Megafires, drought and heat killing conifer seedlings in US west – study

Fire ecologists analysed data from over 10,000 locations and 334 wildfires to assess how post-blaze conditions affect tree growth

The ancient, towering ponderosa pines and Douglas firs that dot the west are dying off at an alarming rate – and increasingly intense megafires, drought and heat are making it harder for their seedlings to grow, a new study has found.

In an expansive study, a team of more than 50 fire ecologists analysed data from more than 10,000 locations after 334 wildfires to assess how the severity of a fire and the weather conditions afterwards affected conifers across the US west.