title: Rocky Mountain ecosystems: diversity, complexity and interactions.
abstract: The interior west of North America provides many opportunities to study ecosystem responses to climate change, biological diversity and management of disturbance regimes. These ecosystem responses are not unique to the Rocky Mountains, but they epitomize similar scientific problems throughout North America. Better management of these ecosystems depends on a thorough understanding of the underlying biology and ecological interactions of the species that occupy the diverse habitats of this region. This review highlights progress in research to understand aspects of this complex ecosystem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6410, USA. bassman@mail.wsu.edu
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Bassman
authors.forename: Jon D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fins
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dobrowolski
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D044822:Biodiversity; D003681:Dehydration; D017753:Ecosystem; D009656:North America; D014197:Trees / Q000502:physiology; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water