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 are Biogeochemical Cycles?00:54

What are Biogeochemical Cycles?

30.9K
The most common elements in organic molecules, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus, are only available in the ecosystem in limited amounts. Therefore, these nutrients must be recycled through both biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem, in processes generally called biogeochemical cycles.
30.9K
The Carbon Cycle01:14

The Carbon Cycle

36.9K
Carbon is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and is recycled through the ecosystem in two primary processes: one in which carbon is exchanged among living organisms, and one in which carbon is cycled over long periods of time through fossilized organic remains, weathering of rocks, and volcanic activity. Human activities, including increased agricultural practices and the burning of fossil fuels, has greatly affected the balance of the natural carbon cycle.
36.9K
The Soil Ecosystem02:23

The Soil Ecosystem

19.6K
Plants obtain inorganic minerals and water from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The composition and quality of soil depend not only on the chemical constituents but also on the presence of living organisms. In general, soils contain three major components:
19.6K
The Sulfur Cycle01:22

The Sulfur Cycle

43.6K
Sulfur, an important element in the chemical makeup of proteins, is recycled through the atmosphere and aquatic and terrestrial environments. Found in the atmosphere as sulfur dioxide (SO2), sulfur is released by decaying organisms, weathered rocks, geothermal vents, volcanos, and burning fossil fuels. It is deposited into the ecosystem, cycled through the biotic community, and either released back into the atmosphere as gas or deposited in marine sediment for long-term storage and eventual...
43.6K
What is Climate?01:16

What is Climate?

18.2K
Climate refers to the prevailing weather conditions in a specific area over an extended period. As the saying goes, “Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” Climate is influenced by geographic factors, such as latitude, terrain, and proximity to bodies of water.
18.2K
Bioremediation00:46

Bioremediation

18.1K
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.
18.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Metabolomics-based study of the preservation mechanism of a tea saponin-cinnamaldehyde nanoemulsion applied to Xinyu tangerines.

Journal of the science of food and agriculture·2026
Same author

Palmatine restores airway epithelial barrier function of asthma by inhibiting Alox15-mediated ferroptosis.

Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology·2026
Same author

mRNA-LNP delivery of individual longevity genes mitigates doxorubicin-induced progeroid phenotypes.

Protein & cell·2026
Same author

Constructing Fe single-atoms decorated by carbon-coated FeCo ultrathin nanoparticles as high-efficient ORR/OER catalysts.

Journal of colloid and interface science·2026
Same author

Placenta-derived small extracellular vesicles transfer miR-520d-5p to mediate pancreatic β-cell injury in gestational diabetes mellitus by targeting SIRT1.

BMC pregnancy and childbirth·2026
Same author

Indium-free perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells with tin oxide recombination layer and electrodes.

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

Chemotactic self-organization captures the dynamics of mammalian hair follicle patterning.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Tomographic imaging of superconducting order using particle-hole interference.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Inhibitory potential of autologous neutralizing antibodies sets quantitative limits on the rebound-competent HIV-1 reservoir.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Inferring epidemiological parameters under an infectious phylogeography model with visitor dynamics.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Analytical modeling for suction cup designs for skin-interfaced wearable devices.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Improving cell-free metabolism through direct integration of artificial respiratory chains.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2025

Simulating Temperature in a Soil Incubation Experiment
08:39

Simulating Temperature in a Soil Incubation Experiment

Published on: October 28, 2022

2.8K

Substrate and climate determine terrestrial litter decomposition.

Qiuxia Wu1,2, Xiangyin Ni1,2, Xinyao Sun1,2

  • 1Key Laboratory of Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|February 11, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Litter decomposition rates vary globally, influenced by climate and substrate. Litter

Keywords:
climate changeglobal patternlitter decompositionlitter substrate

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

13.3K
Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures
09:38

Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures

Published on: January 7, 2019

8.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 28, 2025

Simulating Temperature in a Soil Incubation Experiment
08:39

Simulating Temperature in a Soil Incubation Experiment

Published on: October 28, 2022

2.8K
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

13.3K
Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures
09:38

Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures

Published on: January 7, 2019

8.5K

Area of Science:

  • Biogeochemistry
  • Ecology
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • Litter decomposition is crucial for terrestrial ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling.
  • Global variations in decomposition rates and their drivers (climate, substrate) remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize global data on litter decomposition.
  • To identify climatic and substrate controls on decomposition rates.

Main Methods:

  • Compiled a global dataset of 6,733 litter decomposition observations.
  • Analyzed variations in decomposition rates across continents and litter types.

Main Results:

  • Decomposition rates varied from 0.74 to 4.01 y -1 globally.
  • Litter substrate (best predictor: C:N ratio) explained 36% of variation; climate explained 30%.
  • Substrate was a stronger predictor than climate for decomposition rates.

Conclusions:

  • Litter substrate composition fundamentally constrains global terrestrial litter decomposition patterns.
  • Integrating litter chemistry is vital for improving Earth system models.