IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

The temperate and boreal forests, which encircle the northern part of the globe, constitute half of the world's forest cover. These forests provide crucial ecological services by protecting watersheds, conserving soil and provide much needed habitat for plant and animal species such as bears, wolves, wolverines and the world’s largest caribou herds.  They offer breeding grounds for migratory bird species including significant percentages of land-birds and waterfowl.  Temperate and boreal forests also play a vital role in regulating the Earth's climate by sequestering globally significant quantities of carbon.

Temperate and boreal forests are important economically. They dominate international timber markets, providing 83% of the total volume of industrial roundwood and nearly 90% of its global trade and are critical for many national economies, accounting for 3% of GDP, 13% of trade and 6% of employment in Canada. In addition, they account for 2% of GDP, 5% of export earnings and 2 million jobs in Russia.

These forest regions are important cultural landscapes, home to thousands of indigenous peoples whom primarily rely on the forests for their livelihoods and cultural survival.  Russia maintains and preserves the largest areas of intact Boreal forests in the world.  Therefore, the Russian forests play a crucial role globally in maintaining the biodiversity, cultural, and economic values of the temperate and boreal forests.