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

Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

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.
Trophic Levels01:35

Trophic Levels

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.
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.
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.
Microbial Interactions: Predation01:28

Microbial Interactions: Predation

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...
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

Tracking economic change over a decade: an analysis of Austria's industry-sponsored clinical trial landscape and implications for policy.

Journal of medical economics·2026
Same author

Top-down control and species composition influence nonlinearly the short-term response of experimental food webs to a nutrient pulse perturbation.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026
Same author

The role of trade-off shapes for community adaptation and maintenance of ecosystem functions under environmental change.

Ecology·2025
Same author

GLOSSAQUA: A global dataset of size spectra across aquatic ecosystems.

Ecology·2025
Same author

Emergent feedback between symbiosis form and population dynamics.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2025
Same author

The complex structure of aquatic food webs emerges from a few assembly rules.

Nature ecology & evolution·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 27, 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

Predator-prey dynamics driven by feedback between functionally diverse trophic levels.

Katrin Tirok1, Barbara Bauer, Kai Wirtz

  • 1Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany. katrintirok@gmail.com

Plos One
|November 19, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Ecological models are more realistic when including functional diversity. This study shows that trait-mediated feedback between predator and prey, driven by functional diversity, maintains complex community dynamics and prevents species loss.

More Related Videos

Laboratory Protocol for Genetic Gut Content Analyses of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Using Group-specific rDNA Primers
10:17

Laboratory Protocol for Genetic Gut Content Analyses of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Using Group-specific rDNA Primers

Published on: October 5, 2017

Modeling the Size Spectrum for Macroinvertebrates and Fishes in Stream Ecosystems
07:41

Modeling the Size Spectrum for Macroinvertebrates and Fishes in Stream Ecosystems

Published on: July 30, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 27, 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

Laboratory Protocol for Genetic Gut Content Analyses of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Using Group-specific rDNA Primers
10:17

Laboratory Protocol for Genetic Gut Content Analyses of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Using Group-specific rDNA Primers

Published on: October 5, 2017

Modeling the Size Spectrum for Macroinvertebrates and Fishes in Stream Ecosystems
07:41

Modeling the Size Spectrum for Macroinvertebrates and Fishes in Stream Ecosystems

Published on: July 30, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Theoretical Ecology
  • Population Dynamics

Background:

  • Ecological models often overlook functional diversity, reducing their predictive power.
  • Understanding species interactions requires accounting for community composition and trait variability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of functional diversity in predator-prey interactions using a dynamic trait approach.
  • To model the feedback mechanisms between predator and prey driven by species shifts.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a predator-prey model incorporating mean functional traits (prey edibility, predator food-selectivity) and functional diversity (trait variance).
  • Analyzed trait-mediated feedback loops and their impact on community dynamics.

Main Results:

  • Trait-mediated feedback led to complex dynamics and continuous reorganization of trophic levels.
  • Sufficient functional diversity in both predator and prey was essential for maintaining this feedback.
  • Loss of functional diversity in predators resulted in simplified dynamics, similar to conventional models.

Conclusions:

  • Functional diversity and trade-offs are crucial for preserving diversity in ecological communities.
  • Dynamic trait approaches enhance the realism and predictive capacity of ecological models.