Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network, established in late 1950s and directly constructedand administered by the Science and Technology Department of State Forestry Administration of China,is a large ecology research network focuses on long-term ecosystem fixed-observation. It embodies 15 sitesthat represent diverse ecosystems and research priorities, including 6 state-level sites. CFERN Officecoordinates communications, network publications, and research-planning activities. CFERN uses theadvanced ground and spatial observation technologies such as RS, GPS, GIS to study the structure,functional laws and feedback mechanism of Chinese forest ecosystem, as well as its effects on Chinassocial and economic development. The main tasks carried out by CFERN are: (1) construction of thedatabase on the structure and functions of Chinese forest ecosystem and its ecological environmentalfactors; (2) the database construction of forest resources, ecological environment, water resources andrelated social economy in both regional and national scales; (3) the establishment of an evaluation systemof forest ecological effects in Chinas main drainage areas; (4) the establishment of a forest environmentmonitoring network and a dynamic prediction and alarm system. Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network, established in late 1950s and directly constructed and administered by the Science and Technology Department of State Forestry Administration of China, is a large ecology research network focusing on long-term ecosystem fixed-observation. It embodies 15 sitesthat represent diverse ecosystems and research priorities, including 6 state-level sites. CFERN Officecoordinates communications, network publications, and research-planning activities. CFERN uses the advanced ground and spatial observation technologies such as RS, GPS, GIS to study the structure, functional laws and feedback mechanism of Chinese forest ecosystem, as well as its effects on Chinassocial and economic development. The main tasks carried out by CFERN are: (1) construction of the database on the structure and functions of Chinese forest ecosystem and its ecological environmentalfactors; (2) the database construction of forest resources, ecological environment, water resources andrela ted social economy in both regional and national scales; (3) the establishment of an evaluation systemof forest ecological effects in Chinas main drainage areas; (4) the establishment of a forest environmentmonitoring network and a dynamic prediction and alarm system.