The Missoulian.  April  2, 2019

Lance Olsen

A University of Montana research team has pinpointed new evidence that hotter, drier conditions make it hard for tree seedlings to survive after fire. This important new evidence confirms previous studies that arrived at the same conclusion, specifically that hotter, drier times leave western US conifer seedlings at risk of shriveling and dying before they can bring new forest into being after fire.

The Missoulian’s recent headline, Forest to Grasslands, summed it up pretty well. A longer summary is possible — The hotter and drier conditions so favorable to fire are unfavorable to survival of seedlings after fire has come and gone.

Many will have lingering questions even after the important new evidence provided by the UM team. One of these questions, likely of immediate interest, centers around seedling survival after logging — if hotter and drier conditions have killing effect on seedlings after…