Ecology
Ecotone
A transition area between two adjacent ecological communities, containing species from both communities plus species unique to the transition zone. Often shows high biodiversity.
Biological Context
The edge between forest and grassland is an ecotone, supporting forest species, grassland species, and edge specialists. Estuaries are ecotones between freshwater and marine systems. Ecotones can be narrow or broad, stable or shifting. Climate change is moving many ecotones.
Business Application
Business ecotones: boundaries between industries where innovation often occurs. Fintech lives in the ecotone between finance and technology. Healthcare-AI occupies another ecotone. These transition zones support business models that couldn't exist in either parent industry alone.