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

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.

Ecological Niches

Ecological Niches

All organisms have a position within an ecosystem. The complete set of living and nonliving factors—including food resources, climate, and terrain—that define the position of a given organism are collectively referred to as the organism’s ecological niche.

Symbiosis

Symbiosis

Symbiotic relationships are long-term, close interactions between individuals of different species that affect the distribution and abundance of those species. When a relationship is beneficial to both species, this is called mutualism. When the relationship is beneficial to one species but neither beneficial nor harmful to the other species, this is called commensalism. When one organism is harmed to benefit another, the relationship is known as parasitism. These types of relationships often...

What are Populations and Communities?

What are Populations and Communities?

Social Exchange Theory

Social Exchange Theory

We have discussed why we form relationships, what attracts us to others, and different types of love. But what determines whether we are satisfied with and stay in a relationship? One theory that provides an explanation is social exchange theory. According to social exchange theory, we act as naïve economists in keeping a tally of the ratio of costs and benefits of forming and maintaining a relationship with others (Rusbult & Van Lange, 2003).

What is an Ecosystem?

What is an Ecosystem?

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

A scaling law for predicting urban trees canopy cooling efficiency.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2024

Same author

The relational shift in urban ecology: From place and structures to multiple modes of coproduction for positive urban futures.

Ambio·2024

Same author

A framework for research on recurrent acute disasters.

Science advances·2022

Same author

Urban runoff and stream channel incision interact to influence riparian soils and understory vegetation.

Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America·2022

Same author

Beyond city expansion: multi-scale environmental impacts of urban megaregion formation in China.

National science review·2022

Same author

Theoretical Perspectives of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study: Conceptual Evolution in a Social-Ecological Research Project.

Bioscience·2020

Same journal

Beyond scents: calling on the fragrance industry to champion plant diversity.

Bioscience·2026

Same journal

Bridging genetic knowledge gaps in a biodiversity hotspot through conservation training.

Bioscience·2026

Same journal

Crediting and citing Indigenous Knowledges within research.

Bioscience·2026

Same journal

From Knowledge to Action: Next Steps for the Natural Science Collections Community.

Bioscience·2026

Same journal

Correction to: Leveraging collective impact to characterize and identify solutions to cultural challenges within scientific societies.

Bioscience·2026

Same journal

Denial and Misconceptions about Tropical Deforestation.

Bioscience·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 2, 2025

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

Systems in Flames: Dynamic Coproduction of Social-Ecological Processes.

Mary L Cadenasso¹, Anne M Rademacher², Steward T A Pickett³

¹University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States.

|August 4, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Ecologists use a social-ecological systems framework to link ecological and social processes. This study clarifies the systems concept, using fire examples to show its interdisciplinary value for societal problems.

Keywords:

coproduction disturbance social–ecological systems systems theory urban fire

More Related Videos

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

Methods for Characterizing the Co-development of Biofilm and Habitat Heterogeneity

Methods for Characterizing the Co-development of Biofilm and Habitat Heterogeneity

Published on: March 11, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 2, 2025

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

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

Methods for Characterizing the Co-development of Biofilm and Habitat Heterogeneity

Methods for Characterizing the Co-development of Biofilm and Habitat Heterogeneity

Published on: March 11, 2015

Area of Science:

Ecology
Social Science
Environmental Studies

Background:

Ecologists utilize a social-ecological systems (SES) framework to analyze human-dominated environments.
Social scientists often express skepticism towards the ecological application of the systems concept.
This skepticism may stem from a misunderstanding of contemporary ecological systems theory.

Purpose of the Study:

To clarify the contemporary systems concept in ecology for social scientists.
To demonstrate how biophysical ecology refines the systems concept for interdisciplinary use.
To illustrate the utility of the SES framework in understanding complex dynamics, such as fire events.

Main Methods:

Reviewing and refining the systems concept using principles from biophysical ecology.
Analyzing recent case studies of extreme fire events.
Applying the refined SES framework to interpret fire as a social-ecological interaction.

Main Results:

The contemporary systems concept, when refined, can serve as a bridge between ecological and social sciences.
The SES framework is flexible and useful for understanding dynamic, societally relevant phenomena like fire.
Examples of extraordinary fires highlight the interconnectedness of social and ecological factors.

Conclusions:

The systems concept in ecology is a valuable interdisciplinary abstraction.
Refined ecological systems thinking can facilitate social-ecological interaction and understanding.
The SES framework effectively contextualizes complex societal and environmental dynamics.