Physiographic Studies in the French Alps

Physiographic and Hydraulic Studies of Rivers

_ ----------____-_.__________.__..____._... Introduction.-.._._..___.__.___...'_.._.._.___...___ Pleistocene and Recent deposits .......L.............. North Loup River valley near Elba._____._..___._ North Loup River valley near Burwell..__.__._.__ North Loup River valley downstream from Brewster. North Loup River valley upstream from Brewster... South Loup River valley near Cumro. ___________...

Potential and limitation of ERS-Differential SAR Interferometry for landslide studies in the French Alps and Pyrenees

Potential and limitation of ERS Differential SAR Interferometry for landslide analysis in the French Alps and Pyrenees is estimated. Geometrical constraints are a little stronger in the Alps than in the Pyrennes. By combining both ascending and descending ERS orbit, we show that around 5% of the total area cannot be imaged and only 50% can be imaged on both orbits. As most of the areas are belo...

The biodiversity of dictyostelids in mountain forests: a case study in the French Alps

A Quantification of the Glacial Imprint on Relief Development in the French Western Alps

The morphology of the western Alps has been strongly influenced by Quaternary glaciations. On the basis of observations of glacial morphology in the Belledonne, Grandes-Rousses, Taillefer and Pelvoux-Ecrins Massifs (south-eastern France), we reconstitute the glacial trimline and equilibrium line altitude (ELA) during the most extensive glaciation (MEG). Our best estimate of the MEG ELA is 1800±...

Breeding upwards when climate is becoming warmer: no bird response in the French Alps

Altitudinal shifts in distribution were investigated in forest breeding birds, along two elevational gradients in the French northern and southern Alps, from counts repeated at exactly the same locations in the 1970s and the 2000s. Significant shifts were reported for eight of 24 species in the northern alpine site (five downwards, three upwards) and for two of the 17 species in the southern si...