First Announcement
Climate-Disturbance Interactions in Boreal Forest Ecosystems
12th International Boreal Forest Research Association Conference
3-7 May 2004
Fairbanks, Alaska
For more information visit:
http://www.lter.uaf.edu/ibfra/default.cfm
The Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research Program and the
International Boreal Forest Research Association (IBFRA) announce an
international science conference on "Climate-Disturbance Interactions in
Boreal Forest Ecosystems" to be held in Fairbanks, Alaska 3-7 May 2004
at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge.
Important Dates
- Deadline for Submission of Abstracts November 1, 2003
- Notification to Authors December 19, 2003
- Conference Dates May 3-7, 2004
- Submission of Papers for Publication September 1, 2004
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.
Conference objectives
- 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
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please send an email to Dave McGuire at ffadm [at] uaf.edu.