19. Afterword
Richard G. Lawford and Paul B. Alaback
In spite of the broad-scale similarities between the western coasts of
North and South America , there are important distinctions arising from
the finer-scale variabilit y in the physical and biotic patterns along these
coasts. In particular, forcing factor s such as coastal ocean currents, strong
westerly winds in the upper atmosphere at mid-latitudes, and mountain
ranges near the coastline s exert similar influences on the .abiotic environmental features of these areas. However, local and regional biotic community composition and structure vary markedly between North and
South America. The coastal rainforests of these two continents offer a
unique opportunity to study a wide range of regional unique physical and
biological interactions that occur in regions with similar macroscale environmental constraints.
There is evidence that the evolutionary history of temperate forests in
South America is quite distinct from that of North America, which also
helps to explain many of the fundamental differences in community
composition between the two areas. Although the current climates in the
two regions may be giving rise to convergence in biotic structure and
function , these characteristics may diverge in the future because of the
differential forcing factors of climate change and land-use patterns between
the two regions .
381
Richard G. Lawford and Paul B. Alaback
In spite of the broad-scale similarities between the western coasts of
North and South America , there are important distinctions arising from
the finer-scale variabilit y in the physical and biotic patterns along these
coasts. In particular, forcing factor s such as coastal ocean currents, strong
westerly winds in the upper atmosphere at mid-latitudes, and mountain
ranges near the coastline s exert similar influences on the .abiotic environmental features of these areas. However, local and regional biotic community composition and structure vary markedly between North and
South America. The coastal rainforests of these two continents offer a
unique opportunity to study a wide range of regional unique physical and
biological interactions that occur in regions with similar macroscale environmental constraints.
There is evidence that the evolutionary history of temperate forests in
South America is quite distinct from that of North America, which also
helps to explain many of the fundamental differences in community
composition between the two areas. Although the current climates in the
two regions may be giving rise to convergence in biotic structure and
function , these characteristics may diverge in the future because of the
differential forcing factors of climate change and land-use patterns between
the two regions .
381