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

17.1K
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.
17.1K
Threats to Biodiversity01:50

Threats to Biodiversity

22.2K
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...
22.2K
Ecological Succession02:17

Ecological Succession

17.2K
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...
17.2K
Habitat Fragmentation02:31

Habitat Fragmentation

17.5K
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.
17.5K
Keystone Species01:39

Keystone Species

21.6K
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...
21.6K
Symbiosis00:58

Symbiosis

27.7K
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...
27.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Gut microbiota-derived lysine phenylacetylation impairs mitochondrial function and is alleviated by SIRT3.

Cell metabolism·2026
Same author

How resilience and age shape the link between negative life events and suicidal ideation in clinically depressed adolescents: a multicenter study.

BMC psychiatry·2026
Same author

A sustained-release depot formulation of β-nicotinamide mononucleotide for alleviating chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression.

Materials today. Bio·2026
Same author

Generalized Joint Hypermobility in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: Greater Curve Flexibility, Larger Thoracic Kyphosis, but Higher Complication Risk.

Orthopaedic surgery·2026
Same author

A triple-signal-amplified colorimetric biosensor based on 3D-DNA-walker and hybridization chain reaction for sensitive detection of tetracycline residues.

Talanta·2026
Same author

A novel gain-of-function mutation (W818R) of calcium-sensing receptor in a family with autosomal dominant hypocalcemia type 1.

Frontiers in endocrinology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 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

864

Canopy structure: An intermediate factor regulating grassland diversity-function relationships under human

Xiaoxia Zhao1,2, Yuhao Feng3, Kexin Xu4

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.

Fundamental Research
|June 27, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Grassland canopy structure, not just species diversity, significantly impacts ecosystem functions like productivity and resilience. Understanding this relationship is key for sustainable grassland management under human influence.

Keywords:
Canopy structureGrassland ecosystem functionHuman activity intensityNorthern agro-pastoral ecotonePlant species diversity

More Related Videos

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

13.4K
Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
08:16

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

18.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 22, 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

864
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

13.4K
Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
08:16

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity

Published on: March 13, 2014

18.8K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Environmental Science
  • Remote Sensing

Background:

  • Grasslands are vital ecosystems facing degradation due to human activities.
  • Canopy structure influences plant growth and ecosystem functions, similar to forests.
  • The role of canopy structure in grassland diversity-function relationships remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate how canopy structure and plant species diversity regulate grassland ecosystem functions.
  • Assess the influence of human activity on these relationships.
  • Identify key factors for sustainable grassland management.

Main Methods:

  • Field data collection from 170 plots across China's northern agro-pastoral ecotone.
  • Measurement of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and resilience using field and satellite data.
  • Quantification of canopy structure (mean height, canopy cover) via terrestrial laser scanning.

Main Results:

  • Plant species diversity correlated positively with canopy structure and negatively with human activity.
  • Canopy structure significantly indicated ANPP and resilience, with varying correlations under different human activity levels.
  • Canopy structural traits were superior indicators for ANPP compared to species diversity.

Conclusions:

  • Canopy structure acts as a crucial intermediate factor in grassland diversity-function relationships under human disturbance.
  • Plant species diversity influences ANPP indirectly through canopy structure modification.
  • Resilience is directly and indirectly affected by plant species diversity via canopy cover.