Boreal forests cover some 12 million square kilometers of the Earth’s surface, and as such are they are both ecologically and economically important ecosystems.  As well as providing an abundance of timber products, a wealth of mineral and petroleum products are extracted annually by projects similar to the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project (MGP).  Through ongoing research, it is becoming apparent that boreal forests, like other ecosystems, provide many beneficial services that have not or can not be assigned a set economic value.  These services, often termed “Ecosystem Services,” consist of many of the intangible benefits to humanity that result from an ecosystem simply being allowed to exist and function in a more or less natural state.

Here we will explore the conflict that arises between the desire for increased development of an ecosystem and the need to maintain that system in order to preserve its intrinsic services.  This will be accomplished by examining the boreal forest’s ability to sequester atmospheric carbon--its ability to act as a global carbon sink--and how its ability to perform in this role will be affected by the direct and indirect effects of increased development pressures resulting from projects such as the MGP.
   
This web site is divided into two broad categories.  The first section, Ecosystem Services, provides a general overview of the concept, and then explores what services might possibly be provided by the boreal forest and how development projects such as the MGP might affect them.  The second section, Carbon Sequestration, provides an in depth look at a vital ecosystem service provided by the boreal forest.  Suggestions for further reading can be found in the References section.