A region of transition between two biological communities.
‘ecotones between two habitats are often richer in species than either’
‘Belt transects or strip transects have traditionally been used to study transitions between community types, such as the ecotone between a forested community and the grassy vegetation in a forest opening.’
‘Tigers thrive in the areas known as ecotones that exist between cultivation and dense forest.’
‘The apparent importance of ecotones in defining habitat quality for Northern Spotted Owls in northwestern California is based on long-term observational data.’
‘This migratory species is especially vulnerable to flooding because of its ground foraging ecology, but little is known about patterns of habitat occupancy at wetland ecotones.’
‘I relocated white-footed mice from high-quality, oak-dominated hardwood and lower quality, white pine forests to novel sites and released them along the ecotone of these two habitat types.’
Origen
Early 20th century from eco- + Greek tonos ‘tension’.
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