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

The Soil Ecosystem

The Soil Ecosystem

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:

What is an Ecosystem?

What is an Ecosystem?

Fruit Development, Structure, and Function

Fruit Development, Structure, and Function

Fruits form from a mature flower ovary. As seeds develop from the ovules contained within, the ovary wall undergoes a series of complex changes to form fruit. In some fruits, such as soybeans, the ovary wall dries; in other fruits, such as grapes, it remains fleshy. In some cases, organs other than the ovary contribute to fruit formation; such fruits are called accessory fruits.

Structural Protein Function

Structural Protein Function

Structural proteins are a category of proteins responsible for functions ranging from cell shape and movement to providing support to major structures such as bones, cartilage, hair, and muscles. This group includes proteins such as collagen, actin, myosin, and keratin.
Collagen, the most abundant protein in mammals, is found throughout the body. In connective tissue, such as skin, ligaments, and tendons, it provides tensile strength and elasticity. In bones and teeth, it mineralizes to...

Structural Protein Function

Structural Protein Function

Animal and Plant Cell Structure

Animal and Plant Cell Structure

Animal and plant cells not only differ in their structure, function, and mode of nutrition but also in how they reproduce, specialize, and organize into complex structures.
Cell Division
Though both plant and animal cells divide by mitosis (for non-gametic cells) and meiosis (for gametic cells), they differ in the specifics of this process. Unlike animal cells, plant cells lack centrosomes — an organelle responsible for organizing the spindle fibers and segregating the chromosomes during...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

A tiger is not always a satyr: role of male mating behaviour in interspecific mating interactions between Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.

Parasites & vectors·2026

Same author

A digital imagery-competing task intervention for stopping intrusive memories in trauma-exposed health-care staff during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a Bayesian adaptive randomised clinical trial.

The lancet. Psychiatry·2026

Same author

The impact of structured higher-order interactions on ecological network stability.

Theoretical ecology·2026

Same author

Polygenic viral factors enable efficient mosquito-borne transmission of African Zika virus.

Nature communications·2025

Same author

Major excursions in sulfur isotopes linked to permafrost change in Eurasia during the last 50,000 years.

Nature geoscience·2025

Same author

Genomic and morphological analysis reveals long-term mammoth hybridization in British Columbia, Canada.

Biology letters·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 12, 2026

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

Plant controls on Late Quaternary whole ecosystem structure and function.

Elizabeth S Jeffers¹, Nicki J Whitehouse², Adrian Lister³

¹Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.

Ecology Letters

|March 31, 2018

Summary

Plant-driven changes, not megaherbivores, shaped terrestrial ecosystems after the Late Quaternary extinction. Shrub biomass was a key factor influencing ecosystem dynamics and nitrogen availability.

Keywords:

Climate change landscape burning megafauna extinction nutrient cycling plant community composition plant-plant interactions plant-soil interactions

More Related Videos

Ecosystem Fabrication EcoFAB Protocols for The Construction of Laboratory Ecosystems Designed to Study Plant-microbe Interactions

Ecosystem Fabrication EcoFAB Protocols for The Construction of Laboratory Ecosystems Designed to Study Plant-microbe Interactions

Published on: April 10, 2018

Using High Resolution Computed Tomography to Visualize the Three Dimensional Structure and Function of Plant Vasculature

Using High Resolution Computed Tomography to Visualize the Three Dimensional Structure and Function of Plant Vasculature

Published on: April 5, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 12, 2026

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

Ecosystem Fabrication EcoFAB Protocols for The Construction of Laboratory Ecosystems Designed to Study Plant-microbe Interactions

Ecosystem Fabrication EcoFAB Protocols for The Construction of Laboratory Ecosystems Designed to Study Plant-microbe Interactions

Published on: April 10, 2018

Using High Resolution Computed Tomography to Visualize the Three Dimensional Structure and Function of Plant Vasculature

Using High Resolution Computed Tomography to Visualize the Three Dimensional Structure and Function of Plant Vasculature

Published on: April 5, 2013

Area of Science:

Ecology
Paleoecology
Environmental Science

Background:

Terrestrial ecosystems are shaped by plants and animals, but their relative roles in biomass production and nutrient cycling are not fully understood.
The Late Quaternary extinction event in Britain and Ireland led to the loss of two-thirds of mega-herbivore species, providing a unique context to study ecosystem drivers.

Purpose of the Study:

To assess the control of mega-herbivore species on plant community composition and nutrient cycling.
To compare the influence of mega-herbivores with other biotic and abiotic factors on ecosystem change during and after the Late Quaternary extinction.

Main Methods:

Analysis of five study ecosystems in Britain and Ireland.
Assessment of factors including temperature, plant interactions, burning, and shrub biomass.
Evaluation of impacts on plant community composition and nitrogen availability.

Main Results:

Warmer temperatures, plant-soil and plant-plant interactions, and reduced burning promoted woody plant expansion and decreased nitrogen availability.
Shrub biomass emerged as a consistent and strong predictor of ecosystem change, often surpassing other biotic and abiotic influences.
Limited evidence was found for significant mega-herbivore control on plant communities or nitrogen cycling.

Conclusions:

Plant communities, particularly shrub biomass, play a dominant role in determining terrestrial ecosystem trajectories.
The capacity of plants to drive ecosystem fate during global environmental change may be underestimated.
Mega-herbivore impact on ecosystem structure and function might be less significant than previously assumed in this region and period.