The Alaskan Boreal Forest overlaps with a few United States national parks and preserves. The overlap helps to protect the Alaskan Boreal Forest from development. Although the national parks and preserves provide a natural barrier, the Alaskan Boreal Forest is experiencing a gradual change from human impacts. The change in the ecosystem is due to a rise in temperatures from climate change. Carbon dioxide and methane emissions from humans contribute largely to the temperature rise. Since 1970, the Alaskan Boreal Forest’s “mean annual temperature” has increased by 35°F or 2°C and “has nearly doubled the annual area burned in Western North America in the last 20 years” (5). Although fires are part of the ecosystem, rising temperatures have increased the frequency and severity of the fires. 
The native white and black spruce coniferous trees are flammable and with the increase in fires the number of the native trees is decreasing. For example, temperature rise has increased droughts, which directly affects the white spruce forests. As the climate continues to warm, the white spruce forests growth decreases and bark beetle outbreaks increase (5). Furthermore, the Alaskan Boreal Forest is home to many native species like caribou. The caribou live in the forest during the winter but with more fires destroying their winter home the caribou struggle to find food and shelter during the cold winter (1). The caribou is one of many native species that are being affected by the increased fire activity.:
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