For more information, visit the Oak Ridge National Laboratory . Data collection ranges from local, in-situ measurements to regional measurements obtained using remote sensing techniques. The experiment was designed with the intent of gaining a better understanding of the energy and gas fluxes between the boreal forest and the lower atmosphere. Researchers expect that output from these process models can then be incorporated into ecosystem models to more accurately represent global climate variation. Roulet's objective is to better understand the carbon flux between terrestrial ecosystems and the lower atmosphere.
Debate abounds as to the location of carbon sinks.
The common perception is that the oceans account for a large proportion of carbon dioxide uptake. It is unclear what percent of the carbon budget is attributable to oceanic uptake and what is attributable to terrestrial and atmospheric uptake. Scientists have only been aware of the boreal forest's role as a large-scale carbon sink since the late 1980s. Forests absorb carbon when the fixation of carbon dioxide by the plants exceeds ecosystem respiration. The flux of carbon into forest ecosystems should equal the flux of carbon out of these systems, ensuring a balance between carbon dioxide levels and vegetation growth.