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

The Soil Ecosystem02:23

The Soil Ecosystem

25.2K
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:
25.2K
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
Ecological Succession02:17

Ecological Succession

21.8K
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...
21.8K
What is an Ecosystem?01:17

What is an Ecosystem?

47.7K
Overview
47.7K
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition02:11

The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition

47.6K
Plants have the impressive ability to create their own food through photosynthesis. However, plants often require assistance from organisms in the soil to acquire the nutrients they need to function correctly. Both bacteria and fungi have evolved symbiotic relationships with plants that help the species to thrive in a wide variety of environments.
47.6K
Ecological Niches02:02

Ecological Niches

27.0K
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.
27.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

A comparative study on the pharmacological effects of Achyranthes root against atherosclerosis in ApoE<sup>-/-</sup> mice based on the spectrum-effect relationship.

Laboratory animal research·2026
Same author

Human gut flagellome profiling using FlaPro reveals TLR5-related phenotype-specific alterations in IBD.

Gut microbes·2026
Same author

The Missing Phylogenetic and Evolutionary Dimensions of Leaf N:P as a Nutrient-Limitation Diagnostic.

Plant, cell & environment·2026
Same author

Divergent responses of macro- and micro-arthropods to biochar amendments: the roles of application dose and season.

Journal of environmental management·2026
Same author

Wheat fiber mitigates colitis via non-SCFA microbial metabolite-trained intestinal macrophages.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Botulinum toxin type A inhibits chronic post-thoracotomy pain through the HMGB1-mediated TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

American journal of translational research·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 1, 2026

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
09:23

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

Published on: March 21, 2025

2.1K

Soil ecological interactions: comparisons between tropical and subalpine forests.

Grizelle González1, Ruth E Ley2, Steven K Schmidt2

  • 1Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research and Department of EPO Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1560 30th St., 80309-0450, Boulder, CO, USA.

Oecologia
|May 27, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Soil fauna significantly impact microbial biomass and growth rates, with larger effects observed in subalpine forests compared to tropical forests. These findings highlight the varying roles of soil fauna in different ecosystems.

Keywords:
NaphthaleneSoil faunaSubalpineSubstrate induced growth responseTropics

More Related Videos

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

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

19.5K
Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores
09:17

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores

Published on: March 26, 2019

13.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 1, 2026

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
09:23

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

Published on: March 21, 2025

2.1K
Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
08:16

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

19.5K
Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores
09:17

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores

Published on: March 26, 2019

13.4K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Soil Science
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Soil fauna interact with microbial communities, influencing soil processes.
  • The precise extent to which soil fauna regulate microbial activities remains debated due to functional complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in soil fauna effects on microbial biomass and growth rates between tropical and subalpine forest ecosystems.
  • To determine if soil fauna regulate microbial activities differently across diverse climatic and geographic conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Quantified soil microbial biomass and maximum growth rates in control versus fauna-excluded plots.
  • Fauna exclusion involved physical removal and naphthalene application.
  • Assessed salicylate-mineralizing microbes using substrate-induced growth response to evaluate naphthalene's non-target effects.

Main Results:

  • Subalpine forests showed increased microbial biomass and decreased growth rates upon fauna exclusion.
  • Tropical forests exhibited no significant changes in microbial biomass or growth rates after fauna exclusion.
  • Salicylate-mineralizing microbial biomass increased in fauna-excluded treatments in wet tropical and south-facing subalpine forests.

Conclusions:

  • Naphthalene's non-target effects do not fully explain observed microbial biomass changes in subalpine forests.
  • Soil fauna exert a more substantial influence on microbial activities in subalpine forests than in tropical forests.