Wildfire and carbon cycling in forests and grasslands

Wildfire-burning vegetation is a common feature of western US landscapes and has profound effects on ecosystems and livelihoods. These trends are exacerbated by land management and climate change, resulting in more frequent and severe burning. Despite their importance, we lack a quantitative understanding of the biomass and carbon dynamics driven by wildfires. To address this knowledge gap, this study will use cutting-edge remote sensing data to examine the decadal-long effects of wildfires on vegetation biomass and carbon.