Carbon costs of different pathways for reducing fire hazard in the Sierra Nevada.

ABSTRACT: Restoring a low-intensity, frequent-fire regime in fire-prone forests offers a promising natural climate solution. Management interventions that include prescribed fire and/or mechanical treatments have effectively reduced fire hazards in the Western United States, yet concerns remain regarding their impact on forest carbon storage. This study used results from a long-term, replicated field experiment to assess the impacts of a restored disturbance regime on carbon dynamics in a Sierra Nevada, mixed conifer forest. The carbon consequences of the treatments were compared to a dynamic baseline of untreated controls (Control). After 19 years of wildfire mitigation, all treated stands stored less carbon than Control, but a larger proportion was sequestered in wildfire-resistant pools (i.e., la

SUBMITTER: Zhu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12580073 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature