Forest ecosystems and climate change. In simple terms, we study how boreal forest ecosystems work, from the scale of tree parts and soil particles to the scale of landscape. We seek to understand how the environment affects the functioning of a single plant or whole forest, and how, inversely, the plants and forests can influence the world around them. These questions are important when trying to understand and predict the impacts of warming climate on the environment and evaluating the importance of forested areas in mitigating climate change.