As many forests fail to recover from wildfires, replanting efforts face obstacles

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🗞️ Driving the news: Scientists in Colorado are studying which tree species can survive in areas devastated by wildfires like the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire, as climate change makes natural forest regrowth increasingly difficult
• The U.S. lacks the necessary infrastructure to produce and plant enough seedlings to restore forests across the West

🔭 The context: Wildfires are burning more intensely, destroying seeds necessary for natural regrowth, and leading to vast areas where forests may never return
• The U.S. faces a 3.8 million-acre reforestation backlog, which could triple by 2050

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Forests are crucial for water supply and biodiversity, but climate change and megadroughts are severely hindering reforestation efforts, threatening ecosystem balance and freshwater availability in the western U.S

⏭️ What's next: Researchers are testing new planting strategies, such as planting trees at higher elevations or different species, but expanded seed collection, nursery capacity, and trained workers are urgently needed to meet reforestation goals

💬 One quote: "We’re in a place of such drastic climate change... whether or not they will be forests at all." — Camille Stevens-Rumann, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute

📈 One stat: Nineteen of the 20 largest wildfires recorded in the contiguous U.S. have occurred since 2000

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