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

Keystone Species01:39

Keystone Species

25.2K
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...
25.2K
Diversity of Protists III01:27

Diversity of Protists III

1.7K
Rhizaria are a diverse group of unicellular protists characterized by their threadlike cytoplasmic extensions known as pseudopodia. These structures aid in both locomotion and feeding, giving Rhizaria an amoeboid appearance. Their amoeboid morphology once led to taxonomic confusion, but molecular phylogenetics has clarified their evolutionary placement and emphasized their shared use of pseudopodia despite divergent lineages.This clade comprises diverse lineages such as Chlorarachniophyta,...
1.7K
Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores02:40

Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores

17.0K
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...
17.0K
Pollination and Flower Structure02:40

Pollination and Flower Structure

79.8K
Flowers are the reproductive, seed-producing structures of angiosperms. Typically, flowers consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals and petals are the vegetative flower organs. Stamens and carpels are the reproductive organs.  
79.8K
The Soil Ecosystem02:23

The Soil Ecosystem

25.4K
Plants obtain inorganic minerals and water from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The composition and quality of soil depend not only on the chemical constituents but also on the presence of living organisms. In general, soils contain three major components:
25.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Correction: Pertegal et al. More Than 200 Years Later: <i>Gluvia brunnea</i> sp. nov. (Solifugae, Daesiidae), a Second Species of Camel Spider from the Iberian Peninsula. <i>Insects</i> 2024, <i>15</i>, 284.

Insects·2024
Same author

More Than 200 Years Later: <i>Gluvia brunnea</i> sp. nov. (Solifugae, Daesiidae), a Second Species of Camel Spider from the Iberian Peninsula.

Insects·2024
Same author

Trait-Specific Indirect Effects Underlie Variation in the Response of Spiders to Cannibalistic Social Partners.

The American naturalist·2023
Same author

Deciphering plant health status: The link between secondary metabolites, fungal community and disease incidence in olive tree.

Frontiers in plant science·2023
Same author

Canopy arthropod declines along a gradient of olive farming intensification.

Scientific reports·2022
Same author

A food web approach reveals the vulnerability of biocontrol services by birds and bats to landscape modification at regional scale.

Scientific reports·2021

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 13, 2026

Technique for Studying Arthropod and Microbial Communities within Tree Tissues
05:30

Technique for Studying Arthropod and Microbial Communities within Tree Tissues

Published on: November 16, 2014

10.9K

Beech cupules as keystone structures for soil fauna.

Nereida Melguizo-Ruiz1, Gerardo Jiménez-Navarro2, Jordi Moya-Laraño1

  • 1Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas-CSIC , Almería , Spain.

Peerj
|October 27, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Beech cupules provide crucial shelter for soil invertebrates, especially during dry periods. These structures act as keystone resources, enhancing soil fauna diversity and habitat heterogeneity in forest ecosystems.

Keywords:
Above-belowground linkagesBeech cupuleFacilitationFagus sylvaticaKeystone structureMoistureSoil fauna

More Related Videos

Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy
07:00

Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: October 4, 2024

1.2K
Processing Embryo, Eggshell, and Fungal Culture for Scanning Electron Microscopy
09:15

Processing Embryo, Eggshell, and Fungal Culture for Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: August 16, 2019

10.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2026

Technique for Studying Arthropod and Microbial Communities within Tree Tissues
05:30

Technique for Studying Arthropod and Microbial Communities within Tree Tissues

Published on: November 16, 2014

10.9K
Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy
07:00

Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: October 4, 2024

1.2K
Processing Embryo, Eggshell, and Fungal Culture for Scanning Electron Microscopy
09:15

Processing Embryo, Eggshell, and Fungal Culture for Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: August 16, 2019

10.0K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Soil Biology
  • Community Ecology

Background:

  • Facilitative interactions and habitat modification are key drivers of ecological community structure.
  • Keystone structures, like beech cupules, offer resources and refuge, supporting species coexistence and biodiversity.
  • Soil fauna play a vital role in leaf litter decomposition and nutrient cycling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of beech cupules in the distribution and maintenance of soil fauna.
  • To determine if cupules provide critical shelter, particularly during drought conditions.
  • To assess whether cupule availability limits soil invertebrate populations.

Main Methods:

  • Field experiments manipulating cupule availability and soil moisture.
  • Measuring invertebrate abundance inside and outside cupules.
  • Assessing total invertebrate abundance and body size in leaf litter across dry and wet plots.

Main Results:

  • Beech cupules were preferentially utilized by smaller soil invertebrates (springtails, mites, enchytraeids) during drought periods.
  • Cupule use increased with higher cupule densities, indicating they can be a limiting resource.
  • Cupules promoted higher invertebrate densities in the leaf litter, likely by increasing habitat heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

  • Beech cupules function as keystone structures, significantly contributing to soil community maintenance.
  • Decaying beech cupules act as ecosystem engineers, indirectly facilitating soil fauna activities.
  • These findings highlight the importance of plant-derived structures in supporting soil biodiversity.