Fire, Climate Change, and Carbon Cycling in the Boreal Forest

In boreal forests, which contain large amounts of the world's terrestr ial organic carbon, fire is a natural and fundamental disturbance regi me essential in controlling many ecosystem processes. As a result of p redicted climate change in the future, the fire regime and, consequent ly, the forest cover and carbon storage of boreal regions will undergo dramatic alterations. This volume discusses the direct and indirect m echanisms by which fire and climate interact to influence carbon cycli ng in North American boreal forests.