Research and monitoring provide the mechanism necessary to evaluate the implications of forest management planning assumptions, planning methods and on-the-ground operations on ecosystem structure and function, social considerations and economics. Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) represents a relatively new concept in Canadian forestry when one considers previous models that have been used for centuries in other countries. In this respect, SFM is charting new ground as it seeks to integrate the environment with social and economic values. Our understanding of how ecosystems function, respond to disturbances (e.g., fire, harvesting) and stress (e.g., climate change) and how they recover, as well our understanding of the complex nature of social values and the global economy is incomplete. In this light, research and monitoring becomes an essential vehicle to continually learn and adapt in an organized fashion.