The genetic diversity and genetic structure of populations, and the processes shaping gene flow within and between populations, are influenced by the landscapes they occur within. Within terrestrial landscapes, rivers and their riparian habitat are among the most dynamic, diverse and complex of landscapes and their linear structure appears as an interlinking feature across large landscapes. This thesis took a landscape genetics approach to examine the influence of river landscape features on Alnus glutinosa populations, a widespread keystone tree species of European riparian ecosystems. By accounting for the differing dispersal mechanisms of A. glutinosa (wind and water), landscape effects on seed- and pollen-mediated gene flow, genetic diversity, demographic and genetic structure were identified at different spatial scales of a large UK river catchment. Widespread gene flow within and between A. glutinosa populations was identified with no apparent limitation of wind-mediated pollen dispersal. Hydrochorous dispersal of seed between populations was evident, and found to increase genetic connectivity between riparian populations; however an isolation by distance effect was identified between populations located further apart from each other. No pattern of genetic diversity was found, with high levels of genetic diversity identified at all spatial and temporal scales. At the river-catchment scale no genetic clustering was observed, either within or between the six rivers studied. Demographic structuring within A. glutinosa populations was evident, and correlated with distance from the main river channel. Interactions between seed dispersal, hydrological disturbance, colonisation, and historical influences are discussed in relation to fine-scale spatial genetic structure between A. glutinosa sapling and adult generations. Central to the landscape genetics approach taken in this thesis was the incorporation of key A. glutinosa life history attributes. By incorporating gene flow analyses, species ecology and landscape features, the research presented here furthers our understanding of riverine landscape influences on their riparian populations at different spatial scales and can be used to inform management principles.

Les pressions anthropiques agissent en synergie du gène à l’écosystème, des régions polaires aux régions tropicales et induisent une érosion biologique telle, qu'elle est qualifiée de sixième extinction de masse.Ce constat pose la question de l’évolution de la biodiversité face aux changements environnementaux en cours. C’est dans ce contexte que s’inscrit ce travail de thèse focalisé sur les populations de surface (5 -60 m) de corail rouge, Corallium rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758), en Méditerranée Nord-Occidentale.Le corail rouge (Octocorallia, Coralliidae) est une espèce sessile à phase larvaire caractérisée par sa longévité importante, sa dynamique de population lente et son rôle structurant au sein des communautés de substrats durs de Méditerranée. Soumis à une importante pression de récolte, Corallium rubruma récemment subi deux évènements de mortalité massive concordant avec des anomalies thermiques positives, potentiellement liées au réchauffement climatique. La combinaison de ces deux pressions environnementales est donc susceptible d’affecter fortement l’évolution des populations de surface de cette espèce. Basé sur une approche intégrant génétique des populations et écologie de terrain, ce travail a pour objectif principal d’étudier les processus microévolutifs en jeu chez le corail rouge, de l’inter- à l’intra- populationel, afin de contribuer à l'amélioration de nos connaissances sur la biologie de cette espèce dans le contexte environnemental actuel.Ce travail de thèse élargit le champ de connaissances relatif à l’écologie de Corallium rubrum et fournit un ensemble d’outils et de données pour sa conservation face aux perturbations environnementales en cours.Il contribue, par la même occasion, à une avancée significative dans la compréhension de la biologie des organismes marins sessiles à phase larvaire.Il illustre notamment la pertinence d'approches mises place à des échelles spatiales réduites, pour répondre à des questions fondamentales sur l’évolution de ces organismes, souvent clés au sein de communautés sous pression / Anthropic pressures act synergistically from gene to ecosystems and from polar to tropical regions, inducing a strong biological loss, which is considered by many as the sixth mass extinction. The evolution of biodiversity facing the ongoing global change is thus an open question.The present study is focused on the shallow populations (5 - 60 m) of Corallium rubrum (Octocorallia,Coralliidae) in the North Western Mediterranean Sea. The red coral is a sessile and long-lived species with a larval phase, a slow population dynamics and an important structuring role in the Mediterranean hard substrates communities. This species faces a strong harvesting pressure, and recently underwent two massmortality events linked to positive thermal anomalies putatively due to ongoing climate change. These two pressures may have deep implications on the evolution of the shallow populations of this species. Using population genetics and field ecology, the main objective of this study was to define microevolutionary processes acting between and within red coral populations, to enhance our knowledge on the biology of this species facing the environmental changes. This work extends our knowledge concerning the ecology of Corallium rubrum, and provides new toolsand data for its conservation in the context of the ongoing global change. Moreover, this work improves our understanding in the biology of sessile marine organisms with a larval phase, illustrating for example the relevance of approaches conducted at fine geographical scales to address questions regarding the evolution of these organisms.