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

Population Growth00:57

Population Growth

Population size is dynamic, increasing with birth rates and immigration, and decreasing with death rates and emigration. In ideal conditions with unlimited resources, populations can increase exponentially, which plots as a J-shaped growth rate curve of population size against time. This type of curve is characteristic of newly-introduced invasive species, or populations that have suffered catastrophic declines and are rebounding.However, realistic environmental conditions limit the number of...
What are Populations and Communities?00:30

What are Populations and Communities?

Populations are groups of individuals of the same species that inhabit a shared environment. Communities include multiple co-existing, interacting populations of different species. Metapopulations span multiple populations of the same species that occupy different areas. Metapopulations interact through immigration and emigration, providing genetic diversity that lends resilience to harsh environments. Population size and density can be estimated using quadrat and mark and recapture...
Modeling with Differential Equations01:25

Modeling with Differential Equations

Population dynamics can be described mathematically by considering the population size P(t) as a function of time. The rate of change of the population is then represented by the derivative of P(t). A simple assumption is that the rate of growth is proportional to the size of the population itself. This leads to an exponential growth model, where the population increases rapidly without bound. While this is a useful first approximation, it does not reflect realistic long-term...
Conservation of Declining Populations02:07

Conservation of Declining Populations

Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.
Trophic Efficiency00:46

Trophic Efficiency

Trophic level transfer efficiency (TLTE) is a measure of the total energy transfer from one trophic level to the next. Due to extensive energy loss as metabolic heat, an average of only 10% of the original energy obtained is passed on to the next level. This pattern of energy loss severely limits the possible number of trophic levels in a food chain.
Optimal Foraging00:48

Optimal Foraging

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.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Correction: Sediment biomarkers elucidate the Holocene ontogeny of a shallow lake.

PloS one·2018
Same author

Sediment biomarkers elucidate the Holocene ontogeny of a shallow lake.

PloS one·2018
Same author

Feeding, energy flow and soil turnover in the desert isopod, Hemilepistus reaumuri.

Oecologia·2017
Same author

Phenology, activity and regulation of radiation load in the desert isopod, Hemilepistus reaumuri.

Oecologia·2017
Same author

A case study of energy, water and soil flow chains in an arid ecosystem.

Oecologia·2017
Same author

Inconsistencies between <sup>14</sup>C and short-lived radionuclides-based sediment accumulation rates: Effects of long-term remineralization.

Journal of environmental radioactivity·2016

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Evaluating the Effect of Roadside Parking on a Dual-Direction Urban Street
14:55

Evaluating the Effect of Roadside Parking on a Dual-Direction Urban Street

Published on: January 20, 2023

Positive feedback of consumer population density on resource supply.

T S Bianchi1, C G Jones, M Shachak

  • 1the Institute of Ecosystem Studies, The New York Botanical Garden, Millbrook, NY 12545, USA.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|January 14, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Animal populations can benefit from increased resources at higher densities, leading to better individual fitness. These positive density-dependent feedbacks can explain social behavior and higher population levels.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Evaluating the Effect of Roadside Parking on a Dual-Direction Urban Street
14:55

Evaluating the Effect of Roadside Parking on a Dual-Direction Urban Street

Published on: January 20, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Population Dynamics
  • Behavioral Ecology

Background:

  • Recent research indicates positive density-dependent feedbacks between animal populations and their resources.
  • These feedbacks enhance individual fitness at high population densities.
  • Such phenomena are observed in diverse organisms lacking strong social structures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms and implications of positive density-dependent feedbacks in animal populations.
  • To explore how these feedbacks influence population dynamics and individual fitness.
  • To provide a resource-based explanation for the evolution of social behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental manipulation of resource availability.
  • Experimental manipulation of animal population density.
  • Analysis of correlations between resource abundance and population density in natural settings.

Main Results:

  • Positive feedbacks were detected through experimental manipulations, not just correlations.
  • These feedbacks can lead to increased equilibrium population densities.
  • They alter the conditions under which intraspecific competition becomes apparent.

Conclusions:

  • Positive density-dependent feedbacks play a significant role in regulating animal populations.
  • These feedbacks offer a resource-driven explanation for the evolution of gregariousness.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for predicting population dynamics and social evolution.