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Related Concept Videos

Types of Selection01:46

Types of Selection

Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.Positive Frequency-Dependent SelectionIn positive...
Limits to Natural Selection01:38

Limits to Natural Selection

Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.For one, natural selection can only act upon existing genetic variation. Hypothetically, redtusks may enhance elephant survival by deterring ivory-seeking poachers. However, if there are no gene variants—or alleles—for redtusks, natural selection cannot increase the prevalence of...
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes01:24

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
Genetic Drift03:33

Genetic Drift

Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.Life is not fair. A deer grazing contentedly in a field can have her meal cut tragically short by a bolt of lightning. If the doomed doe is one of only three in the population, 1/3 of the population’s gene pool is lost. Random events like this can...
Inclusive Fitness00:57

Inclusive Fitness

Most altruistic behavior—in which one animal helps another at a cost to themselves—occurs between relatives. Scientists think these altruistic behaviors evolved because they increase the inclusive fitness of the animal providing help.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
08:16

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

Initial community evenness favours functionality under selective stress.

Lieven Wittebolle1, Massimo Marzorati, Lieven Clement

  • 1LabMET, Laboratory of Microbial Ecology & Technology, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.

Nature
|March 10, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Ecosystem stability relies on species evenness, not just richness. Microbial communities with even species abundance are more resistant to environmental stressors like salinity.

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Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Environmental Science
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • The biodiversity crisis highlights the need to understand biodiversity's role in ecosystem stability and functioning.
  • Species richness and evenness are key biodiversity measures, but richness has been the primary focus of most studies.
  • Understanding how different biodiversity facets influence ecosystem resilience is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of initial community evenness versus richness in maintaining ecosystem functional stability.
  • To determine if evenness is a more critical factor than richness for ecosystem resilience under stress.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized microbial microcosms with denitrifying bacterial communities.
  • Experimentally manipulated both species richness and initial community evenness.
  • Assessed ecosystem functional stability by measuring net denitrification under salinity stress.

Main Results:

  • Initial community evenness was a key factor in preserving ecosystem functional stability.
  • Ecosystem denitrification stability under salinity stress was strongly influenced by initial evenness.
  • Highly uneven communities, dominated by a few species, showed less resistance to environmental stress.

Conclusions:

  • Community evenness plays a critical role in ecosystem functional stability, particularly under environmental stress.
  • Future research should focus on elucidating the mechanisms by which evenness influences ecosystem processes.
  • This finding has implications for understanding and managing biodiversity in both natural and human-altered ecosystems.