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. To promote an understanding of climate-disturbance interactions in the boreal forest, the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research Program and the International Boreal Forest Research Association (IBFRA) have organized 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. The objectives of the 12th IBFRA Conference are: (1) to present and discuss the current scientific understanding of climate-disturbance interactions in the circumboreal region; (2) 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; (3) to bring a circumpolar perspective to research initiatives; and (4) to foster cooperation and an exchange of ideas among countries in the circumpolar boreal forest.
