ecoton

Ecoton is commonly considered a misspelling or less standard variant of ecotone, a term used in ecology to describe the transition zone between two adjacent ecological communities. An ecotone is not a fixed border but a gradient where environmental conditions and species composition change from one habitat type to another.

Ecotones arise where the influence of neighboring ecosystems overlaps, producing a mosaic of habitats and microenvironments. They often exhibit unique plant and animal assemblages and can harbor species from both bordering communities, as well as species adapted specifically to the edge environment. Because of the mixing of biotic communities and conditions, ecotones can show distinctive ecological interactions and, in many cases, higher species richness or unusual communities compared to either side. Edge effects, such as increased light, altered moisture, and greater habitat heterogeneity, commonly characterize ecotones, though the strength and nature of these effects vary with scale and taxa.

Common examples include forest–grassland boundaries, riparian zones along rivers and streams, marsh–upland interfaces, and shoreline ecotones between land and aquatic habitats. Ecotones are important for processes like species movement, dispersal, and genetic exchange and can function as corridors in fragmented landscapes. They are sensitive to disturbances and climate change, which can shift their size, position, and species composition.

In ecological studies, ecotones are distinguished from ecoclines, which refer to gradual abiotic gradients without necessarily pronounced changes in communities.