This workshop will consider how two complex ecosystems function, in particular how they fluctuate in response to change, and how interactions between these systems vary over time as a result of such fluctuations in the individual systems. The systems to be addressed will be (1) high-latitude forest/river ecosystems and (2) coastal upwelling systems. Interactions between these systems and arid zones will also be examined on a preliminary basis. The workshop will focus on regions where these systems exist along the west coasts of North and South America. Preliminary comparisons will also be made with analogous ecosystems in the Southwest Pacific. The primary system functions to be analyzed will be biodiversity and biogeochemistry. Special attention will be paid to human impact on these functions, as well as on the overall ecosystems. The results of the workshop will provide input to ongoing development of a scientific agenda for the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI).
