Intensive Forest Management Increases Fire Severity

A recent paper examined the role that plantation forestry has on fire severity, and compared this to the relative importance of other variables known to drive fire severity (topography, weather, and fuels). This is important research because a frequent assertion made is that intensively managed forests, characterized by densely planted, even-aged young trees, are less prone to high fire severity. This research paper discovered the opposite to be true.

READ THE PAPER AT SIERRA FOREST LEGACY