Ecotones can form hot spots of biodiversity by containing species from multiple ecosystems. Because biodiversity is often linked to ecological function, we posit that rates of key ecological functions are highest at ecotones and decline away from them. Here we test this hypothesis by measuring spatial decays in the function of carrion scavenging on a gradient ranging from ocean beaches upland into abutting coastal dunes. A large field experiment in Eastern Australia, at the ecotone formed by ocean beaches, employed multiple carrion placements and motion-triggered cameras to identify the animals consuming carcasses and the removal rates of necromass. Significantly more carrion was consumed by vertebrate scavengers at the beach interface (50–80% of total necromass removed) and declined significantly with distance (max. 350 m) into the abutting coastal dunes (20–25%). This marked cline was due to the consumption of carrion by both dune-dwelling and beach-dwelling animals at the beach–dune interface and a decline in scavenging activity by both groups farther upland. These spatial effects were consistent between sites, but the lower carrion removal away from the beach became less pronounced as the carcasses putrefied, suggesting that microbial actions can modify carrion suitability for vertebrate scavengers and hence change spatial patterns in ecological function. Our findings provide quantitative support for the widespread notion that ecological transition zones are hot spots of ecological functions and highlight the importance of managing functionally important species at ecotones.

过渡带可以通过包含来自多个生态系统的物种来形成生物多样性的热点。由于生物多样性通常与生态功能相关联，因此我们认为关键生态功能的发生率在生态交错带最高，而从生态交错带下降。在这里，我们通过测量从海洋沙滩高地到毗邻的沙丘的梯度上的腐肉清除功能的空间衰减来检验该假设。在澳大利亚东部的一个大型野外实验中，在海洋海滩形成的过渡带中，采用了多个腐肉放置和运动触发的摄像头来识别消耗尸体的动物和死瘤的清除率。明显的腐肉被海滩接口处的脊椎动物清道夫消耗掉（清除了总坏死的50-80％），并且随着距离的增加而显着下降（最大值。350 m）进入毗邻的沿海沙丘（20–25％）。这种明显的上升趋势是由于沙丘和沙丘动物在海滩—沙丘界面处食用腐肉而导致的，而这两个群体在更远的高地上的清除活动均减少。这些空间效应在地点之间是一致的，但是随着尸体的腐烂，从海滩去除较低的腐肉变得不那么明显，表明微生物作用可以改变腐肉对脊椎动物清除剂的适应性，从而改变生态功能的空间格局。我们的发现为生态过渡区是生态功能热点的广泛观念提供了定量支持，并强调了在生态交错区管理功能重要物种的重要性。这种明显的上升趋势是由于沙丘和沙丘动物在海滩—沙丘界面处食用腐肉而导致的，而这两个群体在更远的高地上的清除活动均减少。这些空间效应在地点之间是一致的，但是随着尸体的腐烂，从海滩去除较低的腐肉变得不那么明显，表明微生物作用可以改变腐肉对脊椎动物清除剂的适应性，从而改变生态功能的空间格局。我们的发现为生态过渡区是生态功能热点的广泛观念提供了定量支持，并强调了在生态交错区管理功能重要物种的重要性。这种明显的上升趋势是由于沙丘和沙丘动物在海滩—沙丘界面处食用腐肉而导致的，而这两个群体在更远的高地上的清除活动均减少。这些空间效应在地点之间是一致的，但是随着尸体的腐烂，从海滩去除较低的腐肉变得不那么明显，表明微生物作用可以改变腐肉对脊椎动物清除剂的适应性，从而改变生态功能的空间格局。我们的发现为生态过渡区是生态功能热点的广泛观念提供了定量支持，并强调了在生态交错区管理功能重要物种的重要性。