Since forest ecosystems are so complex, yet so critical to the overall health of the earth, forest scientists spend large amounts of time investigating how they function. Many, many questions are being investigated by scientists.  Some recent critical ones you may be familiar with include:

 
 

How are forests impacted by air pollution?

Growth chambers used to monitor the effects of pollution

How will forests respond to global warming and what role might they play in lowering carbon dioxide emissions?

Temperate deciduous forest.

How do harvesting practices impact biodiversity and how can we best establish new forests after they are harvested?

A timber harvesting operation.