In hotter, drier areas where natural regeneration is weaker, well-timed tree planting can boost post-fire forest recovery by up to 200 percent, according to research by Andrew Latimer and Derek Young, in the Department of Plant Sciences.
UC Davis research shows low- and moderate-severity wildfires can reduce future fire intensity for up to 20 years. Using satellite data, scientists found past fires help manage fuel loads, offering insights for forest resilience and wildfire mitigation.
New research from the University of California, Davis, published in the journal Global Change Biology Bioenergy, examines the good and bad uses of biomass and the best pathways to meet California’s goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 85 percent of 1990 levels by 2045.
Researchers from UC Davis used the 2018 River Fire as a rare chance to study wildfire effects on soil, plants, and grazing lands. Their data are now helping others assess livestock impacts and track post-fire drought recovery.
Post-wildfire grazing didn’t significantly raise toxic metals in lamb meat or wool, a UC Davis study found—reassuring news for food safety. Researchers call for continued monitoring as wildfires reshape grazing landscapes.
UC Davis Prof. Mary L. Cadenasso and colleagues propose a framework for understanding human-natural disasters, highlighting how human actions and natural processes combine to create events like wildfires, exacerbated by climate change.
