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Evidence Grows That Active Management Reduces Fire Risk and Protects Rural Communities
A new study from the University of California Merced shows that thinning overcrowded forests and using prescribed fire produces a wide range of benefits that reach far beyond reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfire. Researchers found that these treatments strengthen forest resilience,… -
Study Finds Recently Harvested Forests Provide Key Habitat for Native Bees
A 2023 Oregon State University study shows that recently harvested forests in the Oregon Coast Range provide important habitat for native bees, which become abundant and diverse in the sunny, open conditions created after logging. Researchers say these findings highlight… -
Study Finds Forest Thinning Dramatically Reduces Wildfire Damage and Boosts Drought Resilience
A new study finds that thinning overcrowded forests in California’s Central Sierra Nevada can make wildfires far less destructive and help forests stay healthy during extreme drought. Scientists looked at 216 forest treatments completed between 2015 and 2023 and compared… -
Tackling Wildfire Misinformation and Its Impact
In recent years, wildfires have become more intense and widespread across the globe, from Australia and South America to North America and Siberia. While fire is a natural process in most ecosystems, climate change and past land-use decisions—such as aggressive… -
Forest Carbon Storage No Silver Bullet for Climate Change, Paper Warns
As concerns about climate change grow, many have looked to forests as a possible solution. Trees naturally absorb carbon dioxide from the air, and efforts to store more carbon in forests have been promoted as “nature-based” climate solutions. In fact,… -
Study Reveals How Forest Productivity Affects Bird and Plant Diversity After Disturbance
A recent study tested Huston’s Dynamic Equilibrium Hypothesis to understand how forest productivity affects how biodiversity responds to disturbances like logging. This hypothesis suggests that biodiversity increases when disturbances, such as fires or logging, break the dominance of canopy tree… -
Study Explores How to Balance Timber Growth and Forest Ecosystem Health
Forests provide more than just timber—they support wildlife, pollinators, and culturally important plants. A recent study explored how different levels of herbicide use in young forest stands impact both timber production and these vital ecosystem services. The results offer insights… -
Study Concludes Balanced Forest Management Boosts Tree Growth While Supporting Bird Diversity
A recent study looked at how different forest management strategies affect bird populations and wood production. Researchers compared three intensive forest management treatments (Light, Moderate, and Intensive) created with levels of herbicide application used to control competing vegetation. The 8-year… -
Intensive Forest Management: Meeting Wood Production Needs While Considering Wildlife Conservation
Approximately 9 percent of forests in the United States are categorized as intensively managed forests. These forests are proactively managed using methods like planting, weed control, thinning, and clearcutting to maximize wood production and meet growing resource demands. While these… -
How Energy and Forest Structure Affect Bird Diversity in Northwestern Forests
A new study reveals how energy levels and forest structure influence bird diversity in forests across the northwestern United States. Scientists looked at forests from the Pacific Coast to the Rocky Mountains and found that both the amount of available…