EDGE EFFECT
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1020 ▶ |
| Object type | Discipline oriented, Methodology or model |
The modifications in the parts of the system close to its boundary resulting from influences of its nearby environment .
This concept relativizes somewhat the one of boundary , specially in ecosystems wherein no boundary can be neatly established. In ecology , the edge of an ecosystem is also called “ecotone ”.
The effect has been observed, for ex. in isolated forest patches in Amazonia after the clearing of their environment .
B. HOLMES writes: “For the first few years, the forest floor is warmer and drier for at least 60 meters in from the edge… This burst of light and higher temperature has a profound effect on the tree seedlings that dot the forest floor. A lot of these small seedlings will die off, and others that are adapted to drier conditions will take over” (1996, p.36).
However, when the cleared environment returns to more bushy conditions, this edge effect decreases and finally disappears.
Edge effects seem probable in any system composed of a variety of elements whose behavior may respond in different ways to a variety of conditions and become submitted to the influence of a transformed environment .
Edge effects may lead to “ecology-driven speciation” (J. ENDLER, as quoted by K. BROWN, 1999, p.48)
They are probably present in human systems where these conditions sometimes happen.
See also
Herd effects