These ecotones (the regions where the edges of two ecosystems overlap), contain a greater diversity of species than either of the two separate ecosystems, and have significantly greater productivity, for the following reasons: Resources from both ecosystems can be accessed in the one place.

What is edge effect in ecotone?

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.

What increases the edge effect?

The edge effect may be represented as a geometric concept: perimeter-to-area (P/A) ratio of a distinct habitat or landscape unit; as that ratio increases, the perimeter, or edge per unit area, increases, making interior portions of the unit progressively closer to an edge.