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

The Soil Ecosystem02:23

The Soil Ecosystem

23.2K
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:
23.2K
Threats to Biodiversity01:50

Threats to Biodiversity

24.0K
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...
24.0K
Ecological Disturbance02:26

Ecological Disturbance

18.0K
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.
18.0K
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition02:11

The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition

44.3K
Plants have the impressive ability to create their own food through photosynthesis. However, plants often require assistance from organisms in the soil to acquire the nutrients they need to function correctly. Both bacteria and fungi have evolved symbiotic relationships with plants that help the species to thrive in a wide variety of environments.
44.3K
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss01:57

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

26.9K
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.
26.9K
Habitat Fragmentation02:31

Habitat Fragmentation

19.0K
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.
19.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Widespread controls of precipitation sensitivity on drought recovery of global forests.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Critical slowing down of semiarid vegetation resilience is amplified by intensifying heatwaves.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Multitrophic interaction networks mediate biodiversity effects on ecosystem multifunctionality.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Intranasal Adipose-Derived MSC Extracellular Vesicles Confer Sustained Cognitive Improvement and Suppress Alzheimer's Pathology in APP/PS1 Mice.

Biomolecules·2026
Same author

Integrated Metabolomics of Processing Residues from <i>Camphora officinarum</i> c.t. Borneol as a Potential Substrate for Edible Fungi Cultivation.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Predictive neural networks accelerate identification of mechanistically validated small-molecule modulators of TLR7 signaling.

Biochemical pharmacology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 20, 2025

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
09:23

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

Published on: March 21, 2025

1.4K

Aridity-driven shift in biodiversity-soil multifunctionality relationships.

Weigang Hu1, Jinzhi Ran1, Longwei Dong1

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.

Nature Communications
|September 10, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Plant and microbial diversity impact ecosystem functions differently across drylands. Plant richness matters in less arid areas, while microbial diversity is key in arid regions, requiring tailored conservation for aridification.

More Related Videos

Measuring and Mapping Patterns of Soil Erosion and Deposition Related to Soil Carbonate Concentrations Under Agricultural Management
08:09

Measuring and Mapping Patterns of Soil Erosion and Deposition Related to Soil Carbonate Concentrations Under Agricultural Management

Published on: September 12, 2017

12.0K
Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
08:16

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

19.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 20, 2025

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
09:23

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

Published on: March 21, 2025

1.4K
Measuring and Mapping Patterns of Soil Erosion and Deposition Related to Soil Carbonate Concentrations Under Agricultural Management
08:09

Measuring and Mapping Patterns of Soil Erosion and Deposition Related to Soil Carbonate Concentrations Under Agricultural Management

Published on: September 12, 2017

12.0K
Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
08:16

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

19.1K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Environmental Science
  • Biodiversity Research

Background:

  • Ecosystem multifunctionality is influenced by biodiversity, but the interplay between plant and microbial diversity along environmental gradients is not well understood.
  • Drylands, covering a significant portion of the Earth's land surface, are particularly sensitive to changes in biodiversity and climate.
  • Understanding these relationships is crucial for predicting ecosystem responses to global change, including aridification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how plant and soil microbial diversity relate to ecosystem multifunctionality across a wide aridity gradient.
  • To determine the relative importance of plant versus microbial diversity in driving ecosystem functions in different dryland aridities.
  • To identify critical aridity thresholds and predict potential impacts of advancing aridification on biodiversity and ecosystem functions.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a study across 130 dryland sites spanning a 4,000 km aridity gradient in northern China.
  • Assessed plant species richness and soil microbial diversity (including fungal diversity).
  • Quantified soil multifunctionality and analyzed its relationship with biodiversity metrics along the aridity gradient.

Main Results:

  • A positive association between plant species richness and soil multifunctionality was observed in less arid regions.
  • Microbial diversity, particularly fungal diversity, showed a positive association with multifunctionality in more arid regions.
  • A significant shift in the dominant biodiversity driver of multifunctionality occurred at an aridity level of approximately 0.8, separating semiarid and arid climates.

Conclusions:

  • The relative importance of plant and microbial diversity in maintaining ecosystem multifunctionality shifts significantly with increasing aridity.
  • Biodiversity loss in drylands poses distinct threats under low (plant diversity loss) and high (microbial diversity loss) aridity conditions.
  • Climate-specific biodiversity conservation strategies are essential to address the impacts of aridification and preserve ecosystem functions in dryland ecosystems.