The Sigmoidal Journal

 

(Formally, the Journal of Sigmoidal Plant Hydraulics)

 

I publish here anything I want, as long as I like it ! No review, no hassle !

 

Editors: Hervé Cochard

ISSN: 2268-4565 edited by Hervé Cochard, INRA, Clermont-Ferrand, France.

 

2022

Cochard H. 2022. La circulation de l’eau dans la plante. TSJ e009 pdf

Highlight: Un texte de synthèse sur les recherches actuelles concernant la circulation de l’eau dans les plantes.

 

Cochard H. 2022. Water transport in the plant. TSJ e010 pdf

Highlight: A synthesis text on the current research on the circulation of water in plants.

 

 

2020

Cochard H. 2020. The fate of forest ecosystems in the Anthropocene. TSJ e008 pdf

Highlight: Temperature is expected to increase by +6°C by the end of this century because of climate change. Although this may seem relatively low, I show that this change will have a drastic impact on forest ecosystem.

 

 

2016

Fournier M, Cosson JF, Ogliastro M, Vayssier M, Cochard H. 2016. Une mobilisation belle, utile et partagée contre l' #INRAchutage. TSJ e007 pdf

Highlight: Devant l'annonce de nomination du directeur de cabinet du Ministre de l'Agriculture à la présidence de l'INRA, un collectif s'est mobilisé pour donner la parole aux personnels INRA et personnels associés afin qu'ils puissent s'exprimer sur le parachutage d'une personnalité politique extérieure au monde de la recherche à la tête d'un Institut de recherche publique.

 

Cochard H, Delzon S 2016. La révolution Web 2.0 de l'Edition Scientifique. TSJ e006 pdf

Highlight: Le système d'édition scientifique actuel est très largement hérité d'un modèle ancestral né avec Gutenberg. Ce modèle a joué un rôle clé dans la diffusion de la connaissance et donc sa progression. Nous faisons le constat que ce modèle arrive aujourd'hui à bout de souffle en raison de certaines dérives éditoriales récentes. Nous analysons ici ces dérives et proposons des solutions pour pérenniser une édition scientifique qui remplisse ses missions aux services de la Science.

 

Cochard H, Delzon S 2016. Edit or perish: The Web 2.0 revolution of the Scientific Edition. TSJ e006 pdf

Highlight: The current scientific publishing system is largely inherited from an ancestral model born with Gutenberg. This model has played a key role in the dissemination of knowledge and therefore its progression. Here, we argue that this model now comes out of breath because of some recent editorial drifts. We analyze these abuses and propose solutions for a sustained scientific edition.

 

 

2013

Moulia B, Chilliard Y, Forterre Y, Cochard H, Fournier M, Fontaine S, Girousse C, Badel E, Pouliquen O, Durand JL. 2013. Main basse sur la science publique: Le «coût de génie» de l’édition scientifique privée. TSJ e005 pdf

Highlight: Une transformation du processus de production dans l’Edition scientifique a conduit à sa concentration et à la privatisation de la publication par quelques grands groupes.

 

Cruiziat P 2013. L’eau et les plantes. 1- Les trois états de l’eau et leurs changements. TSJ e004 pdf

 

Plomion C 2013. A forest of sigmoidalistic monsters: Part 1: phenotypic description. TSJ e002 pdf

Highlight: This paper describes a series of genetic monsters created by crossing straight and sigmoid maritime pine trees

Comment: Porté AJ, Le Provost G (2013) Facing the double S hydraulics: a comment on Plomion JSPH-e0002. TSJ 1: e003 pdf

 

Cochard H, Delzon S 2013. Misunderstanding sap ascent in trees. TSJ e001 pdf

Highlight: Sap ascends by a risky mechanism in plants but, contrary to what is commonly believed, hydraulic failure and repair are not routine in plants.

 

Anonymous comment: If air movement into xylem vessels were in fact a serious problem for trees then the [study of cavitation resistance] would appear to carry great promise. However, recent publications throw some serious doubt on the importance of this subject. [Here the authors claim that] "Contrary to the prevailing view, hydraulic failure and repair are not routine in trees because, as in suction pumps, cavitation represents too serious a threat to the mechanism of sap ascent. Trees have a remarkable ability to construct a plumbing system that is outstandingly resistant to cavitation events until it is exposed to severe drought conditions”. If this is so, then air movement into xylem is a rare and unimportant event (see also Wheeler et al. 2013). In that case, why bother publishing this research? It seems a bit disingenuous to publish a paper on a topic that one of the coauthors has just declared to be rare and unimportant. The authors are well advised to address this issue in a revision of their paper and justify the importance of their study, if any, in light of Cochard and Delzon (2013) and Wheeler et al. (2013).

 

Reply by Cochard & Delzon: Human body temperatures above 41°C are rare. Shall we conclude that hyperthermia is unimportant and not life threatening? Why bother measuring the body temperature of our kids then? Cavitation is rare precisely because plants do their best to avoid this life threatening process. Understanding how plants avoid cavitation is therefore the key for understanding their drought tolerance. This is the reason why scientists around the world study this mechanism.