High-latitude rainforests and associated ecosystems of the west coast of the Americas

Regional comparisons between ecosystems on different continents can be a powerful tool for developing a better understanding of the ways in which ecosystems respond to global change. Ecosystem structure and function are affected by factors such as weather and climate patterns and land-ocean and land-atmosphere interactions. Characterizing the processes driving the interactions between eco-zones and their environments often requires large study areas to separate the effects of regional patterns from local variability. The western coasts of North and South America provide a unique geographical area for such regional comparisons. In addition to the broad North-South symmetries in climatic, oceanographic, and geomorphic patterns between these two areas, differences and asymmetries in local climate, biological histories, and developmental pressures along these two coasts lead to a wide range of ecosystem structures and functions. High-Latitude Rainforests and Associated Ecosystems of the West Coast of the Americas presents current research on forest and river ecology, and compares ecosystems and their dominant controls between the Pacific Northwest and those in comparable areas of South America. This book will be of interest to ecologists, biologists, professional foresters, climatologists, and land and resource managers.