Ecotone
- Pronunciation
- /EK-uh-tohn/
- Category
- Ecology
- Singular
- ecotone
- Plural
- ecotones
Definition
A transitional zone where two distinct meet, mingle, and exchange , energy, and materials. Ecotones are characterized by greater environmental heterogeneity and often support elevated —a phenomenon known as the edge effect. In , these boundaries are hotspots for insect and spider diversity because they combine resources, microclimates, and structural complexity from adjacent . The width of an ecotone can range from sharp, abrupt boundaries (e.g., a forest edge against agricultural land) to broad, gradual gradients (e.g., salinity transition in an estuary).
Etymology
From Greek oikos (house, household, or place to live) and tonos (tension, or act of stretching), coined to describe the 'tension zone' between .
Example
A riparian ecotone between a stream and adjacent meadow often harbors disproportionately high spider diversity, with web-building exploiting the vertical structure of shrubs while ground hunters exploit the litter interface; similarly, in forest-field ecotones may include both closed- and open- species, plus ecotone-restricted found nowhere else.
Synonyms
- ecological edge
- transition zone
- ccotone
Related Terms
- edge effect
- habitat fragmentation
- ecocline
- community ecology
- beta diversity
- habitat corridor
- Ecological succession
Usage Notes
Distinguish from 'ecocline,' which emphasizes the gradual environmental gradient itself rather than the zone of mixing. 'Ecotone' is sometimes used loosely for any edge, but reserve it for zones where community composition actually changes, not merely where vegetation structure differs. The edge effect—often stronger in ecotones—can be positive (enhanced resources, availability) or negative (increased , , or microclimate stress). In entomological fieldwork, ecotones are frequently sampled separately because their are not simple mixtures of adjacent communities but often contain characteristic 'edge .'