9515178 Soto The goal of this project is to convene an interdisciplinary group of scientists from North and South America in order to advance our understanding of the biogeochemical linkages between forests and aquatic ecosystems (Phase I), and to develop a research proposal (Phase II) to address specific questions about the impacts of land use on downstream ecosystems. Such questions cross traditional disciplinary boundaries and require the integration of information from several research groups through new cooperative arrangements. The primary focus will be on the temperate rain forests of the Americas, presently occupying analogous climatic and topographic gradients along the western coasts of North and South America. In these two regions many geologic, climatic, and biological patterns are mirror images of one another, they provide a unique setting for comparative studies.
