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

Threats to Biodiversity01:50

Threats to Biodiversity

24.8K
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...
24.8K
Habitat Fragmentation02:31

Habitat Fragmentation

19.8K
Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.
19.8K
What is Conservation Biology?01:57

What is Conservation Biology?

22.3K
Conservation biology is a scientific field that focuses on the preservation of biodiversity in order to protect ecosystems while meeting the needs of the human population. Humans require properly functioning ecosystems to maintain our supply of natural resources, including food, medicines, and building materials.
22.3K
Conservation of Small Populations02:04

Conservation of Small Populations

15.5K
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...
15.5K
Biodiversity and Human Values01:24

Biodiversity and Human Values

15.4K
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.
15.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Egg microbiome of the yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) modulates fusariosis fungal infection and hatching success.

Communications biology·2026
Same author

Gut micro-organisms associated with health, nutrition and dietary interventions.

Nature·2025
Same author

Natural variability of trace-amine associated receptors in wild meerkats.

Frontiers in zoology·2025
Same author

Impact of Fertilisation on the Bacterial Core Microbiome of Grassland Soils: Abundance in the Field and Growth In Vitro.

Environmental microbiology reports·2025
Same author

Impact of animal socioecology on gut microbial communities: Insights from wild meerkats in the Kalahari.

The Journal of animal ecology·2025
Same author

Digital holographic microscopy for rapid bacteria segmentation and counting in microfluidic cartridges: basic considerations and limitations for diagnostic application.

Journal of biomedical optics·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 1, 2025

Preparing and Rearing Axenic Insects with Tissue Cultured Seedlings for Host-Gut Microbiota Interaction Studies of the Leaf Beetle
06:56

Preparing and Rearing Axenic Insects with Tissue Cultured Seedlings for Host-Gut Microbiota Interaction Studies of the Leaf Beetle

Published on: October 8, 2021

2.7K

Human encroachment into wildlife gut microbiomes.

Gloria Fackelmann1, Mark A F Gillingham2, Julian Schmid2,3

  • 1Ulm University, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm, Germany. gloria.fackelmann@uni-ulm.de.

Communications Biology
|June 26, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Habitat fragmentation alone does not alter wildlife gut microbiomes. However, human disturbances in fragmented habitats significantly change rodent gut bacteria, increasing pathogen risk for wildlife and humans.

More Related Videos

Applying Advanced In Vitro Culturing Technology to Study the Human Gut Microbiota
06:23

Applying Advanced In Vitro Culturing Technology to Study the Human Gut Microbiota

Published on: February 15, 2019

14.5K
A Method to Define the Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Colon Microbiome Biodiversity in a Mouse Colon Tumor Model
08:14

A Method to Define the Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Colon Microbiome Biodiversity in a Mouse Colon Tumor Model

Published on: February 28, 2018

9.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 1, 2025

Preparing and Rearing Axenic Insects with Tissue Cultured Seedlings for Host-Gut Microbiota Interaction Studies of the Leaf Beetle
06:56

Preparing and Rearing Axenic Insects with Tissue Cultured Seedlings for Host-Gut Microbiota Interaction Studies of the Leaf Beetle

Published on: October 8, 2021

2.7K
Applying Advanced In Vitro Culturing Technology to Study the Human Gut Microbiota
06:23

Applying Advanced In Vitro Culturing Technology to Study the Human Gut Microbiota

Published on: February 15, 2019

14.5K
A Method to Define the Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Colon Microbiome Biodiversity in a Mouse Colon Tumor Model
08:14

A Method to Define the Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Colon Microbiome Biodiversity in a Mouse Colon Tumor Model

Published on: February 28, 2018

9.0K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Microbiome Research
  • One Health

Background:

  • Human activities increasingly encroach on wildlife habitats, altering ecosystems.
  • Wildlife gut microbiomes are crucial for host health and are sensitive to environmental changes.
  • Anthropogenic disturbances, like habitat fragmentation, may disrupt gut microbiota homeostasis, increasing zoonotic disease risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether habitat fragmentation per se or combined anthropogenic disturbances impact wildlife gut microbiomes.
  • To assess the gut microbiome of Tome's spiny rat (Proechimys semispinosus) in response to varying levels of human disturbance.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of gut microbiome composition in spiny rats across different landscape types: protected continuous forests, protected fragmented forests, and human-disturbed fragmented forests.
  • Sequencing and analysis of microbial communities to determine alpha and beta diversity metrics.
  • Identification of specific taxa and potential functional shifts within the gut microbiome.

Main Results:

  • Habitat fragmentation alone did not significantly alter the spiny rat gut microbiome.
  • Spiny rats in human-disturbed fragmented landscapes exhibited reduced gut microbial alpha diversity and altered beta diversity.
  • Microbiomes from disturbed areas showed an increase in taxa associated with domestic animals and potential pathogens.

Conclusions:

  • Anthropogenic disturbances, not habitat fragmentation alone, are the primary drivers of gut microbiome disruption in this generalist rodent.
  • Observed shifts suggest potential metagenomic plasticity but also a decline in beneficial microbial functions, posing risks to wildlife and human health.
  • The findings highlight the complex interplay between habitat alteration, microbial communities, and the potential for zoonotic disease emergence.