Consider the following statements:

Ecotone has a low species richness.

Ecocline can be easily identified by distinct change in soil gradient and soil composition between two communities.

Edge effect refers to the changes in population or community structures that occur at the boundary of two habitats.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Question

An ecotoneis a transition area between two biological communities, where two communities meet and integrate. The word ecotone was coined by Alfred Russel Wallace, who first observed the abrupt boundary between two biomes in 1859. An ecotone describes a variation in species prevalence and is often not strictly dependent on a major physical factor separating one ecosystem from another, with resulting habitat variability. An ecotone is often unobtrusive and harder to measure. An ecotone is the area where two communities interact. Ecotones can be easily identified by distinct change in soil gradient and soil composition between two communities. Ecotone transitions are more clear-cut (distinct), conditions are less stable, hence they have a low species richness.
An ecocline is a variation of the physiochemical environment dependent of one or two physico-chemical factors of life, and thus presence/absence of certain species. An ecocline can be a thermocline, chemocline, halocline or pycnocline. Ecocline transitions are less distinct (less clear-cut), have more stable conditions within, hence a higher plant species richness.
Edge effect refers to the changes in population or community structures that occur at the boundary of two habitats (ecotone). Sometimes the number of species and the population density of some of the species in the ecotone is much greater than either community. This is called edge effect.

GKToday Admin · Accepted Answer

Only 1 & 3

An ecotoneis a transition area between two biological communities, where two communities meet and integrate. The word ecotone was coined by Alfred Russel Wallace, who first observed the abrupt boundary between two biomes in 1859. An ecotone describes a variation in species prevalence and is often not strictly dependent on a major physical factor separating one ecosystem from another, with resulting habitat variability. An ecotone is often unobtrusive and harder to measure. An ecotone is the area where two communities interact. Ecotones can be easily identified by distinct change in soil gradient and soil composition between two communities. Ecotone transitions are more clear-cut (distinct), conditions are less stable, hence they have a low species richness.
An ecocline is a variation of the physiochemical environment dependent of one or two physico-chemical factors of life, and thus presence/absence of certain species. An ecocline can be a thermocline, chemocline, halocline or pycnocline. Ecocline transitions are less distinct (less clear-cut), have more stable conditions within, hence a higher plant species richness.
Edge effect refers to the changes in population or community structures that occur at the boundary of two habitats (ecotone). Sometimes the number of species and the population density of some of the species in the ecotone is much greater than either community. This is called edge effect.