the greatest number of species is found in the ecotone because of the edge effect.
the greatest number of species is found in the ecotone because of the edge effect.
why is the greatest number of species found in the ecotone?
the edge effect
plants in competition extend themselves on one side of the ecotone as far as their ability to maintain themselves allows. beyond this competitors of the adjacent community take over. as a result, the ecotone represents a shift in dominance. ecotones are particularly significant for mobile animals, as they can exploit more than one set of habitats within a short distance. the ecotone contains not only species common to the communities on both sides; it may also include a number of highly adaptable species that tend to colonize such transitional areas. the phenomenon of increased variety of plants as well as animals at the community junction is called the edge effect and is essentially due to a locally broader range of suitable environmental conditions or ecological niches.
ecotone
other factors can illustrate or obscure an ecotone, for example, migration and the establishment of new plants. these are known as spatial mass effects, which are noticeable because some organisms will not be able to form self-sustaining populations if they cross the ecotone. if different species can survive in both communities of the two biomes, then the ecotone is considered to have species richness; ecologists measure this when studying the food chain and success of organisms. lastly, the abundance of introduced species in an ecotone can reveal the type of biome or efficiency of the two communities sharing space. because an ecotone is the zone in which two communities integrate, many different forms of life have to live together and compete for space. therefore, an ecotone can create a diverse ecosystem.
ecotone