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

What is an Ecosystem?

What is an Ecosystem?

Threats to Biodiversity

Threats to Biodiversity

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...

Ecological Disturbance

Ecological Disturbance

An ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in the environment resulting from abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic factors, causing a pronounced change in an ecosystem. The impact of an ecological disturbance, which can depend on its intensity, frequency, and spatial distribution, plays a significant role in shaping the species diversity within the ecosystem.

Responses to Drought and Flooding

Responses to Drought and Flooding

Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.

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:

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Global long-term agricultural experiments reveal consequences of mineral fertilization for soil microbiomes.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Aridity-related differences in soil elemental ratios reshape microbial functional traits across global biomes.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Arbuscular mycorrhiza provides postanthesis benefits to maximize wheat grain yield and nitrogen concentration.

The New phytologist·2026

Same author

Microbial-Plant Synergy Underpins the Mitigation of Atrazine Phytotoxicity in Soybean by a Multifunctional Bacterial Seed Coating.

Journal of agricultural and food chemistry·2026

Same author

The diversity of soil parasitic protists shapes ecosystem stability worldwide.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Same author

From "synthetic" to defined microbial communities for clearer terminology.

Nature communications·2026

Same journal

A native sulfur deposit in Gale crater, Mars.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026

Same journal

Coordinated demise of harmful algal blooms.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026

Same journal

Genetic effects put into context.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026

Same journal

Bacteria share proteins to survive antibiotics.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026

Same journal

Impacts shaped Earth's first continents.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026

Same journal

Erratum for the Report "Covalently bonded single-molecule junctions with stable and reversible photoswitched conductivity" by C. Jia <i>et al</i>.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 28, 2025

A CO2 Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO2 Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function

A CO2 Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO2 Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function

Published on: November 21, 2015

Global ecosystem thresholds driven by aridity.

Miguel Berdugo^1,2, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo^3,4, Santiago Soliveres^3,5

¹Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio "Ramón Margalef," Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain. mglberdugo@gmail.com.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|February 15, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Climate change is increasing aridity, causing abrupt ecosystem shifts in global drylands. These aridification changes impact plant productivity, soil fertility, and biodiversity, threatening essential ecosystem services.

More Related Videos

Exploring the Effects of Atmospheric Forcings on Evaporation: Experimental Integration of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Shallow Subsurface

Exploring the Effects of Atmospheric Forcings on Evaporation: Experimental Integration of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Shallow Subsurface

Published on: June 8, 2015

Manufacturing Simple and Inexpensive Soil Surface Temperature and Gravimetric Water Content Sensors

Manufacturing Simple and Inexpensive Soil Surface Temperature and Gravimetric Water Content Sensors

Published on: December 21, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 28, 2025

A CO2 Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO2 Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function

A CO2 Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO2 Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function

Published on: November 21, 2015

Exploring the Effects of Atmospheric Forcings on Evaporation: Experimental Integration of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Shallow Subsurface

Exploring the Effects of Atmospheric Forcings on Evaporation: Experimental Integration of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Shallow Subsurface

Published on: June 8, 2015

Manufacturing Simple and Inexpensive Soil Surface Temperature and Gravimetric Water Content Sensors

Manufacturing Simple and Inexpensive Soil Surface Temperature and Gravimetric Water Content Sensors

Published on: December 21, 2019

Area of Science:

Ecology
Environmental Science
Climate Change Research

Background:

Increasing global aridity due to climate change significantly impacts dryland ecosystems.
The nature of ecosystem changes (gradual vs. abrupt; specific vs. systemic) under aridification remains largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the response of 20 structural and functional ecosystem attributes to increasing aridity in global drylands.
To determine if aridification causes gradual or abrupt, and specific or systemic ecosystem changes.

Main Methods:

Analysis of 20 structural and functional ecosystem attributes across global drylands.
Identification of thresholds and phases of ecosystem change in response to aridity.

Main Results:

Aridification triggers systemic and abrupt changes across multiple ecosystem attributes.
Three distinct phases of change were identified, marked by abrupt declines in plant productivity (at aridity 0.54), soil fertility (at 0.7), and plant cover/richness (at 0.8).

Conclusions:

Dryland ecosystems exhibit sequential, abrupt responses to increasing aridity.
Projected aridification by 2100 will affect over 20% of Earth's land surface, necessitating urgent action to protect ecosystem services for over 2 billion people.