Edge Species (biodiversity)
Environmental conditions enable certain species of plants and animals to colonize on the borders. Plants that colonize tend to be shade-intolerant and tolerable of dry conditions, such as shrubs and vines. 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. Some animals may travel between habitats, while those that are restricted only to the edge are known as edge species. Larger patches include more individuals and therefore have increased biodiversity. The wideness of the patch influences diversity, a patch must be deeper than its border in order to develop interior conditions.
Read more about this topic: Edge Effect
Famous quotes containing the words edge and/or species:
“Imprudence relies on luck, prudence on method. That gives prudence less edge than it expects.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“The question that will decide our destiny is not whether we shall expand into space. It is: shall we be one species or a million? A million species will not exhaust the ecological niches that are awaiting the arrival of intelligence.”
—Freeman Dyson (b. 1923)