Brief conference information

International Conference

Climate changes and their impact on

boreal and temperate forests

Conference was held 5-7 June 2006, in Ekaterinburg (the Urals), Russia

Excursions: 8-10 June 2006

Number of participants: 100 persons approximately, including 50 foreign scientists

Organized by

Ural State Forest Engineering University , Ekaterinburg , Russia (USFEU)

Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg , Russia (IPAE)

V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest , Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk , Russia (SIF)

Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf , Switzerland

Under the patronage of

Ministry for the Education and Science of Russian Federation (MES RF)

Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)

Russian Foundation of Basic Research (RFBR)

International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)

The World Conservation Union (IUCN)

International Project “Past Global Changes” (PAGES)

International Scientific Committee

Evgeny Vaganov, SIF, Krasnoyarsk , Russia (Chairman)

Elena Muratova, SIF, Krasnoyarsk , Russia (Assistant of the Chairman)

Yves Bergeron, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda , Canada

Vladimir Bolshakov, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology Ekaterinburg , Russia

Mario Broggi, Council of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology , Switzerland

Harald Bugmann, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich , Switzerland

Paolo Cherubini, WSL Birmensdorf , Switzerland

Johann G. Goldammer, Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), Max Planck Institute for Chemistry , Freiburg , Germany

Georg Grabherr, Institute of Ecology and Conservation of Biological Resources, University of Vienna , Austria , and Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA)

Georg Guggenberger, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle, Germany

Frank Hagedorn, WSL Birmensdorf , Switzerland

Malcolm Hughes, University of Arizona , Tucson , USA

Norbert Kräuchi, WSL Birmensdorf , Switzerland

Don Koo Lee, Seoul National University , Republic of Korea , and IUFRO

Zufar Nagimov, USFEU, Ekaterinburg , Russia

Chris Peterson, Rutgers University , Georgia , USA

Andreas Rigling, WSL Birmensdorf , Switzerland

Stepan Shiyatov, IPAE, Ekaterinburg , Russia

Ernst-Detlef Schulze, Max-Planck Institute, Jena , Germany

Olga Solomina, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geography , Moscow , Russia

Valentin Starzhinski, USFEU, Ekaterinburg , Russia

Organising Committee

Ural State Forest Engineering University , Ekaterinburg (RU): Sergey Zalesov (chairman), Juri Mikhailov (secretary), Stanislav Mochalov, Tatiana Tarasova

Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ekaterinburg (RU): Stepan Shiyatov (vice-chairman), Pavel Moiseev (secretary), Valeri Mazepa

V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest , Krasnoyarsk (RU): Alexander Kirdyanov

Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf (CH): Christian Hoffmann, (vice-chairman), Hans-Caspar Bodmer

Background

The boreal and temperate forests are the most extensive terrestrial biomes on earth. They represent a wood resource and biosphere stability of global significance. During the Holocene (10,000–12,000 yr) these forests have experienced radical changes in climate. Warming during the 20^th century influenced the structure of forest ecosystems and their spatio-temporal dynamics, especially in areas where trees grow in extreme climatic and soil conditions (polar, upper, lower and south timberlines, bogs and arid sites). Weather and climatic anomalies and the associated natural hazards (windfalls, fires, insect outbreaks, thermokarst and others) are more and more dominating the notion of climate change by the general public, and they also receive increasing emphasis in the scientific community. Observation and modeling are two important tools that have the potential to elucidate patterns of future development.

Many investigations concerning the response of forest ecosystems and their components to climate changes have been carried out during the last decades in different areas of boreal and temperate forests ( Asia , Europe , North America ). However, there is still a considerable lack of knowledge of cause-effect relationships with regard to global and local climatic changes and the associated impacts on forest ecosystems. To understand the current and future structure, diversity and functioning of the boreal and temperate forests, it is important to understand how climate and disturbance interact and what the expected changes imply for the ecological and economic sustainability of forests.

Objectives

In the planned conference in Ekaterinburg, four partner institutes engaged in environmental research (USFEU, IPAE, SIF, WSL) have decided to take up the opportunity (1) to present the latest results in the field of climate changes and its possible effects on boreal and temperate forests, and (2) to discuss future research directions and joint projects for further cooperation that allows to link research across the different regions towards an early detection system for the impacts of climate change. There will be excursions to research sites and nature reserves in the Ural mountain range, giving first hand experience of these unique systems.

Ekaterinburg is located in the Middle Ural, on the border between Europe and Asia . It has been chosen because of its favourable geographical location, its proximity to a diversity of natural forests and anthropogenic environments, the presence of academic institutions in the field of forestry and ecology as well as good travel facilities. Furthermore, Ekaterinburg - the largest industrial, scientific and cultural centre of the Urals (about 1.3 million people) - is the capital of the most actively operating forestry region of the Urals and Western Siberia.

Aims

The main aims of the Conference are to discuss results of investigations relating to climate-dependent changes in boreal and temperate forests and to foster broader international collaboration in this field.

Topics for the Working Sessions

1. Indication of global, regional and local climate changes including tree rings.

2. Climate-dependent dynamics of forest ecosystems including extreme events (windfalls, forest fires and others).

3. Productivity and organic matter cycles in forest ecosystems and their feedbacks with a changing climate.

4. Developing model-based scenarios of forest ecosystems under climate change.

Conference Venue

The Conference was held in the vicinity of Ekaterinburg in a Recreation Centre.

Participants

Scientists from the fields of forest science, biology, ecology, climatology, natural hazards, social sciences, forest managers and others interested in the investigation of the influence of climate change on forest ecosystems.

Working Language

English.

Structure of Conference

The conference has been structured in plenary and poster sessions, without parallel events. Special sessions have been organized for young participants (under 35 years of age).

Papers and Posters

It is anticipated that the most interesting papers and posters will be published after review in a special issue of "Forest, Snow and Landscape Research" of WSL, and in some Russian scientific journals.