Ecocline vs. Ecotone

Ecoclinenoun

A gradation from one ecosystem to another when there is no sharp boundary between the two. It is the joint expression of associated community (coenocline) and complex environmental gradients.

Ecotonenoun

a transition area between two adjacent ecological communities (ecosystems).

Ecotone

An ecotone is a transition area between two biological communities, where two communities meet and integrate. It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local (the zone between a field and forest) or regional (the transition between forest and grassland ecosystems).