Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Types of Selection

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...

Ecological Disturbance

Ecological Disturbance

An ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in the environment resulting from abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic factors, causing a pronounced change in an ecosystem. The impact of an ecological disturbance, which can depend on its intensity, frequency, and spatial distribution, plays a significant role in shaping the species diversity within the ecosystem.

Ecological Succession

Ecological Succession

Ecological succession is influenced by the processes of facilitation, inhibition, and toleration. Facilitation occurs when early successional species create more favorable ecological conditions for subsequent species, such as enhanced nutrient, water, or light availability. In contrast, inhibition happens when early successional species create unfavorable ecological conditions for potential successive species, such as limiting resource availability. In some cases, later successional species...

Ecological Niches

Ecological Niches

All organisms have a position within an ecosystem. The complete set of living and nonliving factors—including food resources, climate, and terrain—that define the position of a given organism are collectively referred to as the organism’s ecological niche.

What is Natural Selection?

What is Natural Selection?

Natural selection is an evolutionary process in which individuals with survival-promoting traits reproduce at higher rates. These favorable traits become more common within a population or species. Naturally selected traits initially arise via random genetic mutations. In order for selection to occur, there must be variation within a population, the trait controlling the variation must be heritable, and there must be an evolutionary advantage for variation in the trait.

Limits to Natural Selection

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.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Landscape quality drives ecological responses to habitat loss and fragmentation.

Nature ecology & evolution·2026

Same author

Predictions From Evolutionary Theory for Urban Environments.

Evolutionary applications·2026

Same author

Analysis of the impact of gene evolution on reproductive effects reveals prevalent sexual and germline-soma conflicts.

Nature ecology & evolution·2026

Same author

A metric for tradable biodiversity credits quantifying impacts on global extinction risk.

Journal of industrial ecology·2026

Same author

Cannabis use by people with HIV is associated with an anti-inflammatory immunometabolic phenotype in monocyte-derived macrophages.

Journal of neuroinflammation·2026

Same author

Foliar pathogen epidemic slows decomposition of invasive plant litter.

Ecology·2026

Same journal

The emerging field of wild animal welfare science.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026

Same journal

Integrating nutritional mutualists into the evolution of defense.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026

Same journal

Formation of three great Asian plateaus, climate change, and biodiversity: (Trends Ecol. Evol. 40, 970-982; 2025).

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026

Same journal

Digital twins as a tool for ecosystem research.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026

Same journal

Constraint and convergence in the evolution of vertebrate sound production.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026

Same journal

Is a comprehensive root economics space a chimera?

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 10, 2026

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

Selection on stability across ecological scales.

Jonathan J Borrelli¹, Stefano Allesina², Priyanga Amarasekare³

¹Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

|June 13, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Ecological systems exhibit similarities due to nonadaptive systemic selection favoring stable structures, operating alongside adaptive evolution. This process explains widespread patterns across various ecological scales.

Keywords:

feasibility macroecology selection stability

More Related Videos

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

Published on: March 21, 2025

Modeling the Size Spectrum for Macroinvertebrates and Fishes in Stream Ecosystems

Modeling the Size Spectrum for Macroinvertebrates and Fishes in Stream Ecosystems

Published on: July 30, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 10, 2026

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

Published on: March 21, 2025

Modeling the Size Spectrum for Macroinvertebrates and Fishes in Stream Ecosystems

Modeling the Size Spectrum for Macroinvertebrates and Fishes in Stream Ecosystems

Published on: July 30, 2019

Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Ecology
Systems science

Background:

Adaptive differentiation is a primary focus in evolutionary biology.
Understanding structural similarities in ecological systems is equally crucial.
Observed similarities span from predator-preprey dynamics to ecosystem properties.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore processes generating structural similarities in ecological systems.
To highlight the role of nonadaptive systemic selection.
To connect system stability with ecological patterns.

Main Methods:

Review of examples across ecological scales (predator-prey, communities, ecosystems).
Conceptual framework focusing on selection for intrinsic system stability.
Discussion of nonadaptive processes shaping ecological structures.

Main Results:

Selection for intrinsic stability favors more stable system configurations.
Nonadaptive systemic selection provides a mechanism for widespread ecological similarities.
These processes operate in parallel with adaptive evolution.

Conclusions:

Nonadaptive systemic selection is a key driver of structural similarities in ecology.
Focusing on stability properties offers new insights into ecological patterns.
Both adaptive and nonadaptive processes shape ecological systems.