Definition of ecotone in English:
ecotone
noun ˈɛkə(ʊ)təʊnˈiːkə(ʊ)təʊn
Ecology A region of transition between two biological communities.
ecotones between two habitats are often richer in species than either
Example sentencesExamples
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Origin
Early 20th century: from eco- + Greek tonos 'tension'.