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

Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores02:40

Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores

13.1K
Plants often form mutualistic relationships with soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria to enhance their roots’ nutrient uptake ability. Root-colonizing fungi (e.g., mycorrhizae) increase a plant’s root surface area, which promotes nutrient absorption. While root-colonizing, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., rhizobia) convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), making nitrogen available to plants for various biological functions. For example, nitrogen is essential for the...
13.1K
Ecological Succession02:17

Ecological Succession

17.6K
Ecological succession is influenced by the processes of facilitation, inhibition, and toleration. Facilitation occurs when early successional species create more favorable ecological conditions for subsequent species, such as enhanced nutrient, water, or light availability. In contrast, inhibition happens when early successional species create unfavorable ecological conditions for potential successive species, such as limiting resource availability. In some cases, later successional species...
17.6K
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition02:11

The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition

40.1K
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.
40.1K
Non-vascular Seedless Plants02:26

Non-vascular Seedless Plants

65.3K
The diverse plant life on Earth—consisting of nearly 400,000 species—can be divided into three broad categories based on biological characteristics: nonvascular, seedless vascular, and seed plants.
65.3K
Bioremediation00:46

Bioremediation

19.9K
Bioremediation is the use of prokaryotes, fungi, or plants to remove pollutants from the environment. This process has been used to remove harmful toxins in groundwater as a byproduct of agricultural run-off and also to clean up oil spills.
19.9K
C4 Pathway and CAM01:27

C4 Pathway and CAM

46.2K
Most plants use the C3 pathway for carbon fixation. However, some plants, such as sugar cane, corn, and cacti that grow in hot conditions, use alternative pathways to fix carbon and conserve energy loss due to photorespiration. Photorespiration is the process that occurs when the oxygen concentration is high. Under such conditions, the rubisco enzyme in the Calvin cycle binds O2 instead of CO2, which halts photosynthesis and consumes energy.
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
46.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same authorSame journal

Is a comprehensive root economics space a chimera?

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same author

Global density and biomass of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Association between SGLT2 inhibitors and outcomes after heart transplant in patients with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Heart failure reviews·2026
Same author

Cardiovascular Exercise Physiology Under Hypoxia, Microgravity, and Heat Stress: A Review with Public Health Implications.

International journal of environmental research and public health·2026
Same author

Cytoplasmic flow dynamics in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are intrinsic and independent of plant hosts.

Fungal biology·2026
Same author

Root traits correlate with crop rhizosphere microbiome diversity independent of legume relatedness.

ISME communications·2026
Same journal

The emerging field of wild animal welfare science.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same journal

Integrating nutritional mutualists into the evolution of defense.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same journal

Formation of three great Asian plateaus, climate change, and biodiversity: (Trends Ecol. Evol. 40, 970-982; 2025).

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same journal

Digital twins as a tool for ecosystem research.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same journal

Constraint and convergence in the evolution of vertebrate sound production.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 2, 2025

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
10:20

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Published on: March 12, 2013

13.5K

Coevolutionary legacies for plant decomposition.

J Hans C Cornelissen1, William K Cornwell2, Grégoire T Freschet3

  • 1Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Systems Ecology Section, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|August 9, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Coevolution shapes plant traits, influencing litter decomposition and nutrient cycling long after the interacting organisms die. These evolutionary legacies explain global variations in how plant material decomposes.

Keywords:
coevolutioncrop domesticationdetritivoresherbivoreslitter decompositionmicroorganismsmycorrhizal funginitrogen fixationplant functional traitssoil fauna

More Related Videos

Design and Operation of a Continuous 13C and 15N Labeling Chamber for Uniform or Differential, Metabolic and Structural, Plant Isotope Labeling
10:16

Design and Operation of a Continuous 13C and 15N Labeling Chamber for Uniform or Differential, Metabolic and Structural, Plant Isotope Labeling

Published on: January 16, 2014

22.2K
Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy
07:00

Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: October 4, 2024

707

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 2, 2025

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
10:20

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Published on: March 12, 2013

13.5K
Design and Operation of a Continuous 13C and 15N Labeling Chamber for Uniform or Differential, Metabolic and Structural, Plant Isotope Labeling
10:16

Design and Operation of a Continuous 13C and 15N Labeling Chamber for Uniform or Differential, Metabolic and Structural, Plant Isotope Labeling

Published on: January 16, 2014

22.2K
Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy
07:00

Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: October 4, 2024

707

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Biogeochemistry

Background:

  • Coevolutionary interactions, such as plant-pollinator and host-parasite relationships, are well-studied for their effects on individual fitness.
  • The impact of coevolved traits on ecosystem-level processes, particularly 'afterlife' legacies in decomposition and nutrient cycling, remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms by which coevolved traits influence plant litter decomposition pathways and rates.
  • To explore the 'afterlife' legacies of coevolution on ecosystem functions.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of coevolutionary mechanisms affecting decomposition.
  • Analysis of how traits from plant-consumer, plant-microbe, plant-human, and decomposer-invertebrate interactions impact litter breakdown.

Main Results:

  • Coevolved traits between plants and their associated organisms (consumers, microbes, humans) significantly affect litter decomposition.
  • Interactions between microbial decomposers and invertebrates, shaped by coevolution, also drive decomposition rates and pathways.
  • Global variation in plant litter decomposition is largely a legacy of coevolutionary processes.

Conclusions:

  • Coevolution has profound and lasting effects on ecosystem processes, extending beyond the lifetime of interacting species.
  • Understanding coevolutionary legacies is crucial for predicting nutrient cycling and decomposition dynamics in diverse ecosystems.