It doesn’t have wildflowers growing along the edge of the path which butterflies and pollinators enjoy. Yes, it is nice, but it isn’t an optimal habitat. You smell the deep earthy, mossy smells of the forest. A chipmunk scurries in front of your dog on the path. You hear birds fluttering and chirping above you. It’s a sunny day, but the forest’s trees cast shadows on the path. Picture a path cutting through a forest–the kind of place you love to take your dog for a walk. The larger the habitat the smaller the effect the ecotone has on that habitat. The first scenario–with the larger park–is the best in terms of biodiversity because the park is larger. (Thanks to Brooke Darmanin’s YouTube video for schooling me on this scenario.) In other words, the ecotone is the same size even though the park is smaller. Even though the park is smaller, the area that you and your neighbors occupy is the same because the houses and yards haven’t shrunk. Now imagine that the park is smaller–more like one acre.
![ecotone edge effects landscape ecotone edge effects landscape](https://image.slideserve.com/396879/edge-effects-l.jpg)
For example, a neighbor might have run-off from lawn fertilizer, or another neighbor might have a plant that spreads seeds to the park (think: dandelions). All of your neighbors also affect the park. You live in the house with your partner, your children and a dog–all of whom use the park for recreation and therefore impact the park. The ecotone of that park is the perimeter where the houses are located.
![ecotone edge effects landscape ecotone edge effects landscape](https://i0.wp.com/www10.aeccafe.com/blogs/arch-showcase/files/2014/09/15329-preview_low_837-8_15329_sc_v2com.jpg)
The park is wooded and generously sized–about three acres. You own one of a number of houses that sits on the perimeter of a neighborhood park. Let’s think about some different scenarios to help wrap our minds around this. A clearing in a forest is an ecotone, as is an estuary between a fresh water body and saltwater. For example, the edge between a forest and grassland is an ecotone, and so is marshland between a river and riverbank. And as someone who is concerned about preserving and protecting the environment you should know about this important ecological phenomenon.Įcotone is also known as the “edge effect.” Simply stated, it’s a region of transition between two biological communities. Ecotone has to do with the edges of my landscape–not the edges of my eyes.
#Ecotone edge effects landscape skin
True confession: When I first heard the term “ecotone” I thought it was a fabulous new skin care product to put around my eyes to help with those pesky lines.