Edge effects

In ecology, edge effects are changes in population or community structures that occur at the boundary of two or more habitats.

[3] For example, the alpha diversity of edge-intolerant birds in Lacandona rainforest, Mexico, is decreasing as edge effects increase.

Animals that colonize tend to be those that require two or more habitats, such as white-tailed and mule deer, elk, cottontail rabbits, blue jays, and robins.

Sometimes, the edge effects result in abiotic and biotic conditions which diminish natural variation and threaten the original ecosystem.

In 1971, Odum wrote, 'The tendency for increased variety and diversity at community junctions is known as the edge effect...

It is common knowledge that the density of songbirds is greater on estates, campuses and similar settings...as compared with tracts of uniform forest.'.

Air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, soil moisture, light intensity and levels of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) all change at edges.

[11] The amount of forest edge is orders of magnitude greater now in the United States than when the Europeans first began settling North America.

Beneficially, the open spots and edges provide places for species that thrive where there is more light and vegetation that is close to the ground.

Deer and elk benefit particularly[citation needed] as their principal diet is that of grass and shrubs which are found only on the edges of forested areas.

The phenomenon of increased variety of plants as well as animals at the community junction (ecotone) is also called the edge effect and is essentially due to a locally broader range of suitable environmental conditions or ecological niches.