Post-fire forest recovery tools developed

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Restocking forest patches after fires is important but relies on landscape and local factors, making successful tree replacement and forest recovery difficult. Now, a team of geographers analyzed forest recovery to develop aids for managers in maintaining forests.

"We used to think forests were resilient, but we are increasingly seeing that the pace of fire is alarming," said Erica A.H. Smithwick, distinguished professor of geography, Penn State. "We found that managers need tools to decide how to manage post-fire reconstruction."