A new study from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) demonstrates that combining the physical harvesting of dead wood with traditional thinning techniques can dramatically reduce wildfire risks and enhance carbon storage.
This novel approach could offer a vital solution for forest management amid the increasing threat of wildfires in the Western United States.
A New Chapter in Wildfire Management
For over a century, fire suppression policies along with the effects of global warming and prolonged drought have led to increasingly destructive wildfires in the Western United States.
Traditional forest management methods, such as prescribed burns and thinning, aim to reduce the fuel that drives these fires.
However, these methods can sometimes fall short due to the rapid buildup of surface fuels and the unintended consequences of prescribed burns, which include potential wildfires, degraded air quality and health risks.
“In our increasingly warming world with frequent dangerous fire weather, more people and structures at risk in the wildland-urban interface, health risks from exposure to smoke, and need to enhance carbon sequestration to mitigate global warming, scientists need to examine effective alternative management actions,” co-author Scott H. Markwith, a professor in the Department of Geosciences within FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, said in a news release.
“By combining physical harvesting with thinning – removing smaller or fire-vulnerable trees – evidence from this research suggests we can help restore healthy, resilient forests. This approach, paired with transforming wood into carbon-storing products rather than burning it, could reduce wildfire severity and smoke and carbon emissions, while also generating carbon credits,” Markwith continued.
Harnessing Indigenous Wisdom and Modern Science
For millennia, Indigenous Peoples in the Western United States have managed forests using controlled burns and the collection of non-timber forest products, practices that modern science is beginning to appreciate.
The FAU research team investigated an innovative approach that involves physically harvesting dead wood without burning, aiming to minimize wildfire risks while enhancing carbon storage in the Sierra Nevada.
By simulating eight different forest management treatments, the researchers assessed which strategies were most effective in reducing wildfire behavior and carbon emissions.
The study, published in the Journal of Environmental Management, found that combining physical harvesting with thinning significantly reduced tree mortality, crown fire risks and carbon emissions while promoting carbon sequestration through products like biochar.
“Over time, repeated fuel reduction treatments, such as prescribed burns, can emit more carbon than a single wildfire in an untreated forest,” added lead author Rabindra Parajuli, a doctoral graduate from the FAU Department of Geosciences. “However, by harvesting dead wood and converting it into biochar – a stable form of carbon – emissions can be reduced. This process not only mitigates health impacts but also increases carbon sequestration, helping to offset the effects of climate change while promoting healthier forest ecosystems.”
Future Directions in Forest Management
This research highlights the importance of exploring alternative management actions to meet the challenges posed by climate change and increased wildfire risks.
Long-term studies, including both simulation modeling and field experiments, will be essential to evaluate the effectiveness of these methods across various forest types.