These forests also represent the world's most significant terrestrial sink of atmospheric carbon. They exchange large amounts of carbon with the atmosphere, and are thought to be a major driver of the interannual fluctuation in atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide in the northern hemisphere. This implies that the boreal forests are likely to undergo increasing stresses from changes in the patterns of temperature and associated increased evapotranspiration. It is in this sense that they are a major component in the balance of the earth's dynamic system as a whole. Linked to climate change are issues of forest health and sustainability.
Climate change has an impact on the susceptibility of forests to infestation, as does deforestation.
Deforestation in the boreal forest not only affects the global carbon cycle, but also other sustainable natural resources, notably preservation of wildlife habitat, hydrology and water resources, and multiple-forest use by indigenous populations. Further, boreal forests in many regions are undergoing forest decline due to stresses from acid deposition and increases in infestation of insects and pathogens. The three factors of interest in this study, climate change, forest health, and forest sustainability, are interrelated. An understanding of all three issues is necessary to understanding boreal forest dynamics. The overall goal of the project is to demonstrate the utility of using classified remote sensing data to monitor characteristics of forest stands, particularly patterns of forest growth and regrowth after natural and anthropogenic disturbance.