Drought and bark beetle induced tree mortality elevates wildfire severity of California’s Sierra Nevada forests: Research Brief
/Our understanding of the influence of recent drought and insect-induced tree mortality on wildfire severity has largely lacked information from forests historically adapted to frequent fire, such as the mixed-conifer forests of California’s Sierra Nevada. We used field data from two wildfires (the 2015 Rough Fire and 2016 Cedar Fire) that burned in areas of recent severe tree mortality to examine whether and under what conditions the pre-fire tree mortality affected wildfire severity.
Wayman RB and Safford HD. 2021. Recent bark beetle outbreaks influence wildfire severity in mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada, California, USA. Ecological Applications. doi:10.1002/eap.2287.
