DANET Alain
 |
Scientist Theme(s) : Spatial dynamics, connectivity, habitat and functional area
Trophic interaction
Ecosystems assessment and multiple anthrophic pressure
Stakeholders information support for sustainable management of ecosystems
Address: UMR DECOD, 65 rue de Saint-Brieuc, Bât. 15, CS 84215, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France Keywords : cascades trophiques / Connectivité / Inférence de réseaux / Interactions trophiques / Réseaux d’interaction / Communautés / Ecosystèmes / Eutrophisation / Méta-communautés / Méta-écosystèmes / Plantes / Poissons / Analyses de séries temporelles / Développement de scripts / Modèles de réseaux / Modélisation mécaniste / Modélisation statistique  |
Research Focus
My research aims to understand how anthropogenic pressures alter ecological communities and ultimately disrupt ecosystem functioning. This is a complex challenge because community responses emerge from both the diversity of species-specific reactions to environmental changes and the intricate networks of interactions among species. My work integrates these interaction networks into theoretical and applied ecology to address a central question: How do species interactions mediate the effects of environmental pressures on ecological systems—particularly in community assembly, ecosystem functioning, and stability?
To tackle this, I employ a multidisciplinary approach combining experiments, analyses of large-scale datasets, and theoretical modeling, applied across diverse systems (e.g., drylands and freshwater ecosystems).
At DECOD, my objective is to contribute to unravel how spatial dynamics influence biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and stability at large scales. Specifically, I aim to:
-
Empirically and theoretically assess how species and material flows reshape food-web structure, with feedback effects on spatially connected ecosystems (i.e., meta-ecosystems).
-
Integrate these mechanisms into spatially explicit meta-ecosystem models to design innovative management and restoration strategies.
I apply this framework to the land-sea continuum (terrestrial–freshwater–marine ecosystems), leveraging DECOD’s collective expertise. My long-term goal is a holistic integration of this continuum through:
-
Analysis of large ecological databases,
-
Development of theoretical models,
-
Application to ex-situ and in-situ experimental/observational systems at UMR DECOD.
Consulting Experience
French Scholarly Society for Ecology and Evolution (SFE2)
-
Executive Board Member (since 2021): Served as Secretary (2021–2025) and Vice-Treasurer (from 2025).
-
Thematic Group: Active contributor to "Agir face à la crise écologique" ("Acting on the Ecological Crisis").
-
Science-Policy Interface
- Reviewer for the 2021 IPCC Report (biodiversity & ecosystem services sections).
- Scientific advisor for the book "La loi de l’entraide" (The Law of Mutual Aid). -
Peer Review & Grants
- Reviewer for SFE2 grants and prizes, including the Young Ecologist Prize and Fieldwork Fellowships (since 2021). -
Teaching & Open Science
- Advocate for reproducibility and open tools: Teach workflows using Git, R compendia/pipelines, and Julia.
Publications
Selection of Scientific Products
Lajaaiti Ismaël, Bonnici Iago, Kéfi Sonia, Mayall Hana, Danet Alain, Beckerman Andrew, Malpas Thomas, Delmas Eva (2024). EcologicalNetworksDynamics.jl A Julia package to simulate the temporal dynamics of complex ecological networks. 2024
Lajaaiti Ismaël, Bonnici Iago, Kéfi Sonia, Mayall Hana, Danet Alain, Beckerman Andrew, Malpas Thomas, Delmas Eva (2024). EcologicalNetworksDynamics.jlA Julia package to simulate the temporal dynamics of complex ecological networks. 2024, ⟨swh:1:dir:d2734fcc52ebd24cd81cfca33dd2929d91aebcd9;origin=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-04623870;visit=swh:1:snp:ca85589402311199e17dc9de31c5f45c61829868;anchor=swh:1:rel:dcbdd5bc275519771811f18fdd76dfff23355b81;path=/⟩
Danet Alain, Bautista Susana, Génin Alexandre, Beckerman Andrew, Anthelme Fabien, Kéfi Sonia (2024). Species diversity promotes facilitation under stressful conditions. Oikos, 2024, 2024 (9), pp.e10303. ⟨10.1111/oik.10303⟩
Bonnaffé Willem, Danet Alain, Leclerc Camille, Frossard Victor, Edeline Eric, Sentis Arnaud (2024). The interaction between warming and enrichment accelerates food‐web simplification in freshwater systems. Ecology Letters, 2024, 27 (8), pp.e14480. ⟨10.1111/ele.14480⟩
Boyd Robin, Powney Gary, Burns Fiona, Danet Alain, Duchenne François, Grainger Matthew, Jarvis Susan, Martin Gabrielle, Nilsen Erlend, Porcher Emmanuelle, Stewart Gavin, Wilson Oliver, Pescott Oliver (2022). ROBITT: a tool for assessing the risk-of-bias in studies of temporal trends in ecology. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2022, 13 (7), pp.1497-1507. ⟨10.1111/2041-210X.13857⟩
Danet Alain, Mouchet Maud, Bonnaffé Willem, Thébault Elisa, Fontaine Colin (2021). Species richness and food‐web structure jointly drive community biomass and its temporal stability in fish communities. Ecology Letters, 2021, 24 (11), pp.2364-2377. ⟨10.1111/ele.13857⟩
Génin Alexandre, Dutoit Thierry, Danet Alain, Le Priol Alice, Kéfi Sonia (2021). Grazing and the vanishing complexity of plant association networks in grasslands. Oikos, 2021, 130 (4), pp.541-552. ⟨10.1111/oik.07850⟩
Danet Alain, Schneider Florian, Anthelme Fabien, Kéfi Sonia (2020). Indirect facilitation drives species composition and stability in drylands. Theoretical Ecology, 2020, 14, pp.189-203. ⟨10.1007/s12080-020-00489-0⟩