12th Annual Scientific Conference
"Climate Disturbance Interactions in Boreal Forest Ecosystems"
Fairbanks, Alaska
3-6 May 2004
Hosted By:
International Boreal Forest Research Association (IBFRA)
Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program
For further information, please go to:
http://www.lter.uaf.edu/ibfra/default.cfm
Registration is now open for the 12th International Climate Disturbance
Interactions in Boreal Forest Ecosystems Conference. This conference is
hosted by the International Boreal Forest Research Association (IBFRA)
and the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program and
will take place in Fairbanks, Alaska 3-6 May. The conference includes a
half-day field trip and is followed by optional tours to several
destinations in Alaska.
BACKGROUND
The boreal forest, which is the second most extensive
terrestrial biome on earth, represents a wood resource of global
significance that is an important part of the cultural and economic
wealth of northern countries. During the relatively brief (10,000 yr)
history of the boreal forest in its current location, it has experienced
radical changes in climate, vegetation, and fauna. Warming during the
last 30 years has been associated with warming and melting of
permafrost, changes in growth rates of dominant trees, increased area
burned, insect outbreaks, and changes in vertebrate populations. The
causal links among these changes and their implications for the
functioning of the boreal forest and the people who inhabit this region
are not completely understood. The structure and functioning of the
boreal forest determines and is influenced by its disturbance regime.
Fire, insect outbreaks, timber harvest, and flooding are important
disturbances. The extent and distribution of these disturbances are
changing rapidly as climate warms, human populations grow, and
socioeconomic conditions change. To understand the current and future
structure, diversity, and functioning of the boreal forest, it is
important to understand how climate and disturbance interact and the
implications of these interactions for ecological, economic, and
cultural sustainability of the boreal forest.
OBJECTIVES
The conference objectives are:
- To present and discuss the current scientific understanding of
climate-disturbance interactions in the circumboreal region
- To discuss the unique ecological, economic, and social conditions that
influence management decisions regarding disturbance, climate change
impacts, and adaptation to climate change in the boreal region
- To bring a circumpolar perspective to research initiatives
- To foster cooperation and an exchange of ideas among countries in the
circumpolar boreal forest
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
- Researchers and students in academia, government, and industry
- Forest managers and industry leaders
- Non-governmental organizations, government and policy advisors, and
others interested in the implications of climate-disturbance
interactions in boreal forest ecosystems
For further information, please go to:
http://www.lter.uaf.edu/ibfra/default.cfm