The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
Ecotones are the transition zones between two distinct communities or ecosystems. These edge habitats typically have a greater diversity of species than the neighboring communities. Many species of plants and animals require a heterogeneous mixture of habitat, and thus flourish in these areas. This is known by ecologists as the "edge effect." The species diversity tends to increase with greater distinction between the two communities. For example, ecologists often find a higher number of species in the ecotone between a mature forest and the adjoining grassland than between two types of forests. Wildlife biologists recognize the importance of ecotones and often promote these edge habitats through selective cutting or prescribed burning. For example, ruffed grouse require both dense and open forests as well as areas with low-growing herbaceous plants. Other examples of ecotones include riparian habitats along stream banks, lake shores, marsh edges, ocean beaches, and forest meadows. All of these areas are subject to the negative impact of human intrusion such as dams on rivers, marshes drained for housing developments, roads along the edges of forests, and oil spills along coast lines.