The Goldilocks Effect for Wildfires

Oregon State University uncovered a Goldilocks effect when it was researching the ability of a wildfire to improve the health of a forest. Unless a blaze falls in a narrow severity range, neither too hot nor too cold, it isn’t very good at helping forest landscapes return to their historical, more fire-tolerant conditions. Additionally, one blaze can’t restore species composition to its historical norm in a forest that evolved amid frequent, low-severity fires, the scientists found.

The study led by Skye Greenler, a graduate research fellow in the OSU College of Forestry, and Chris Dunn, an assistant professor in the college, has important implications for land managers charged with restoring ecosystems and reducing fire hazards in dry forests such as those east of the Cascade Range.