Animal robustness may be defined as a complex trait characterizing the ability of an individual to be adapted, productive and healthy under contrasted and fluctuating environmental situations. Such a trait is now considered an essential criterion in order to meet the more ambitious goals of farming sustainability. In ruminants, one of the key mechanisms via which robustness is expressed is the capacity to mobilize or restore body reserves (BR) to cope with the challenges of negative energy balances. The objectives of this work were as follows: 1) to estimate the genetic parameters related to BR dynamics in ewes over successive production cycles and 2) to investigate BR management relationships between different physiological stages. For this, historical individual BW and BCS data from 2,920 phenotyped ewes were used for genetic analysis. The changes in BW (∆BW) and BCS (∆BCS) over time were analyzed. Eight physiological stages were considered to investigate these changes over time: mating, early pregnancy, mid-pregnancy, lambing, early suckling, mid-suckling, weaning, and postweaning. The estimated heritability were low for both ∆BW (h2 = 0.13 to 0.18) and ∆BCS (h2 = 0.04 to 0.16). Moderate to high positive genetic correlations (from 0.48 to 0.91) were obtained between BR mobilization phases and between BR accretion phases. Similarly, moderate to high negative genetic correlations (from -0.36 to -0.75) were estimated between the BR mobilization and accretion periods, suggesting that mechanisms driving BR mobilization and accretion processes were genetically correlated. This is the first study in ruminants that demonstrate that the extent and temporal changes in profiles of BR mobilization and accretion are heritable and genetically linked, indicating that such traits could be considered in genetic programs aimed at improving robustness. Nevertheless, further research is needed for a more comprehensive understanding of BR dynamics, notably by including other physiological parameters (i.e., metabolites and hormones) and additional information on the productive and reproductive life of the ewe.

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Understanding the relationships between wildlife biodiversity and zoonotic infectious diseases in a changing climate is a challenging issue that scientists must address to support further policy actions. We aim at tackling this challenge by focusing on small mammal-borne diseases in temperate forests and large urban green spaces. Small mammals are important reservoirs of zoonotic agents, with a high transmission potential for humans and domestic animals. Forests and large urban green spaces are ecosystems where efforts are undertaken to preserve biodiversity. They are put forward for their contribution to human well-being in addition to other ecosystem services (e.g. provisioning and regulating services). Moreover, forests and large urban green spaces are environments where small mammals are abundant and human/domestic-wildlife interactions are plausible to occur. These environments are, therefore, focal points for conservation management and public health issues. The European Biodiversa BioRodDis project (https://www6.inrae.fr/biodiversa-bioroddis) aims at better understanding the relationships between small terrestrial mammal biodiversity and health in the context of global change and, in particular, of forest anthropisation and urbanisation. Here, we present the data gathered in France. The dataset will enable us to describe the diversity of small terrestrial mammal communities in forested areas corresponding to different levels of anthropisation and to evaluate the variability of this diversity over time, between seasons and years. The dataset contains occurrences of small terrestrial mammals (Rodentia and Soricomorpha) trapped in forested areas in eastern France (administrative Departments: Rhône, Ain, Jura). The sampling sites correspond to different degrees of anthropisation. Forests included in biological reserves are the least anthropised sites. Then, public forests and urban parks experience increasing levels of anthropisation. Data were collected during spring and autumn 2020 (three to four sampling sites), 2021 (six sampling sites) and 2022 (four sampling sites). These variations in the number of sites between years were due to lockdown restrictions in 2020 or to the legal authorisation to trap around biological reserves granted in 2021 only. The capture of animals was carried out in various types of forests (pine, deciduous, mixed) and in different habitats within urban parks (wooded areas, buildings, hay storage yards, riverside vegetation, restaurants, playground for kids, botanical garden, landfills). Animals were captured using live traps that were set on the ground for one to 11 nights. During this study period, 1593 small mammals were trapped and identified. They belong to 15 species, amongst which were nine species of rodents (Muridae, Cricetidae, Gliridae) and six species of shrews (Soricidae). They were weighted (gram) and measured (cm): head-body length, tail length and hind-foot length. Sexual characteristics were also recorded.

Puumala virus (PUUV) in Europe causes nephropathia epidemica (NE), a mild form of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). The incidence of NE is highly heterogeneous spatially, whereas the geographic distribution of the wild reservoir of PUUV, the bank vole, is essentially homogeneous. Our understanding of the processes driving this heterogeneity remains incomplete due to gaps in knowledge. Little is known about the current distribution and genetic variation of PUUV in the areas outside the well-identified zones of NE endemicity. We trapped bank voles in four forests in French regions in which NE is considered non-endemic, but sporadic NE cases have been reported recently. We tested bank voles for anti-PUUV IgG and characterized the S segment sequences of PUUV from seropositive animals. Phylogenetic analyses revealed specific amino-acid signatures and genetic differences between PUUV circulating in non-endemic and nearby NE-endemic areas. We also showed, in temporal surveys, that the amino-acid sequences of PUUV had undergone fewer recent changes in areas non-endemic for NE than in endemic areas. The evolutionary history of the current French PUUV clusters was investigated by phylogeographic approaches, and the results were considered in the context of the history of French forests. Our findings highlight the need to monitor the circulation and genetics of PUUV in a larger array of bank vole populations, to improve our understanding of the risk of NE.