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

What is Biodiversity?01:19

What is Biodiversity?

32.8K
Biodiversity describes the variety of living things at multiple organizational levels: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity. Species diversity includes all branches of the evolutionary tree from single-celled prokaryotic organisms, bacteria, and archaea, to the eukaryotic kingdoms: plants; animals; fungi; and protists. To date, there have been about 1.75 million species identified, and new species are discovered every week.
32.8K
Threats to Biodiversity01:50

Threats to Biodiversity

26.6K
There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
26.6K
Biodiversity and Human Values01:24

Biodiversity and Human Values

16.4K
Human civilization relies on biodiversity in many ways. Sudden changes in species biodiversity result in environmental changes that can modify weather patterns and therefore human civilizations.
16.4K
Measuring Biodiversity07:49

Measuring Biodiversity

6.9K
Quadrats and Transects
ExpandIn this activity, you will be using quadrats along transect lines to take biodiversity measurements of the plant species in three distinct habitats near your classroom. Begin by splitting into groups. Four works best.
Select one person in your group to be the data recorder. The other three will be the data collectors.
Next, take one quadrat, or hula hoop, per group and place it on one side of one transect, or rope, next to a knot to allow identification of the plant...
6.9K
Measuring Biodiversity05:41

Measuring Biodiversity

49.0K
Diverse ecosystems are important for the health of the planet and our survival as humans; it is therefore incredibly important for us to understand and measure biodiversity, which is defined as the variability among living organisms in an ecosystem. Biodiversity can be measured at many different levels including genetic, species, community, and ecosystem. One way to measure biodiversity is to assess species richness of an ecosystem, which is the total number of distinct species within a local...
49.0K
The Evidence for Evolution02:55

The Evidence for Evolution

47.6K
Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
47.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

As we breach 1.5 °C, we must replace temperature limits with clean-energy targets.

Nature·2026
Same author

Foundational principles of an applied cultural evolutionary science for natural resource management and conservation.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same author

Policy principles for sustainable and just land systems.

Royal Society open science·2025
Same author

Correction: All is not loss: Plant biodiversity in the anthropocene.

PloS one·2025
Same author

An aspirational approach to planetary futures.

Nature·2025
Same author

Thriving in perilous times<b>Apocalypse: How Catastrophe Transformed Our World and Can Forge New Futures</b> <i>Lizzie Wade</i> Harper, 2025. 320 pp.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2025
Same journal

Pitch selectivity in ferret auditory cortex.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

A cell size-dependent competition between geometry and polarity governs nuclear and spindle positioning in early embryos.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Trophic cascades drive sustainability in the agricultural heritage rice-fish coculture system.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Tracking Satb2-positive retinal ganglion cells in zebrafish unveils developmental functional reorganization.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

RhoGAP54D promotes cell size asymmetry and inhibits pulsatile myosin activity in Drosophila neural stem cells.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Increased rates of hybridization in swordtails are associated with water pollution.

Current biology : CB·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Biodiversity in the Ecosystem
01:19

Biodiversity in the Ecosystem

32.8K

Evolution: Biodiversity in the Anthropocene.

Erle C Ellis1

  • 1Department of Geography & Environmental Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA.

Current Biology : CB
|September 11, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human activities are altering global plant communities, causing extinctions and introducing new species. Understanding these biodiversity shifts requires new biogeographic frameworks for the Anthropocene.

More Related Videos

Measuring Biodiversity
07:49

Measuring Biodiversity

6.9K
Measuring Biodiversity
05:41

Measuring Biodiversity

49.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Biodiversity in the Ecosystem
01:19

Biodiversity in the Ecosystem

32.8K
Measuring Biodiversity
07:49

Measuring Biodiversity

6.9K
Measuring Biodiversity
05:41

Measuring Biodiversity

49.0K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Biogeography

Background:

  • Global plant communities are undergoing significant changes due to human activities.
  • These changes include both species extinctions and the introduction of new species, altering biodiversity patterns worldwide.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the need for updated biogeographic frameworks.
  • To understand evolutionary changes in plant communities within the Anthropocene, driven by climate and land-use shifts.

Main Methods:

  • This study synthesizes current research on human impacts on plant biodiversity.
  • It focuses on the relationship between biodiversity shifts and rapid environmental changes.

Main Results:

  • Human influences are a primary driver of global plant community restructuring.
  • Biodiversity shifts are directly linked to rapid climate and land-use changes.

Conclusions:

  • Existing biogeographic frameworks are insufficient to explain evolutionary dynamics in the Anthropocene.
  • New frameworks are essential to accurately interpret and predict plant community evolution amidst ongoing global change.