of 3.5 % of the total pollen rain. Banksia/Dryandra was the most abundant while Isopogon, Lambertia, Petrophile and Franklandia were also noted. A regression model was developed through the modern pollen rain study to predict the number of Proteaceae in the vegetation. This was also applied to the fossil pollen records. The estimated number of Proteaceae species in the Eocene suggests a maximum of 20 and a minimum of 10 taxa. For the Pliocene record, an estimated 7 - 9 species was found and for the Holocene pollen, between 7 - 8 were present. Thus the Eocene was similar in Proteaceae diversity to today. The results from the Pliocene and Holocene suggest that Proteaceae diversity was lower than today. Findings of this research indicate that Proteaceae species are an important and consistent component of vegetation in south-western Australia over the Cainozoic. It is likely that both changing pollination mechanisms and changes in associated vegetation are important in the determining the dispersal of Proteaceaous pollen. By understanding how the vegetation has changed and developed in south-western Australia, present vegetation can be managed to include intra-specific variation and ensure the majority of species are conserved for present and future generations to enjoy.

Análises palinológicas desenvolvidas com depósitos do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul estiveram, em sua maioria, relacionadas ao estudo das jazidas de carvão da Formação Rio Bonito, que resultaram na identificação de associações palinológicas vinculadas a formação de paleoturfeiras. O consequente reconhecimento das demais associações palinológicas da passagem entre o Grupo Itararé e a Formação Rio Bonito é menos detalhado, necessitando-se aprimorar os limites da paleovegetação e das palinozonas estabelecidas. Esta dissertação compreende a análise palinológica de níveis do poço ST-01-RS, localizado na região de Cachoeira do Sul, centro do Rio Grande do Sul. Um total de 25 (vinte e cinco) amostras de subsuperfície foi coletado, envolvendo o intervalo entre o Grupo Itararé e a Formação Rio Bonito. A análise palinológica permitiu a identificação de 28 gêneros de palinomorfos, dentre os quais 08 (oito) são relativos a esporos triletes acavados, 04 (quatro) a esporos triletes cavados cingulizonados, 05 (cinco) relativos a grãos de pólen monossacados, 01 (um) a grão de pólen bissacado liso e 09 (nove) a grãos de pólen estriados e pré-colpados, enquanto 04 (quatro) formas são relacionadas a elementos constituintes do microplâncton (algas clorofíceas), 01 (um) gênero de esporo de fungo 01 (um) acritarco não determinado. As características quantitativas dos conjuntos palinológicos recuperados permitiram a proposição de 02 (duas) fases palinoflorísticas, designadas como Fase I, ocorrente entre as porções inferior e média do testemunho (Grupo Itararé) e Fase II, que abrange o topo do Grupo Itararé e a Formação Rio Bonito. As distribuições dos táxons nas duas unidades revelaram que a Fase I representa uma paleovegetação herbácea composta predominantemente de Pteridospermopsida (esporos) em um ambiente com condições climáticas úmidas; espécimes de Gimnospermopsida (grãos de pólen) são subordinados. Durante a Fase II, a vegetação caracteriza-se por alterações parciais do contexto da Fase I, ainda com Pteridospermopsida dominantes, porém com maior participação da vegetação arborescente (Gimnospermopsida) em paleoambiente de clima úmido nas áreas mais baixas relacionadas aos corpos d’água provavelmente circundado por áreas mais elevadas cobertas por representante de Gimnospermopsida. Em ambas as fases, algas e esporos de fungos são escassos. O Grupo Itararé e a Formação Rio Bonito apresentam 7 conjuntos palinológicos semelhantes, com variações nas proporções entre gêneros de uma unidade para a outra, bem como registrado em outros trabalhos realizados em depósitos do Rio Grande do Sul, o que demonstra a existência de discretas e locais variações paleoclimáticas e paleoambientais. / Palynological analysis developed with deposits in the State of Rio Grande do Sul were mostly related to the study of the coal deposits of the Rio Bonito Formation, which resulted in the identification of palynological associations related to paleo peat-forming. The consequent recognition of the other palinological associations of the passage between the Itararé Group and the Rio Bonito Formation is less detailed and it is necessary to improve the limits of the palaeovegetation and palinozones established. This dissertation comprises the palynological study of levels of well ST-01-RS, located in the region of Cachoeira do Sul, central Rio Grande do Sul state. A total of 25 (twenty-five) subsurface samples were collected, involving the interval between the Itararé Group and the Rio Bonito Formation. The palynological analysis allowed the identification of 29 (twenty-nine) genera of palynomorphs, of which 08 (eight) were related to trilete spores, 05 (five) related to monosacted pollen grains, 01 (one) the grain of laevigati pollen grains and 09 (nine) pollen grains are praecolpati, while 04 (four) forms are related to constituent elements of the microplankton (algae), 01 (one) genus of fungi spore and 01 (one) acritarch not determined. The quantitative characteristics of the recovered palynological assemblages allowed the proposition of 02 (two) palinofloristic phases, designated as Phase I, occurring between the lower and middle portions of the well (Itararé Group) and Phase II, which covers the top of the Itararé Group and Rio Bonito Formation. The distributions of the taxa in the two units revealed that Phase I presents an herbaceous paleovegegation composed predominantly of Pteridospermopsida (spores) in an environment with humid climatic conditions; specimens of Gimnospermopsida (pollen grains) are subordinate. During Phase II, vegetation is characterized by partial alterations of the Phase I context, still with dominant Pteridospermopsida, but with an increase of the arborescent vegetation (Gimnospermopsida) in a humid climate paleoenvironment in the lower areas related to probably circled water bodies by higher areas covered by representative of Gymnospermopsida. In both phases, algae and fungi spores are scarce. The Itararé Group and the Rio Bonito Formation have similar palynological assemblages, with variations in the proportions between genera from one unit to the other, as well as recorded in other studies carried out in Rio Grande do Sul deposits, which demonstrates the existence of discrete and localy paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes.

Le traitement médical des allergies nécessite la caractérisation des pollens en suspension dans l’air. Toutefois, cette tâche requiert des temps d’analyse très longs lorsqu’elle est réalisée de manière manuelle. Une approche automatique améliorerait ainsi considérablement les applications potentielles du comptage de pollens. Les dernières techniques d’analyse d’images permettent la détection de caractéristiques discriminantes. C’est pourquoi nous proposons dans cette thèse un ensemble de caractéristiques pertinentes issues d’images pour la reconnaissance des principales classes de pollen allergènes. Le cœur de notre étude est l’évaluation de groupes de caractéristiques capables de décrire correctement les pollens en termes de forme, texture, taille et ouverture. Les caractéristiques sont extraites d’images acquises classiquement sous microscope, permettant la reproductibilité de la méthode. Une étape de sélection des caractéristiques est appliquée à chaque groupe pour évaluer sa pertinence.Concernant les apertures présentes sur certains pollens, une méthode adaptative de détection, localisation et comptage pour différentes classes de pollens avec des apparences variées est proposée. La description des apertures se base sur une stratégie de type Sac-de-Mots appliquée à des primitives issues des images. Une carte de confiance est construite à partir de la confiance donnée à la classification des régions de l’image échantillonnée. De cette carte sont extraites des caractéristiques propres aux apertures, permettant leur comptage. La méthode est conçue pour être étendue de façon modulable à de nouveaux types d’apertures en utilisant le même algorithme mais avec un classifieur spécifique.Les groupes de caractéristiques ont été testés individuellement et conjointement sur les classes de pollens les plus répandues en Allemagne. Nous avons montré leur efficacité lors d’une classification de type SVM, notamment en surpassant la variance intra-classe et la similarité inter-classe. Les résultats obtenus en utilisant conjointement tous les groupes de caractéristiques ont abouti à une précision de 98,2 %, comparable à l’état de l’art. / The correct classification of airborne pollen is relevant for medical treatment of allergies, and the regular manual process is costly and time consuming. An automatic processing would increase considerably the potential of pollen counting. Modern computer vision techniques enable the detection of discriminant pollen characteristics. In this thesis, a set of relevant image-based features for the recognition of top allergenic pollen taxa is proposed and analyzed. The foundation of our proposal is the evaluation of groups of features that can properly describe pollen in terms of shape, texture, size and apertures. The features are extracted on typical brightfield microscope images that enable the easy reproducibility of the method. A process of feature selection is applied to each group for the determination of relevance.Regarding apertures, a flexible method for detection, localization and counting of apertures of different pollen taxa with varying appearances is proposed. Aperture description is based on primitive images following the Bag-of-Words strategy. A confidence map is built from the classification confidence of sampled regions. From this map, aperture features are extracted, which include the count of apertures. The method is designed to be extended modularly to new aperture types employing the same algorithm to build individual classifiers.The feature groups are tested individually and jointly on of the most allergenic pollen taxa in Germany. They demonstrated to overcome the intra-class variance and inter-class similarity in a SVM classification scheme. The global joint test led to accuracy of 98.2%, comparable to the state-of-the-art procedures.

Análises palinológicas desenvolvidas com depósitos do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul estiveram, em sua maioria, relacionadas ao estudo das jazidas de carvão da Formação Rio Bonito, que resultaram na identificação de associações palinológicas vinculadas a formação de paleoturfeiras. O consequente reconhecimento das demais associações palinológicas da passagem entre o Grupo Itararé e a Formação Rio Bonito é menos detalhado, necessitando-se aprimorar os limites da paleovegetação e das palinozonas estabelecidas. Esta dissertação compreende a análise palinológica de níveis do poço ST-01-RS, localizado na região de Cachoeira do Sul, centro do Rio Grande do Sul. Um total de 25 (vinte e cinco) amostras de subsuperfície foi coletado, envolvendo o intervalo entre o Grupo Itararé e a Formação Rio Bonito. A análise palinológica permitiu a identificação de 28 gêneros de palinomorfos, dentre os quais 08 (oito) são relativos a esporos triletes acavados, 04 (quatro) a esporos triletes cavados cingulizonados, 05 (cinco) relativos a grãos de pólen monossacados, 01 (um) a grão de pólen bissacado liso e 09 (nove) a grãos de pólen estriados e pré-colpados, enquanto 04 (quatro) formas são relacionadas a elementos constituintes do microplâncton (algas clorofíceas), 01 (um) gênero de esporo de fungo 01 (um) acritarco não determinado. As características quantitativas dos conjuntos palinológicos recuperados permitiram a proposição de 02 (duas) fases palinoflorísticas, designadas como Fase I, ocorrente entre as porções inferior e média do testemunho (Grupo Itararé) e Fase II, que abrange o topo do Grupo Itararé e a Formação Rio Bonito. As distribuições dos táxons nas duas unidades revelaram que a Fase I representa uma paleovegetação herbácea composta predominantemente de Pteridospermopsida (esporos) em um ambiente com condições climáticas úmidas; espécimes de Gimnospermopsida (grãos de pólen) são subordinados. Durante a Fase II, a vegetação caracteriza-se por alterações parciais do contexto da Fase I, ainda com Pteridospermopsida dominantes, porém com maior participação da vegetação arborescente (Gimnospermopsida) em paleoambiente de clima úmido nas áreas mais baixas relacionadas aos corpos d’água provavelmente circundado por áreas mais elevadas cobertas por representante de Gimnospermopsida. Em ambas as fases, algas e esporos de fungos são escassos. O Grupo Itararé e a Formação Rio Bonito apresentam 7 conjuntos palinológicos semelhantes, com variações nas proporções entre gêneros de uma unidade para a outra, bem como registrado em outros trabalhos realizados em depósitos do Rio Grande do Sul, o que demonstra a existência de discretas e locais variações paleoclimáticas e paleoambientais. / Palynological analysis developed with deposits in the State of Rio Grande do Sul were mostly related to the study of the coal deposits of the Rio Bonito Formation, which resulted in the identification of palynological associations related to paleo peat-forming. The consequent recognition of the other palinological associations of the passage between the Itararé Group and the Rio Bonito Formation is less detailed and it is necessary to improve the limits of the palaeovegetation and palinozones established. This dissertation comprises the palynological study of levels of well ST-01-RS, located in the region of Cachoeira do Sul, central Rio Grande do Sul state. A total of 25 (twenty-five) subsurface samples were collected, involving the interval between the Itararé Group and the Rio Bonito Formation. The palynological analysis allowed the identification of 29 (twenty-nine) genera of palynomorphs, of which 08 (eight) were related to trilete spores, 05 (five) related to monosacted pollen grains, 01 (one) the grain of laevigati pollen grains and 09 (nine) pollen grains are praecolpati, while 04 (four) forms are related to constituent elements of the microplankton (algae), 01 (one) genus of fungi spore and 01 (one) acritarch not determined. The quantitative characteristics of the recovered palynological assemblages allowed the proposition of 02 (two) palinofloristic phases, designated as Phase I, occurring between the lower and middle portions of the well (Itararé Group) and Phase II, which covers the top of the Itararé Group and Rio Bonito Formation. The distributions of the taxa in the two units revealed that Phase I presents an herbaceous paleovegegation composed predominantly of Pteridospermopsida (spores) in an environment with humid climatic conditions; specimens of Gimnospermopsida (pollen grains) are subordinate. During Phase II, vegetation is characterized by partial alterations of the Phase I context, still with dominant Pteridospermopsida, but with an increase of the arborescent vegetation (Gimnospermopsida) in a humid climate paleoenvironment in the lower areas related to probably circled water bodies by higher areas covered by representative of Gymnospermopsida. In both phases, algae and fungi spores are scarce. The Itararé Group and the Rio Bonito Formation have similar palynological assemblages, with variations in the proportions between genera from one unit to the other, as well as recorded in other studies carried out in Rio Grande do Sul deposits, which demonstrates the existence of discrete and localy paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes.

L’étude des pratiques mortuaires de l’ère chrétienne est un champ de recherche largement exploré par les historiens et les archéologues. Pourtant, en dépit d’une certaine tendance scientifique actuelle à questionner les rapports homme/milieu, aucune étude n’aborde la pompe funèbre dans une optique ethnobotanique. Cette enquête diachronique reconstitue les accessoires végétaux que la société puise dans son environnement pour accompagner le cadavre. Une méthodologie est développée pour la reconnaissance des micro- et macro-restes végétaux, en particulier le pollen, appliquée aux vestiges de huit sites archéologiques français et italiens (Ier-XVIIe s). Ces données, parfois éclairées par les sources écrites, livrent des informations inédites sur deux types de pratiques. D’une part, des dépôts végétaux constitués d’espèces florales accompagnent le corps des défunts et lui confèrent une image plus éclatante du point de vue visuel et olfactif, y compris dans les milieux sociaux les plus humbles. Ces données invitent les archéologues à considérer l’existence d’un mobilier funéraire peu connu jusqu’alors. D’autre part, les végétaux sont utilisés pour l’embaumement interne des plus privilégiés. L’opération transforme chirurgicalement la dépouille, et les chairs sont apaisées par le baume, une préparation dans laquelle les plantes jouent un rôle prédominant en vertu de leurs propriétés médicinales, olfactives, et symboliques. Ce travail pose les bases méthodologiques d’une archéobotanique funéraire. Les origines anciennes des pratiques mises en évidence devront à présent être reconstituées, mais c’est aussi leur rémanence dans la société contemporaine qu’il conviendra d’analyser. / Roman and Christian mortuary practices are widely explored by historians and archaeologists in Western Europe. Considered as a relic of a social being, the dead body contributes to a better understanding of human communities and cultures. However, even if Man-Environment interactions are now a central issue of the scientific research, no study has questioned funerary behaviors in an ethnobotanical perspective yet. This work aims to reconstitute plant accessories that people collect in their environment to treat the corpse and modify its appearance or its anatomical and biological properties. An original methodology is set up to sample and analyze macro and microbotanical remains, especially pollen, from Roman, Medieval and Modern tombs (1st-17th centuries AD) excavated on eight archaeological sites in France and in Italy. These archaeobotanical data confronted with written sources shed light on two kinds of practices.On the one hand, plant materials such as floral arrangements, litter and cushion made of colorful and fragrant species accompany the defunct into the grave. These tributes modify the sensory perception of the corpse and materialize devotion to the deceased, even in more humble social backgrounds. These results invite archaeologists to consider a new and unexpected kind of grave goods during fieldwork and laboratory analysis.On the other hand, plants are used for embalming into elite social circles. In Europe this practice, most likely originated in Ancient Times, is accurately documented by written and archaeological sources between the 14th century and the early 19th century. Evisceration and excerebration procedures physically transform the corpse, then the flesh and the skin are treated with an aromatic balm composed by many plants and exudates such as wormwood, mint, myrrh and frankincense. Surgeons appeal to medicinal, olfactory and symbolic properties of plants in order to stop the decay process and honor the body.This work lays foundation for an ethno-archaeobotany of death and brings some elements to understand the relationship between the dead body and its plant environment. Ancient origins of these mortuary practices now need to be identified. Moreover their persistence in contemporary society could also be analyzed through an ethno-sociological approach.

Heteromorph ammonites and dinoflagellate cysts from the Upper Cretaceous Northumberland Formation on Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada are examined. The collection and preparation of new material has enabled the recognition of eleven species of which only three have been reported from the locality. Of these taxa represented from three heteromorph ammonite families in the study area, five are new occurrences and three are new to science. This expansion of the Hornby Island ammonite fauna is presented alongside a pioneering taxonomic survey of dinoflagellate cysts from the same rocks. Together, these macro- and microfossils reinforce a late Campanian age for the Northumberland Formation with the upper extent of the section approaching the Campanian-Maastrichtian boundary (CMB) interval. The palaeoecology and evolutionary relationships of these heteromorph ammonoids are considered with new insights into their ontogenetic development and neritic palaeoenvironmental circumstances. The dinoflagellate cysts and associated terrestrial palynomorphs have also allowed for enhanced palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and depositional setting inference. The scope of the studied material, and the presence of key index taxa, enables refined biostratigraphy and a stronger basis for correlation of the Hornby Island succession with neighboring coeval biotic provinces. / Graduate / 2018-08-10

This thesis offers the first detailed palaeoenvironmental analysis of wetland areas within sub-Arctic enclosed homefield’s. Significance of meadows were previously mentioned only briefly in the literature, suggesting influences in settlement site selection as well as importance in quality fodder production, producing up to two thirds of total hay resources in a somewhat marginal agricultural landscape. Given the importance of hay resources in Iceland it seems unusual these areas have received so little attention to date, despite extensive research on all other aspects of the Norse farm system. The organic sediments within the meadows, given their development in-situ over extended time periods, have the ability to record aspects of the intimate relationship between societal and environmental change, and so in a robust and holistic way our methods set integrates radiocarbon measurement, tephrochronology, palynology and thin section micromorphology from the same core; reflecting these findings against existing paleoclimate and archaeological site data. This combined application of the core techniques – palynology and soil micromorphology, has proven successful in creating effective human ecodynamic records from each of the study farms. Records obtained from the three farm sites in northwest and northern Iceland exposed the varying importance and differing utilisation of these wetland areas. Meadows would appear to have played an import role in choice of settlement site across northern Iceland, through the provision of open areas, and additional and immediately available fodder resources at settlement, in a landscape dominated by dense scrub. Meadows were found to have been in continuous use, albeit at varying levels of intensity, from settlement to the present day. In this respect the semi-natural resources are found to be remarkably resilient, demonstrating little alterations to their composition following severe climatic downturns, including that of the Little Ice Age, and volcanic eruption. Acting as a robust resource and safety buffer for settlements, contributing to fodder resources where reliability of other resources is jeopardised by environmental conditions. Research in the more marginal northwest peninsula provides the first evidence of artificially created wet meadows in Iceland, developed to give sustained fodder production for over-wintering livestock in an environment that inherently had a short growing season and lacked soil fertility. A further example of the nuanced land management practices adopted in the agriculturally fragile farmscapes of the Norse North Atlantic. The findings of the thesis have wider implications for understanding the emergence of resilient and sustainable communities in agriculturally marginal environments; to this end there remains many opportunities to use palaeoenvironmental research to study ecosystem responses to natural and anthropogenic stresses, giving us a better understanding of capacities to withstand future stresses.

Les premières migrations ont atteint la région de l’Océanie Lointaine (à l'est des îles Salomon) récemment, autour de 3000 ans BP. De nombreux éléments sont à prendre en compte dans ce processus de déplacement de populations, dont les changements environnementaux. L’installation de l’Homme sur des îles vierges a probablement influencé la faune et la flore insulaires, mais la réponse de la végétation face à la pression anthropique varie d’un site étudié à un autre. Les objectifs de cette recherche ont été de décrire l'influence humaine sur l'environnement depuis les premières migrations, de déterminer l'impact climatique sur ces déplacements de populations et sur la modification des paysages au cours de l'Holocène supérieur ; puis, de caractériser le comportement humain et son adaptation à une île vierge. Pour répondre à cette problématique, deux carottes palustres, prélevées sur l'île d'Efate (au centre du Vanuatu) ont été étudiées : le marais d’Emaotfer et le lac Otas. Afin d’identifier la paléovégétation arborée et herbacée présente autour des sites, j’ai principalement analysé les grains de pollen et les micro-charbons. J’ai également reconstitué les températures et les précipitations passées à l’aide de fonctions de densité de probabilité.Au niveau climatique, ces analyses mettent en évidence une période chaude et humide jusqu'à 3700 ans cal BP. Ensuite, un environnement plus sec se met en place, suite à une augmentation de l'ampleur et du nombre d’évènements El Niño. Entre 1950 et 750-600 ans cal BP, les résultats révèlent un climat plus humide, associé à la diminution de fréquence et d’intensité des El Niño. Les modifications de la végétation du marais d’Emaotfer et du lac Otas illustrent une nouvelle période sèche après 750-600 ans cal BP, que l’on peut associer au Petit Âge Glaciaire.Les populations Lapita ont atteint l'île d'Efate vers 3000 ans cal BP, sous des fréquents et importants El Niño, lorsque les vents d'est se sont arrêtés, favorisant la navigation à voile vers l’est. Ces résultats soutiennent l'hypothèse de migrations vers l'est sous de faibles alizés. Les premiers colons étaient des navigateurs et des pêcheurs-cueilleurs, ils ont eu peu d'impact sur l'environnement. Autour de 1500-1300 ans cal BP, une nouvelle population s’est installée sur le site d’Emaotfer, a développé la culture de plantes médicinales, cérémoniales et alimentaires et a probablement pratiquée l’agriculture sur brûlis. Ce groupe a vécu sous un climat humide, également plus approprié au développement de l'horticulture. Nos résultats montrent la capacité d'adaptation des populations aux nouvelles contraintes environnementales et climatiques. Les résultats issus des analyses polliniques et de micro-charbons livrent des informations assez complètes sur le paléoenvironnement, les relations Homme-climat-végétation et l'émergence de l'impact anthropique. Pour de futures recherches, il serait nécessaire d'obtenir plus de données sur la pluie pollinique d’un maximum de taxons, sur les exigences écologiques des espèces végétales et les paramètres climatiques actuels propre à chaque île, afin de modéliser de façon robuste les paysages, les climats et l’influence de l’Homme sur la dynamique de végétation passée (projet LandCover6k) / The first settlers reached the Remote Oceania (east of the Solomon Islands) quite recently, around 3000 yr BP. There are several hypotheses concerning the causes of these migrations, and environmental changes have to be taken into account in the settlement proceeding. The arrival of populations on pristine islands has an influence on the native fauna and flora, but landscape responses to human impact vary for each site examined. The aims of this research are to describe the human influence on the environment since the first migrations, to discriminate the climate impact, which causes theses migrations and the landscape modification during the late Holocene; then, to characterize the human behaviour and adaptation on pristine island. To answer this problem, two palustrine cores, collected in Efate Island (central Vanuatu) were studied: the Emaotfer Swamp and the Otas Lake.I have mainly used pollen and micro-charcoal analyses to reconstruct the arboreal and herbaceous vegetation found around the sites. I have also conducted of past temperatures and rainfalls reconstructions thanks to density probability functions. At the climatic level, these analyses highlight a warm and wet period until 3700 cal yr BP. Then, a increase in magnitude and number of El Niño events caused a drier environment. Between 1950 and 750-600 cal yr BP, the results reveal a more humid climate, associated with the decrease in El Niño frequency and magnitude. The climatic variations recorded by the Otas Lake and the Emaotfer Swamp vegetation show a new dry period after 750-600 cal yr BP, corresponding to the Little Ice Age.Lapita people reached Efate Island ca. 3000 cal yr BP under frequent and sustained El Niño events. During this period, easterly winds stopped and favoured eastward sail. These results support the hypothesis of eastward migrations under low trade winds. The first settlers were seafarers and fishers-gatherers, they had little impact on the environment. A new population settled the Emaotfer Swamp from 1500-1300 cal yr BP, developed medicinal, ceremonial and food plants cultivations and has probably practiced slash and burn agriculture. This group lived under humid climate, also more suitable to the development of horticulture. Our results show the adaptive capacity of populations to new environmental and climatic constraints. The complementary of the pollen and micro-charcoal analyses deliver rather complete information on the palaeoenvironment, the Human-climate-vegetation relations and the emergence of the human impact. For future researches, it will be necessary to obtain more information on the pollen rain for a maximum of taxa, the ecological needs of plant species and the specific climate parameters for each island, to develop a robust model of past landscapes, climates and land-use (project LandCover6k).

Les microfossiles non-polliniques, des restes de divers organismes préservés dans les sédiments lacustres ou tourbeux, sont de plus en plus couramment employés en paléoécologie. Parmi ces microrestes, les spores de champignons coprophiles sont privilégiées dans les reconstructions des activités humaines telles que les activités pastorales. L’aptitude de ces spores à refléter la présence ou l’abondance des troupeaux n’est pas encore complètement comprise. Des analogues modernes ont été collectés dans deux zones d’estive, dans les montagnes du Pays Basque et d’Ossau. Des analyses de gradients contraintes par des variables environnementales ont permis d’identifier des assemblages non-polliniques associés à diverses conditions environnementales en contexte humide et terrestre. Un cortège d’ascospores de groupes coprophiles liées aux activités pastorales a pu être isolé. Les référentiels ont également fourni des informations sur la portée spatiale de l’information non-pollinique.Les microfossiles non-polliniques ont été étudiés dans quatre séquences tourbeuses en complément d’autres sources d’informations paléoenvironnementales (pollen, signal incendie). Ils ont fourni les informations sur les dynamiques des quatre sites durant l’Holocène et les périodes historiques. Les résultats des référentiels sont appliqués à l’interprétation des dynamiques pastorales. Les résultats modernes et fossiles montrent que la charge pastorale n’est pas le seul paramètre qui influence les signaux coprophiles ; ces spores pourraient avoir un potentiel d’indicateurs paléoenvironnementaux et pastoraux plus étendu qu’attendu.Les ascospores de groupes coprophiles sont décrites et illustrées ainsi que d’autres microfossiles fongiques, algaux et indéterminés. / Non-pollen palynomorphs, microscopic remains produced by a variety of organisms and preserved in peat and lake sediments, are now more widely used in palaeoenvironmental studies. In particular, spores of coprophilous fungi are considered as an adapted tool to reconstruct past land-use such as pastoral activities. However, their ability to reflect the presence and/or the number of cattle is not fully understood yet. Modern analogs from summer pastures in the Basque Mountains and the Ossau valley have been collected. Numerical analysis of modern non pollen-palynomorphs and environmental variables helped to distinguish several pools of microremains associated to distinct environmental conditions in both terrestrial and wet ecosystems. A group of ascospores of dung-related fungi clearly related to grazing activities was isolated. The modern dataset also provided useful information on the spatial scale represented by non-pollen palynomorphs. Fossil non-pollen palynomorphs from four peat records, combined with other palaeoenvironmental data (pollen, fire frequencies), have been studied. They informed on the evolution of the local conditions of the wetlands during Holocene and historical times. The modern data set is used to aid interpretation of the dynamics of past land-use and pastoral activities. The results from both modern and fossil approaches show that other parameters than the grazing pressure can induce variability in the copropilous signals; the indicative value of dung-related ascospores might be broader than expected. The ascospores of dung-related taxa are described and illustrated, alongside with other fungal, algal and unidentified microremains.

L’empreinte des activités humaines sur les milieux naturels commence à se faire sentir avec la révolution néolithique, il y a quelques 10.000 ans, aux débuts de l’Holocène. Dans le cadre de l’ANR PaléoSyr/PaléoLib et à partir d’archives sédimentaires prélevées dans différents contextes environnementaux (côtier, lacustre et fluviatile/marais), le but de ce travail est de mettre en évidence l’évolution des changements paléoenvironnementaux pour chaque site et d’en évaluer la part relevant respectivement des fluctuations climatiques et des activités humaines, afin de mieux comprendre la relation Homme- Environnement-Climat à l’Holocène. L’étude de ces différents contextes paléoenvironnementaux permet de contraindre temporellement le développement des premières influences humaines sur leur milieu naturel, et de préciser leur mode d’action, à l’aide de marqueurs biotiques (pollen) et abiotiques du sédiment. Les principales fluctuations environnementales enregistrées soulignent les hétérogénéités régionales de réponse aux forçages climatiques et permettent ainsi d’affiner nos connaissances aux échelles locale et régionale / The first sizeable consequences of human activities on the natural environment are thought to have taken place during the Neolithic revolution, at the beginnings of the Holocene, about 10,000 years ago. The aim of this study is to assess the respective role of climate fluctuations and human activities on the evolution of different environmental contexts (coastal, lake and fluvial / swamp) during this interval using sedimentary and palynological records, and hence improve our understanding of Human-Environment-Climate relationships during the Holocene. The study of these different paleoenvironmental settings through the use of both biotic (pollen) and abiotic (sediment geochemistry) markers allow to constrain the temporal development of the first human influences on the natural environment, and to determine their various modes of action (e.g. pastoralism, cultivation). The sequence of environmental changes reconstructed in this study hence highlights profound regional heterogeneities in the response of the studied areas to climatic and anthropic forcing and thus have important implications for our knowledge of the environment-human relationships at the local and regional scales