Ecotone

LA5222 Urban Ecology

Sun Hao Jen Ashley | Tuhina Ashvin Dedakia|Cho Hyundai
 What is an Ecotone?

Tension zones where principal species from

adjacent communities meet their limit.
(Clements,1905)

Transition zone between two communities.

(Odum,1959)

Ecotones are situated where the rate and the

dimension of ecological transfers (solar energy,
nutrient exchange) have an abrupt change
compared with the behavior of the interior of
the patches.
A woodland ecotone between Quercus ilex (darker) and Quercus
pubescens (lighter). The ecotone appears as a mixture of the two species,
although it is probable that Quercus pubscens will move into Quercus
ilex stand (Tergagliana Mt, northern Apennines, Italy).
 Importance of Ecotone

An ecotonal community has species common to

both the communities that overlap with
organisms typical of the edges.

The tendency to have a high number of species

was called the edge effect by wildlifers. The
ecotone may be considered a true habitat but
also a frontier habitat (Ricklefs 1973) where the
habitat overlap encourages species diversity
(Harris 1988). Ecotone 1 at Southern Ridges
Ecotones may be created by natural or human- Natural Influence

induced interactions. The digging activity of the wild

boar (Sus scrofa) creates new
Holland (1988) shows a scheme of classification: ecotones in the upland
grassland along the
a) Ecotones created and maintained by human Mediterranean mountain range.
The grass cover is broken and
disturbance regimes (shelter belts). new plants can avoid the strict
grass competition
b) Ecotones created and maintained by natural
processes (the flooded areas by beaver
digging).
c) Ecotones produced by natural processes and Human influence

maintained by human activity (a strip of zthe beech forest ends sharply

at the mountain prairies.
riparian forest maintained by man). Human influence is evident in
shaping this landscape. A line
d) Ecotones created by human activity and of old trees was maintained as
a border between the beech
maintained by natural processes (flooded area coppice and prairie.

around artificial reservoirs).

Ecotone at the tree line (Cavalbianco Mt, northern Apennines).
Sites of Study

Ecotone 1

Ecotone 2
 Ecotone 1|
Entrance of
Forest Walk
 Terminalia
catappa

Ormosia bancana

Alstonia
scholaris
Alocasia
macrorrhizos
cultivars

Manihot esculenta
 Albizia

Albizia

Dillenia indicia Angsana

Cratoxylum
formosum
Dalbergia
oliveria

Albizia
 Ecotone 1|
Entrance of
Forest Walk

Forest Edge Shrubs & Stream Grass Buffer Manmade Edge

Ormosia bancana Acacia auriculiformis Dicranopteris linearis

Alocasia macrorrhizos cultivars
Terminalia catappa Spathodea Campanulata Nephrolepis bisserata
Manihot esculenta Samanea saman
Alstonia scholaris Cratoxylum formosum Axonopus compressus
Eclipta prostrata Peltophorus Pterocarpus
Albizia Dalbergia oliveria
Forest Edge Shrubs & Stream Grass Buffer Manmade Edge
 Ecotone 2 |
Singing Forest
 Ecotone 2 |
Singing Forest

Forest Edge Shrub Grass Patch Shrub with transplanted Tree Buffer Manmade Edge
Maintenence trees
Fast fruiting trees:
Macaranga Family (Euphorbiaceae) + Path
Bean Family (Leguminosae)
Macaranga Gigantea Bamboo
Saraca declinate
Slow Fruiting trees: Wild nutmeg Dicranopteris linearis Lalang Garcinia hombroniana
family (Myristicaceae) + Forest Nephrolepis bisserata Alocasia macrorrhizos cultivars Macaranga hypoleuca
Mangosteen(Guttiferae) Axonopus compressus Manihot esculenta Horsfieldia superba
Gymnacranthera Forbesii Eclipta prostrata
Cinnermon Inners
Garcinia mangostana
 Shrub with Tree Buffer Manmade Edge
Forest Edge Shrub Grass Patch
Transplanted trees
 Strategies to Design an Ecotone Park

1) Soften sharp edges of HortPark and Private Housing Patch to allow

for extended fauna movement by designing ecotones
2) Increase biodiversity of HortPark Area - Use chosen site as a stepping
stone to allow fauna movement from nearby Southern Ridges and
Kent Ridge Park
3) Create a more direct circulation for users from surrounding residential
patch into HortPark
 Chosen Site

Kent Ridge Park

Chosen Site Southern Ridges

HortPark

N
100m
 Habitat Quality of HortPark Area

Source: Dr. Abdul Rahim PhD Disseration

 Analysing Surrounding Biological Communities

Kent Ridge Park

Southern Ridges

Chosen Site

HortPark

N
Kent Ridge Park Private Housing Patch Southern Ridges

Largest number and species of dragonflies recorded Heritage trees| Angsana, Rich biodiversity
Large number of birds | Sunbirds, doves, the White-crested Pulai, Bodhi, Penanga Laut Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Yellow-vented Bulbul,
Laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus) Common Iora, Brown-throated Sunbird, Black-naped
Flora such as pitcher plants and wild orchids can be found Oriole, Spotted Dove and Straw-headed Bulbul

Kent Ridge Park

Southern Ridges

Chosen Site

HortPark

HortPark | Native Gardens: Bird + Food Zone N

Nephelium maingayi A type of rare hairless rambutan
Knema globularia Food source for Oriental Pied
Hornbill
Fauna Sighted

Banded Bay Cuckoo Crested Goshawk Common Flying Lizard White-crested

Laughingthrush

Violet Cuckoo Red Whiskered Bulbul Scarlet backed Yellow-Vented Bulbul

Flowerpecker

Kent Ridge Park Southern Ridges

 N

Transect Across Chosen Site

 Patch of Heritage Trees Movement of existing birds

Private Housing Patch

Patch of Bird + Food Trees

HortPark Fence HortPark

Existing Situation
N

Movement of birds with new ecotone

Patch of Heritage Trees Patch of Bird + Food Trees

New Corridor for Fauna

Designed Ecotone |
acts as natural barriers instead of using fence
 N

Chosen Site

Issue 1 | Issue 2 |
Too much cold grass and Residents at the Private
existing fence to avoid Housing have to take a
trans passing into long detour to get into
HortPark HortPark
Manmade Drain
 N

More Direct Circulation

for Human
Corridor for Fauna |
Restricted Human Access
Tactic 1 |
Design ecotone by
planting shrubs along
edges and tall trees as Tactic 3 |
continuous canopy for Boardwalk that connects
fauna movement circulation from
Hortpark to Private
Tactic 2 | Housing
Naturalised Stream
Existing Fence

Existing Manmade Drain

Naturalised Stream
Cold Grass
Bibliography
Clements, F.C. (1905) Research methods in ecology. University Publishing Co., Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.

Farina, A. (2014). Principles and methods in landscape ecology: towards a science of the landscape. Place of publication not identified: Springer.

Harris, L.D. (1984) The fragmented forest. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Mazzoleni, S., di Pasquale, G., Mulligan, M., di Martino, P., Rego, F. (eds.) (2004) Recent
dynamics of the Mediterranean vegetation and landscape. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester, UK.

Nature Society. (2016, October). Oriental pied-hornbill. Retrieved October 08, 2017, from http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/birds/albirostris.htm

NParks. (2017, May 18). NParks launches new garden to celebrate Singapore's natural heritage and kick-start Biodiversity Week. Retrieved October 08, 2017, from
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/news/2017/5/native-garden-at-hortpark

NParks. (n.d.). Your Guide to HortPark & the Southern Ridges. Retrieved October 8, 2017, from https://www.nparks.gov.sg/~/media/nparks-real-content/gardens-parks-and-
nature/diy-walk/diy-walk-pdf-files/hortpark-and-southern-ridges.pdf ?la=en

Odum, E.P. (1959) Fundamentals of ecology. Second Edition W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Ricklefs, R.E. (1973) Ecology. Chiron Press, Inc.

Straits Times Forum. (2009, April 6). Hornbills can thrive in urban Singapore. Retrieved October 08, 2017, from http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.sg/2009/04/hornbills-can-
thrive-in-urban-singapore.html#.WdhFt2iCxPY