Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Optimal Foraging00:48

Optimal Foraging

14.3K
How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
14.3K
Trophic Levels01:35

Trophic Levels

38.6K
All organisms in an ecosystem occupy a trophic level in the food chain. The lowest level consists of primary producers, which synthesize their food from either solar or chemical energy. Each subsequent level obtains energy from the levels below. Detritivores can occupy any of the levels above primary producers.
38.6K
Keystone Species01:39

Keystone Species

25.4K
Measures of species biodiversity, such as richness (i.e., the number of species present) and evenness (i.e., their relative abundance), describe an ecological community’s structure. Many factors affect community structure, including abiotic factors (e.g., sunlight and nutrients), disturbances (e.g., fire or flood), species interactions (e.g., predation or competition), and chance events (e.g., foreign species invasion). Certain species—such as keystone species—also play a...
25.4K
Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

22.3K
Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
22.3K
Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores02:40

Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores

17.2K
Plants often form mutualistic relationships with soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria to enhance their roots’ nutrient uptake ability. Root-colonizing fungi (e.g., mycorrhizae) increase a plant’s root surface area, which promotes nutrient absorption. While root-colonizing, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., rhizobia) convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), making nitrogen available to plants for various biological functions. For example, nitrogen is essential for the...
17.2K
Microbial Interactions: Predation01:28

Microbial Interactions: Predation

50
Microbial predation refers to the process by which one microorganism kills and consumes another to obtain nutrients and energy. It encompasses both bacterial and protozoan predators. This interaction plays a crucial role in shaping microbial communities and regulating nutrient cycling.Bacterial Predators: Epibiotic vs. EndobioticBacterial predators are classified based on their mode of attack as either epibiotic or endobiotic. Epibiotic predators, such as Vampirococcus, attach to the surface of...
50

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Patterns of helminth parasite infections in cyclic common vole (<i>Microtus arvalis</i>) populations.

Journal of helminthology·2026
Same author

Higher versus lower mean arterial blood pressure after cardiac arrest and resuscitation (MAP-CARE): A protocol for a randomized clinical trial.

Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica·2025
Same author

Fever management with or without a temperature control device after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and resuscitation (TEMP-CARE): A study protocol for a randomized clinical trial.

Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica·2025
Same author

Sedation, temperature and pressure after cardiac arrest and resuscitation-The STEPCARE trial: A statistical analysis plan.

Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica·2025
Same author

Continuous deep sedation versus minimal sedation after cardiac arrest and resuscitation (SED-CARE): A protocol for a randomized clinical trial.

Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica·2025
Same author

COVID-19-induced changes in the workplace, psychosocial work environment and employee well-being: a longitudinal study.

Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 14, 2026

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
10:20

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Published on: March 12, 2013

14.1K

Are lemmings prey or predators?

P Turchin1, L Oksanen, P Ekerholm

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs 06269, USA. Peter.Turchin@UConn.edu

Nature
|June 13, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Norwegian lemming population cycles are not driven by predators. Instead, lemming population dynamics suggest they act as predators, interacting with their food plants, unlike cyclic voles.

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Population Dynamics
  • Trophic Interactions

Background:

  • Large population oscillations in Norwegian lemmings (Lemmus lemmus) have long intrigued ecologists.
  • These cycles are hypothesized to result from trophic mechanisms, specifically interactions with food resources or predators.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if lemming population cycles are driven by their role as prey or predator.
  • To differentiate between resource-driven and predator-driven population dynamics using peak shape analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Applied statistical tests to three Norwegian lemming population datasets.
  • Compared lemming peak shapes with comparable data from cyclic voles (Myodes glareolus).
  • Utilized theoretical models where resource peaks are blunt and consumer peaks are sharp.

More Related Videos

Assaying Predatory Feeding Behaviors in Pristionchus and Other Nematodes
06:27

Assaying Predatory Feeding Behaviors in Pristionchus and Other Nematodes

Published on: September 4, 2016

10.5K
A Real-Time Interactive System for Studying Confrontational Pursuit Behavior in Rodents
06:25

A Real-Time Interactive System for Studying Confrontational Pursuit Behavior in Rodents

Published on: May 16, 2025

1.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 14, 2026

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
10:20

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Published on: March 12, 2013

14.1K
Assaying Predatory Feeding Behaviors in Pristionchus and Other Nematodes
06:27

Assaying Predatory Feeding Behaviors in Pristionchus and Other Nematodes

Published on: September 4, 2016

10.5K
A Real-Time Interactive System for Studying Confrontational Pursuit Behavior in Rodents
06:25

A Real-Time Interactive System for Studying Confrontational Pursuit Behavior in Rodents

Published on: May 16, 2025

1.7K

Main Results:

  • Vole population peaks exhibited a blunt, rounded shape, consistent with predator-driven cycles.
  • Lemming population peaks showed a sharp, angular shape, aligning with consumer-driven dynamics.
  • Findings indicate lemmings function as predators in their population cycles, driven by food plant interactions.

Conclusions:

  • Lemming population cycles are likely driven by their interaction with food plants, not by predation.
  • The hypothesis that a single mechanism explains all cyclic rodent dynamics is challenged.
  • Lemming and vole population dynamics appear to be regulated by distinct primary trophic interactions.