Vitality at the Edges: Ecotones and Boundaries in Ecological and Social Systems

摘要

This article examines the interactivity and complex dynamics at the boundaries of systems, specifically ecological and social one. Its goal is to expand our understanding of those interfaces, and thus our ability to forecast their behavior. Whether real or imagined, edges are vital places. They are outer limits inspiring three often simultaneous perspectives - the border region, what's on the other side, and the space between. While spatially peripheral, edges play a central role in identifying what an entity is, what it is not, and how it interacts. Perception also plays a role. How we see and differentiate the entity from other entities depends on the scale and vantage point of our focus and our interpretive schemas in place. This analysis positions itself at the intersection between ecological and social systems. In ecology, the transition area between ecosystems is an ecotone. Ecotonal properties and applicability to social systems are explored. In order to understand ecotones, one must understand boundaries. An ecological boundary classification system is contrasted with frameworks in the social sciences to stimulate discourse and increase trans-latability between natural and social science disciplines. In both ecological and social sciences, how and where we draw boundaries is fateful. So come to the edge my dear - our first stop, the ecotone zone.