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

What is Biodiversity?01:19

What is Biodiversity?

27.2K
Biodiversity describes the variety of living things at multiple organizational levels: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity. Species diversity includes all branches of the evolutionary tree from single-celled prokaryotic organisms, bacteria, and archaea, to the eukaryotic kingdoms: plants; animals; fungi; and protists. To date, there have been about 1.75 million species identified, and new species are discovered every week.
27.2K
Threats to Biodiversity01:50

Threats to Biodiversity

22.1K
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...
22.1K
Biodiversity and Human Values01:24

Biodiversity and Human Values

13.0K
Human civilization relies on biodiversity in many ways. Sudden changes in species biodiversity result in environmental changes that can modify weather patterns and therefore human civilizations.
13.0K
What is Conservation Biology?01:57

What is Conservation Biology?

18.4K
Conservation biology is a scientific field that focuses on the preservation of biodiversity in order to protect ecosystems while meeting the needs of the human population. Humans require properly functioning ecosystems to maintain our supply of natural resources, including food, medicines, and building materials.
18.4K
Habitat Fragmentation02:31

Habitat Fragmentation

17.4K
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.
17.4K
Introduction to Plant Diversity02:22

Introduction to Plant Diversity

44.0K
From Water to Land
44.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Origins and Functional Significance of Eukaryotic Protein Folds.

Journal of molecular evolution·2023
Same author

Revisiting Nature's "Unifying Patterns": A Biological Appraisal.

Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland)·2023
Same author

Genome structures resolve the early diversification of teleost fishes.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2023
Same author

Protein folds as synapomorphies of the tree of life.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2022
Same author

The treeness of the tree of historical trees of life.

PloS one·2020
Same journal

Integrating intraspecific trait variation and spatiotemporal variability of selection as levers of action in forest management.

Comptes rendus biologies·2026
Same journal

[Managing mixed forest stands : bridging the gap between silviculture and ecological theory].

Comptes rendus biologies·2026
Same journal

[Which forests for which biodiversity under climate change?]

Comptes rendus biologies·2026
Same journal

[Impacts of climate change on the functioning and productivity of agroecosystems: a focus on the impact of interactions between CO<sub>2</sub>, temperature and water deficit].

Comptes rendus biologies·2026
Same journal

Autogenic transitions in individuality.

Comptes rendus biologies·2026
Same journal

Assessing the potential effects of climate change on future forest composition in France.

Comptes rendus biologies·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2025

Coral Reef Arks: An In Situ Mesocosm and Toolkit for Assembling Reef Communities
07:59

Coral Reef Arks: An In Situ Mesocosm and Toolkit for Assembling Reef Communities

Published on: January 6, 2023

3.3K

[Biodiversity : a need for clarification].

Guillaume Lecointre

    Comptes Rendus Biologies
    |November 7, 2024
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Biodiversity refers to cataloging life forms, while ecosystems describe their interactions. Clarifying these terms prevents confusion in science and policy.

    Keywords:
    BiodiversitéSystématiqueTaxonomieÉcologieÉcosystème

    More Related Videos

    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

    738
    Deploying Community Scientists to Conduct Nondestructive Genetic Sampling of Rare Butterfly Populations
    07:17

    Deploying Community Scientists to Conduct Nondestructive Genetic Sampling of Rare Butterfly Populations

    Published on: October 28, 2022

    1.5K

    Related Experiment Videos

    Last Updated: Jun 8, 2025

    Coral Reef Arks: An In Situ Mesocosm and Toolkit for Assembling Reef Communities
    07:59

    Coral Reef Arks: An In Situ Mesocosm and Toolkit for Assembling Reef Communities

    Published on: January 6, 2023

    3.3K
    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

    738
    Deploying Community Scientists to Conduct Nondestructive Genetic Sampling of Rare Butterfly Populations
    07:17

    Deploying Community Scientists to Conduct Nondestructive Genetic Sampling of Rare Butterfly Populations

    Published on: October 28, 2022

    1.5K

    Area of Science:

    • Ecology
    • Systematics
    • Environmental Science

    Background:

    • The term "biodiversity" is often used ambiguously, encompassing both the characterization of organisms and their ecological interactions.
    • This ambiguity leads to the conflation of "biodiversity" with "ecosystem," causing epistemological and political issues.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To propose a clear distinction between the terms biodiversity and ecosystem.
    • To reserve "biodiversity" for the characterization of life at various taxonomic levels.
    • To reserve "ecosystem" for the study of functional interactions within the environment.

    Main Methods:

    • Conceptual analysis of existing definitions and usage of "biodiversity" and "ecosystem."
    • Distinguishing between the domains of systematics (characterization) and ecology (functional interactions).

    Main Results:

    • Biodiversity should exclusively refer to the "what there is" aspect, encompassing infra-specific, specific, and supra-specific levels.
    • Ecosystem should exclusively refer to the "what it does" aspect, focusing on functional interactions between organisms and their environment.

    Conclusions:

    • A precise definition of biodiversity is crucial for accurate scientific communication and policy-making.
    • Distinguishing biodiversity (systematics) from ecosystem (ecology) resolves terminological ambiguity and enhances clarity.