Inra environnement

 The divisions are organized into thematic fields (“champs thématiques” – CT), and they define finalized objectives in the form of structuring challenges (“enjeux structurants” – EnjS). The pilot of ECOSYS is the AgroEcoSystem division. The activities of ECOSYS fall mainly into 2 of the 4 thematic fields (CTs) of this division, CT3 and the CT4 (Fig. 11):

• CT1: Agronomy of agricultural systems: the contribution of ECOSYS represents 8% of the publication activity of ECOSYS.

• CT2: Ecophysiology of plants and plant communities: mainly concerning the  Eco&Phy team, representing 10% of ECOSYS publication activity.
• CT3: Biogeochemistry, ecology and soil physics: mainly concerning the Soil and Ecotox teams, accounting for 67% of ECOSYS publication activity.
• CT4: Landscape physics and ecology: mainly concerning    the    Eco&Phy    and    Soil    teams, representing 27% of ECOSYS publication activity.

 ECOSYS  contributes  mainly  to  3  of  the  5  “structuring challenges” (EnjS) of the AgroEcoSystem division (Fig. 12):

• EnjS1: Adaptation of crops to new agricultural contexts 23% of ECOSYS publication activity,

• mainly from the Eco&Phy team.
• EnjS2: Ecological intensification: with a relatively low contribution of ECOSYS in the form of publications (12%).
• EnjS3: Management, protection and restoration of environments: representing 51% of ECOSYS publication activity, mainly from the Soil and Ecotox teams.
• EnjS4: Closure of N and P cycles and carbon storage: accounting for 42% of ECOSYS publication activity, mainly from the Soil and Eco&Phy teams.
• EnjS5: Assessment, design and management of multiperforming farming systems: with a very small contribution from ECOSYS (3% of publications).

ECOSYS also contributes to the scientific priorities of INRAE's Plant Health and Environment (SPE) division, particularly to their structuring issue 4 (Quantifying Impacts and Managing Risks), mainly through "structuring terrestrial ecotoxicology considering the impact on biodiversity”, which particularly concerns the Ecotox team.

The AgroEcoSystem and SPE divisions provide recurrent grant resources (approximately 15% of the annual operating budget of the unit) or incentive resources (approximately 10% of the annual operating budget). The divisions play a role in the selection and allocation of positions, which is ultimately arbitrated by INRAE General Management. Between 2013 and 2018, recruitments of permanent positions were as follows: 3 CR, 2 IR, 1 IE, 1 AI, 3 TR (all these positions supported by the AgroEcoSystem division).

ECOSYS is integrated in the INRAE Center of Ile-de-France Versailles-Grignon and contributes mainly to the "Innovation, agricultural production and environment" research axis. The Centers organize operational functioning at the local level (sites), playing a role in supporting the units (financially and in terms of human resources management) as well as in definition of the regional integration policy. This last point is particularly important for ECOSYS because it concerns the evolution of the unit and its insertion in the Idex Paris-Saclay.