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

Ecological Disturbance02:26

Ecological Disturbance

17.4K
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.
17.4K
What are Populations and Communities?00:30

What are Populations and Communities?

34.4K
Overview
34.4K
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
Mechanistic Models: Compartment Models in Individual and Population Analysis01:23

Mechanistic Models: Compartment Models in Individual and Population Analysis

75
Mechanistic models are utilized in individual analysis using single-source data, but imperfections arise due to data collection errors, preventing perfect prediction of observed data. The mathematical equation involves known values (Xi), observed concentrations (Ci), measurement errors (εi), model parameters (ϕj), and the related function (ƒi) for i number of values. Different least-squares metrics quantify differences between predicted and observed values. The ordinary least...
75
Keystone Species01:39

Keystone Species

22.0K
Measures of species biodiversity, such as richness (i.e., the number of species present) and evenness (i.e., their relative abundance), describe an ecological community’s structure. Many factors affect community structure, including abiotic factors (e.g., sunlight and nutrients), disturbances (e.g., fire or flood), species interactions (e.g., predation or competition), and chance events (e.g., foreign species invasion). Certain species—such as keystone species—also play a...
22.0K
Naturalistic Observations02:30

Naturalistic Observations

15.6K
If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...
15.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

The 2026 IBD UK Standards of healthcare service design and delivery for adults and children living with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

BMJ open gastroenterology·2026
Same author

Pre-exposure to stress reduces loss of community and genetic diversity following severe environmental disturbance.

Current biology : CB·2025
Same author

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes after Multiple General Anesthetic Exposures before 5 Years of Age: A Cohort Study.

Anesthesiology·2025
Same author

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes After Multiple General Anaesthetic Exposure Before Five Years Of Age - A Cohort Study.

Anesthesiology·2024
Same author

Presence of microbiome decreases fitness and modifies phenotype in the aquatic plant <i>Lemna minor</i>.

AoB PLANTS·2023
Same author

Eco-evolutionary contributions to community trait change in floating aquatic plants.

Ecology·2023
Same journal

Double Parasitism by Two Cuckoo Gentes in a Daurian Redstart Nest.

Ecology and evolution·2026
Same journal

Size and Ecology of a Giant <i>Pavona clavus</i> Coral Colony in the Kingdom of Tonga.

Ecology and evolution·2026
Same journal

How to Account for Past Selection When Maternal Effects Are Cascading.

Ecology and evolution·2026
Same journal

Light and Pollination Limitation Alter Patterns of Fitness and Phenotypic Selection in <i>Sagittaria trifolia</i> L.: Insights From Sequential Inflorescences.

Ecology and evolution·2026
Same journal

Teaching Macrosystems Ecology Concepts With a Collaborative, Adaptable Education Module.

Ecology and evolution·2026
Same journal

Instance of a Heteroplasmic Mitogenome in Alvinocaridid Shrimp <i>Mirocaris fortunata</i> (Martin & Christiansen 1995) Found at the Moytirra Deep-Sea High-Temperature Hydrothermal Vent Field.

Ecology and evolution·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 18, 2025

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

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

19.0K

A basic community dynamics experiment: Disentangling deterministic and stochastic processes in structuring ecological

Mark Davidson Jewell1, Graham Bell1,2

  • 1Department of Biology McGill University Montreal Quebec Canada.

Ecology and Evolution
|December 8, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Species sorting, a deterministic process, increasingly dominated community dynamics in a floating plant experiment, leading to stable equilibrium. Ecological drift played a lesser role, with balance varying by species.

Keywords:
Lemnaceaecommunity dynamicsecological driftneutralnichespecies coexistence

More Related Videos

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
04:52

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

1.0K
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

1.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 18, 2025

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

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

19.0K
Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
04:52

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

1.0K
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

1.1K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Community Ecology
  • Population Dynamics

Background:

  • Community dynamics are shaped by deterministic species sorting and stochastic ecological drift.
  • The relative importance of these processes in structuring ecological communities and maintaining biodiversity is debated.
  • Understanding these forces is crucial for predicting ecosystem stability and function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally quantify the contributions of species sorting and ecological drift to community change.
  • To assess the long-term trajectory of community composition under controlled conditions.
  • To determine the influence of initial species frequency on the balance between sorting and drift.

Main Methods:

  • A controlled experiment using floating aquatic plants over approximately twelve generations.
  • Monitoring changes in species composition and abundance.
  • Analyzing the relative influence of deterministic (sorting) and stochastic (drift) processes.

Main Results:

  • Species sorting emerged as the dominant force driving community dynamics over time.
  • Communities progressed towards a stable equilibrium state.
  • Negative frequency-dependent selection was identified as the mechanism maintaining this equilibrium.
  • The balance between sorting and drift varied among species based on their initial frequencies.

Conclusions:

  • Species sorting plays a predominant role in directing community assembly towards stable equilibria.
  • Ecological drift's influence diminishes as communities approach equilibrium.
  • Negative frequency-dependent selection is a key factor in maintaining species diversity at equilibrium.