Pacific Northwest vs. Deep South - which has better cities & scenery? (airport, expensive)
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Nope, just Florida and a thin coastal sliver look like that year round. The rest looks brown, dead, and leafless in the winter because of how cold it gets.
Coastal US South is deep subtropic jungle, just like the photo's I showed. Inland, there are more deciduous trees, but still lots of evergreens (often in the form of pine), and subtropical under-stories (evergreen shrubs, palmetto, etc).
The PNW gets far colder than the South during winter, so your point is moot; the only evergreens there are conifers (christmas tree style evergreens: not exotic-looking at all). The Southeast, on the other-hand, has lots of broadleaf evergreens (live oak, magnolia, etc), as well as organisms with tropical affinities (armadillos, spanish moss, flamingoes, roseate spoonbills, crocodiles, corals, etc).
Quote:
Originally Posted by sav858
Cool alligators, another deadly thing to worry about besides the weather in the Deep South. Then that nasty, inhospitable oppressive summer weather is the perfect breeding ground for the Zika virus now! Good thing every place has AC so you can hide indoors as we all now how unlivable the Deep South is without it, especially Houston!
Yes, the wildlife in the South is quite exciting, with alligators, anolis lizards, colorful birds like flamingoes, roseate spoonbills, ibises, coral reefs, etc, all of which are confined to the region in the US (either endemic, or ranges up only to the Southeast US from the tropical Americas). Meanwhile, the PNW just has your typical drab North American fauna, like bears, or moose; how boring.
Yes, the hot-humid climate yields plentiful heavy storms/rains, great for allowing for the profuse growth-rate of vegetation, and high biodiversity, in the South compared to the PNW, which isn't as lively in comparison. And all that rain ALSO comes with abundant sunshine, unlike the PNW, which is dull and cloudy for much of the year.
Seriously? Where do you get your information? Much of the lowland forests look like that west of the Cascades. I could show you pictures all day long, but you clearly won't listen to what I say or look at what I post. And it's now obvious that you've clearly never visited this area! Seriously, come up for a visit. It sounds like you missed a lot in your online investigation of the region.
Now, a few pictures from the area. I'll limit it to my county, but you get the picture, literally. Just a tad more spectacular than Northern AL or Western SC. Anything close by that resembles these landmarks? I'll wait.
Again, I've lived a significant part of my life in both places. There are certain things I love- even scenery-wise- about the south. Part of my heart will always be in the Blue Ridge. They're pretty places, but give me a break. Again, most of the pictures I posted (with the exception of the Hoh Rain Forest) are of landforms within 30 miles of my house. Expand it out to the entire region and you'll see things like the Oregon Coast, the Columbia River Gorge, Hell's Canyon, Lake Chelan Crater Lake, the Blue Mountains, the Selkirks, the high desert, etc. etc. etc. It's absolutely astounding, and not really comparable to the deep south.
Were those supposed to impress me? They illustrate my point exactly; about just how dull and un-biodiverse the PNW is. Seriously, the same 1 tree dominates each of those forest types there. Boring, dull organisms as well, that everyone has seen a thousand times over (just your typical moose, salmon, bears, nothing special). The topography of the region is not enough to save it from just how boring and white-bread the ecosystems are.
Meanwhile, the exotic Southeastern forests contain more types of trees in an acre than the entire Washington state has. Lots of subtropical vines/lianas, evergreen broadleaf trees, and palms (unlike the PNW) to give an exotic feel.
One last thing; the Southeast, in the high Appalachian areas, has temperate rainforests like the coastal PNW forests. but with the higher biodiversity. The PNW just doesn't compare: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Fork_River.jpg
A white-bread, typical region like the PNW just doesn't compare to the exotic Southeast.
For me the geogrophy/typogrophy of PNW is an easy win, the ecology I can see as being a toss up though the PNW is more climatically diverse so there are a lot more biomes so I would still give the edge out to the PNW, however from the photos you have shown I think that the South, at least the coast looks amazing. But when I visited New Bern it didn't look nearly as amazing, but still very beautiful and charming, I also saw a lot of magnolias growing wild in the forests.
Though the PNW does have its own broad leaf evergreens, especially in southern OR.
There are also many that have become naturalized, the most prolific being English Ivy, Cherry Laurel, English Holly and Himalayan Blackberry.
Here is a picture of English ivy taking over a forest
Also the southern Oregon coast is very mild and can support many subtropical plants such as these palms
And speaking about animals, sure the south has the alligator, but I'm pretty sure the PNW has just as many if not more megafauna (animals weighing more than 90 lbs).
Please, those Oregon palms look out of place, and just don't look happy; in the coastal Southeast, they would be tall, healthy, and happy. Same goes for any subtropical plant growing in the PNW.
The list of broad-leaf evergreens (and just general biodiversity) of the PNW is paltry compared to that of the Southeast.
And, once again, you name the same typical boring animals every American has seen hundreds of times. Never-mind the fact that many of those animals are native to the Southeast as well (white-tailed deer, cougar, black bear, just to name a few).
The more I hike the forests of the Deep South, the more I realize just how much more exciting the forests of the region are compared to those of the PNW. The PNW forests are very boring and quite low in biodiversity; just your typical "Touching Spirit Bear" style wilderness. That region is overrated for nature. Meanwhile, the forests of the Deep South look alive, colorful, and exciting, filled with all sorts of exotic organisms; unlike the PNW forests, the ecosystem of the Deep South is alive and active year-round.
I lived in Texas for six years and the forests are not comparable to that of PNW.
Simpsonvilllian: Nice pics! When I lived in NC, I actually remember thinking that I'd like to get married with a view, and that Camp Greenville would make for a fantastic backdrop!
Again, no offense to you on my comments. I love the High Country and have argued on many, many threads that the mountains in the SE are underrated- especially because many people from the West Coast don't give them enough respect. I'm not one of those people. I give plenty of respect to the region, I just think the scenery is much more dynamic out this way.
The South is by far more bio-diverse than the PNW; it is the most bio-diverse region of the country. See for yourselves with the maps above. The South, unlike the PNW, has warmth with is wetness and humidity; entire groups of organisms need such conditions to survive (including amphibians, reptiles, insects, and fish). Furthermore, the South wasn't sitting under a glacier for thousands of years during the Ice Age, unlike many areas of the PNW; that meant that the ecosystems of the South are older, and, thus, had time to build up the great complexity (and biodiversity) sorely lacking in the PNW.
Coastal US South is deep subtropic jungle, just like the photo's I showed. Inland, there are more deciduous trees, but still lots of evergreens (often in the form of pine), and subtropical under-stories (evergreen shrubs, palmetto, etc).
The PNW gets far colder than the South during winter, so your point is moot; the only evergreens there are conifers (christmas tree style evergreens: not exotic-looking at all). The Southeast, on the other-hand, has lots of broadleaf evergreens (live oak, magnolia, etc), as well as organisms with tropical affinities (armadillos, spanish moss, flamingoes, roseate spoonbills, crocodiles, corals, etc).
Yes, the wildlife in the South is quite exciting, with alligators, anolis lizards, colorful birds like flamingoes, roseate spoonbills, ibises, coral reefs, etc, all of which are confined to the region in the US (either endemic, or ranges up only to the Southeast US from the tropical Americas). Meanwhile, the PNW just has your typical drab North American fauna, like bears, or moose; how boring.
Yes, the hot-humid climate yields plentiful heavy storms/rains, great for allowing for the profuse growth-rate of vegetation, and high biodiversity, in the South compared to the PNW, which isn't as lively in comparison. And all that rain ALSO comes with abundant sunshine, unlike the PNW, which is dull and cloudy for much of the year.
A white-bread, typical region like the PNW just doesn't compare to the exotic Southeast.
Nope, only a tiny sliver of the coast isn't completely dead and brown. Its full of a bunch of palmetto palms which are the hardiest palms that can survive the frigid, Arctic temps most of the South sees every winter. Most of the south is dead and lifeless, such ugly white bread dead forests in winter.
No more like deadly, not exiting just like its violent and deadly weather. Feel sorry for all those people that die every year from the violent deadly climate there.
The main thing that hot-humid, oppressive, unlivable without AC climate yields is disgusting bugs and diseases like the Zika virus.
Nobody would live in Houston without AC. It's impossible to live in the South without AC as no one would ever try that today.
It's basically a like a 3rd world country in the tropics except with frigid, dead winters
Coastal US South is deep subtropic jungle, just like the photo's I showed. Inland, there are more deciduous trees, but still lots of evergreens (often in the form of pine), and subtropical under-stories (evergreen shrubs, palmetto, etc).
The PNW gets far colder than the South during winter, so your point is moot; the only evergreens there are conifers (christmas tree style evergreens: not exotic-looking at all). The Southeast, on the other-hand, has lots of broadleaf evergreens (live oak, magnolia, etc), as well as organisms with tropical affinities (armadillos, spanish moss, flamingoes, roseate spoonbills, crocodiles, corals, etc).
Yes, the wildlife in the South is quite exciting, with alligators, anolis lizards, colorful birds like flamingoes, roseate spoonbills, ibises, coral reefs, etc, all of which are confined to the region in the US (either endemic, or ranges up only to the Southeast US from the tropical Americas). Meanwhile, the PNW just has your typical drab North American fauna, like bears, or moose; how boring.
Yes, the hot-humid climate yields plentiful heavy storms/rains, great for allowing for the profuse growth-rate of vegetation, and high biodiversity, in the South compared to the PNW, which isn't as lively in comparison. And all that rain ALSO comes with abundant sunshine, unlike the PNW, which is dull and cloudy for much of the year.
Were those supposed to impress me? They illustrate my point exactly; about just how dull and un-biodiverse the PNW is. Seriously, the same 1 tree dominates each of those forest types there. Boring, dull organisms as well, that everyone has seen a thousand times over (just your typical moose, salmon, bears, nothing special). The topography of the region is not enough to save it from just how boring and white-bread the ecosystems are.
Meanwhile, the exotic Southeastern forests contain more types of trees in an acre than the entire Washington state has. Lots of subtropical vines/lianas, evergreen broadleaf trees, and palms (unlike the PNW) to give an exotic feel.
One last thing; the Southeast, in the high Appalachian areas, has temperate rainforests like the coastal PNW forests. but with the higher biodiversity. The PNW just doesn't compare: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Fork_River.jpg
A white-bread, typical region like the PNW just doesn't compare to the exotic Southeast.
Wow the Sotheast looks really great! I lived in Arkansas for a bit last year and remember the difference and the beauty.
I thought I would correct you though with the broadleaf evergreens! The PNW is home to my favorite tree, the Pacific Madrone, as well as many other broadleaf evergreens. I also think that this region is more exotic than it is anything else. It's really incredible, I'd recommend a visit!
Clemson University football stadium from across Lake Hartwell. The Clemson di-ke is in the foreground, the Tillman Hall tower is to the left.
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