**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** FIRE EXCLUSION AND ONGOING CLIMATE CHANGE ARE INCREASING THE AREA BURNED BY HIGH-SEVERITY WILDFIRE IN THE WESTERN US. INCREASING TEMPERATURE AND DROUGHT ARE REDUCING REFORESTATION SEEDLING SURVIVAL IN SOUTHWESTERN FORESTS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE PLANTED SEEDLING SURVIVAL BY IDENTIFYING LOCATIONS ON THE LANDSCAPE THAT ARE BUFFERED FROM HEAT AND DROUGHT BASED ON THE POSITION ON THE LANDSCAPE AND THE LOCAL CONDITIONS (E.G. SHRUB COVER, DOWNED LOGS, ETC) THAT CAN ALSO HELP PROVIDE SHADE FOR SEEDLINGS. WE WILL USE DATA FROM A PLANTING EXPERIMENT TO IMPROVE OUR ABILITY TO MODEL WHERE THESE LOCATIONS ARE ON THE LANDSCAPE, WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF PROVIDING FOREST MANAGERS WITH THE INFORMATION NECESSARY TO INCREASE PLANTED SEEDLING SURVIVAL FOLLOWING WILDFIRE.

University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM

Investigators