Edge effects are defined in ecology as the influence that two ecological communities have on one another where they meet at their ecotone or boundary where they meet or are separated from one another. This transitional zone contains elements common to both communities and those unique to the transitional zone itself and, therefore, contains greater population and species diversity than both individual communities.
The particular dynamics of these transitional zones and edge effect itself is a common topic of discussion in ecology and environmental conservation, but it can also have broader implications in other areas of science or philosophy. An example of edge effect in nature would be the habitat where a forest meets alongside a water source and many species gather due to the need for water.
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