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

25.1K
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...
25.1K
Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

21.8K
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.
21.8K
Symbiosis00:58

Symbiosis

37.7K
Symbiotic relationships are long-term, close interactions between individuals of different species that affect the distribution and abundance of those species. When a relationship is beneficial to both species, this is called mutualism. When the relationship is beneficial to one species but neither beneficial nor harmful to the other species, this is called commensalism. When one organism is harmed to benefit another, the relationship is known as parasitism. These types of relationships often...
37.7K
Ecological Niches02:02

Ecological Niches

26.8K
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.
26.8K
Conservation of Small Populations02:04

Conservation of Small Populations

17.5K
Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less...
17.5K
Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

24.2K
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
24.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Higher Lipid Saturation in Well-Irrigated Georgia Cotton Plants: A Field-Based NMR Metabolomics Study.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Traps baited with dry ice outperform cloth drags for capturing ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in 3 widely separated geographic regions.

Journal of medical entomology·2025
Same author

Wild Birds Pose Unique Food Safety Threats in the US Southeast.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2025
Same author

Carryover Effects of Thermal Conditions on Tick Survival, Behavior, and Simulated Detectability.

Ecology and evolution·2025
Same author

Acquired tick resistance in <i>Peromyscus leucopus</i> alters <i>Ixodes scapularis</i> infection.

Infection and immunity·2025
Same author

Permanent defects in renal medullary structure and function after reversal of urinary obstruction.

JCI insight·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 17, 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

14.0K

Keystone nonconsumptive effects within a diverse predator community.

Amanda J Meadows1, Jeb P Owen1, William E Snyder1

  • 1Department of Entomology Washington State University Pullman WA USA.

Ecology and Evolution
|December 15, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Predator biodiversity impacts prey, but nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) are complex. Adding a unique predator, the dragonfly naiad, altered NCEs on mosquitoes by reducing their escape behaviors, influencing survival and longevity.

Keywords:
Culex pipiensaquatic predatorbiodiversitycomplementarityfield experimenttrait‐mediated effect

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

9.3K
A Real-Time Interactive System for Studying Confrontational Pursuit Behavior in Rodents
06:25

A Real-Time Interactive System for Studying Confrontational Pursuit Behavior in Rodents

Published on: May 16, 2025

1.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 17, 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

14.0K
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

9.3K
A Real-Time Interactive System for Studying Confrontational Pursuit Behavior in Rodents
06:25

A Real-Time Interactive System for Studying Confrontational Pursuit Behavior in Rodents

Published on: May 16, 2025

1.4K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Predator-prey dynamics
  • Community ecology

Background:

  • Predator diversity influences prey consumption through complementarity and interference.
  • Nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) of predators on prey are less understood with increasing predator biodiversity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how predator biodiversity affects nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) on *Culex* mosquitoes.
  • To determine the impact of diverse aquatic predator communities on mosquito survival, size, and longevity.

Main Methods:

  • Field surveys of mosquito larvae with varying predator compositions.
  • Artificial pond experiments exposing mosquito larvae to predator cues.
  • Measurement of mosquito traits and behavioral observations.

Main Results:

  • Mesopredator insects reduced mosquito larval survival and adult size/longevity.
  • Adding dragonfly naiads restored larval survivorship and further reduced adult longevity.
  • Dragonfly presence inhibited mosquito "diving" escape behavior, suggesting a mechanism for altered NCEs.

Conclusions:

  • A single, functionally unique predator species can significantly alter community-wide NCEs.
  • Predator biodiversity, particularly the presence of top predators, can modify predator-prey interactions and potentially influence disease dynamics.
  • Understanding NCEs across predator biodiversity is crucial for ecological and public health applications.