ecotone
Noun
Meaning
ecotone (plural ecotones)
a transition area between two adjacent ecological communities (ecosystems).
Examples
In this ecotone, forested islands surrounded by sagebrush expanses provide shelter for various animal species during the day and nearby grasses for night time foraging.
While often associated with forests, many deer are ecotone species that live in transitional areas between forests and thickets (for cover) and prairie and savanna (open space).