Research: Hotter, Drier Conditions Limit AZ Forest Recovery from Wildfires
Alex Gonzalez, Producer
Monday, March 13, 2023
New research has found hotter and drier climate conditions are making it less likely for forests in Arizona and across the Western United States to recover after wildfires.
Marcos Robles, lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy's Arizona chapter and co-author of the study, said forests across the West are what he calls "fire adapted." Robles explained forests have evolved with fire, but what is concerning is how fire behavior has intensified due to climate change, resulting in more trees being killed and fewer seedlings being available to help forest regeneration.
"What we are worried about is the trends of especially high-severity wildfires, which basically means most of the adult trees in a given area are killed in a wildfire, and the concern is that our forests provide so much for our communities," Robles pointed out.
Robles pointed out if forests are not able to regenerate, it will affect water supplies and the removal of greenhouse gases, which trees help capture from the atmosphere.
Robles noted forest thinning and prescribed burns in overgrown dry forests help reduce fire severity and subsequent tree death. He added effective forest management tools can make forests get back to "historic conditions" and lower the probability of damaging high-severity wildfires.
Robles emphasized the federal government has allocated around $3 billion to fund ecological forest management and reforestation efforts across 50 million acres in the next 10 years throughout the West, and stressed the window of opportunity to take action is shrinking.
"There can be an enormous difference if we are able to use this funding to do these pre-wildfire treatments at a larger and larger scale," Robles stated. "We do have that opportunity available to us."
Robles acknowledged the most likely future under "status quo conditions" would be one in which more forests do not recover after high-intensity wildfires, but with federal, state and community investments in forest management and reforestation, the future can look more positive as the pace of change Western forests are experiencing is reduced.
get more stories like this via email
Health and Wellness
A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …
Social Issues
Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …
Social Issues
Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…
Social Issues
A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …
Social Issues
Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …
Social Issues
Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…