Modeling rare species distribution at the edge: the case for the vulnerable endemic Pyrenean desman in France.

The endemic Pyrenean Desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) is an elusive, rare, and vulnerable species declining over its entire and narrow range (Spain, Portugal, France, and Andorra). The principal set of conservation measures in France is a 5-years National Action Plan based on 25 conservation actions. Priority is given to update its present distribution and develop tools for predictive distribution models. We aim at building the first species distribution model and map for the northern edge of the range of the Desman and confronting the outputs of the model to target conservation efforts in the context of environmental change. Contrasting to former comparable studies, we derive a simpler model emphasizing the importance of factors linked to precipitation and not to the temperature. If temperature is one of the climate change key factors, depicted shrinkage in Desman distribution could be lower or null at the northern (French) edge suggesting thus a major role for this northern population in terms of conservation of the species. Finally, we question the applied issue of temporal and spatial transferability for such environmental favourability models when it is made at the edge of the distribution range.

Filtering of Defects in Semipolar (11-22) GaN Using 2-Steps Lateral Epitaxial Overgrowth.

Good-quality (11-22) semipolar GaN sample was obtained using epitaxial lateral overgrowth. The growth conditions were chosen to enhance the growth rate along the [0001] inclined direction. Thus, the coalescence boundaries stop the propagation of basal stacking faults. The faults filtering and the improvement of the crystalline quality were attested by transmission electron microscopy and low temperature photoluminescence. The temperature dependence of the luminescence polarization under normal incidence was also studied.