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

Biofilms01:29

Biofilms

1.2K
Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms encased in a self-produced extracellular polysaccharide matrix attached to surfaces. These microbial consortia can include single or multiple species, providing enhanced survival benefits by forming organized, multilayered structures.The formation of biofilms occurs through four key stages: attachment, colonization, development, and dispersal.During attachment, free-swimming planktonic cells adhere to a surface, often facilitated by...
1.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Effects of competition and predation risk from a life history intraguild predator on individual specialisation.

The Journal of animal ecology·2025
Same author

Biodiversity Dynamics in a Ramsar Wetland: Assessing How Climate and Hydrology Shape the Distribution of Dominant Native and Alien Macrophytes.

Plants (Basel, Switzerland)·2025
Same author

The Role of Local and Upstream Colonisation in Determining Stream Periphyton Metacommunity Assemblages.

Ecology and evolution·2025
Same author

Testing for heterogeneous rates of discrete character evolution on phylogenies.

Journal of evolutionary biology·2024
Same author

Individual and combined impacts of carbon dioxide enrichment, heatwaves, flow velocity variability, and fine sediment deposition on stream invertebrate communities.

Global change biology·2024
Same author

Biogeographical patterns of species richness in stream diatoms from southwestern South America.

Ecology and evolution·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 17, 2026

Characterization of Aquatic Biofilms with Flow Cytometry
08:30

Characterization of Aquatic Biofilms with Flow Cytometry

Published on: June 6, 2018

9.6K

Assessing how biofilms modulate stream periphyton metacommunity assemblage: A translocation experiment.

Daniel Zamorano1, Travis Ingram1, Fabio A Labra2

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Ecology
|September 17, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Structural complexity in stream biofilms influences community assembly. Longer colonization and similar environments promote source community similarity, while shorter times and higher nutrient levels favor local community integration, revealing metacommunity dynamics.

Keywords:
New Zealanddispersal processesfield experimentmass effectphosphorusspecies sorting

More Related Videos

Methods for Characterizing the Co-development of Biofilm and Habitat Heterogeneity
09:21

Methods for Characterizing the Co-development of Biofilm and Habitat Heterogeneity

Published on: March 11, 2015

10.5K
Protocol for Biofilm Streamer Formation in a Microfluidic Device with Micro-pillars
07:19

Protocol for Biofilm Streamer Formation in a Microfluidic Device with Micro-pillars

Published on: August 20, 2014

12.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 17, 2026

Characterization of Aquatic Biofilms with Flow Cytometry
08:30

Characterization of Aquatic Biofilms with Flow Cytometry

Published on: June 6, 2018

9.6K
Methods for Characterizing the Co-development of Biofilm and Habitat Heterogeneity
09:21

Methods for Characterizing the Co-development of Biofilm and Habitat Heterogeneity

Published on: March 11, 2015

10.5K
Protocol for Biofilm Streamer Formation in a Microfluidic Device with Micro-pillars
07:19

Protocol for Biofilm Streamer Formation in a Microfluidic Device with Micro-pillars

Published on: August 20, 2014

12.6K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Environmental Science
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Three-dimensional structural complexity is recognized for its role in shaping ecological communities, particularly favoring species coexistence through niche partitioning.
  • The influence of structural complexity on metacommunity processes, however, remains less understood, highlighting a gap in ecological research.
  • Stream periphyton, or benthic microalgae, serves as a model system to investigate how structural complexity, represented by biofilm biomass, affects community dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of three-dimensional structural complexity, proxied by biofilm biomass, in shaping stream periphyton metacommunity processes.
  • To determine how factors like pre-colonization time, environmental similarity, and nutrient enrichment influence community assembly and similarity post-translocation.
  • To differentiate between species sorting and mass effects in structuring periphyton communities under varying environmental conditions.

Main Methods:

  • A translocation experiment was conducted using ceramic tiles with established stream periphyton biofilms of varying ages (4, 11, 21 days) from a source river.
  • These tiles were translocated to 10 receiving rivers with differing phosphorus enrichment levels (low and high) for 25 days.
  • Biofilm biomass and periphyton community composition were analyzed, with community similarity assessed using Bray-Curtis distance against pre-translocation and control communities.

Main Results:

  • Translocated tiles maintained higher similarity to their original source community with longer pre-colonization times (11 or 21 days) and when source and receiving rivers were environmentally similar.
  • Community similarity to the receiving river increased with shorter pre-colonization (4 days) and higher local biofilm biomass, suggesting propagule pressure.
  • Low-phosphorus sites showed more species sorting, while high-phosphorus sites exhibited mass effects, indicated by higher biomass and increased presence of rare taxa.

Conclusions:

  • Biofilm biomass, as a proxy for structural complexity, plays a role in metacommunity dynamics, interacting with successional time and environmental context.
  • Species sorting dominates in low-nutrient environments, whereas mass effects are more influential in high-nutrient conditions, shaping community composition.
  • This study enhances understanding of how structural complexity and environmental factors mediate metacommunity processes in aquatic ecosystems.