A horizon scan to inform research priorities on post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery in the western United States
The frequency, severity, and scale of extreme wildfire events is increasing globally, with certain regions such as the western United States disproportionately impacted. As attention shifts toward understanding how to adapt to and recover from extreme wildfire, there is a need to prioritize where ad...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2025.1595886/full |
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| author | Kelly W. Jones Kelly W. Jones Daniel Cadol Melinda Morgan Camille Stevens-Rumann Camille Stevens-Rumann Diane Agnew Owen Burney James Calabaza Marin E. Chambers Catrin M. Edgeley Donald Falk Lee G. Hughes Chris Marsh Courtney A. Schultz Laura McCarthy Ryan Morrison Manuel Montoya Julie Padowski Matt Piccarello Jeremiah R. Pinto Jesse Roach Michael Roberts Kyle Rodman Jack Triepke Lani Tsinnajinnie Nicolena vonHedemann Alex J. Webster William C. Buettner Abelino Fernandez Leger Alyssa Mineau Lindsey Rotche Gregory Russell Jamie Woolet |
| author_facet | Kelly W. Jones Kelly W. Jones Daniel Cadol Melinda Morgan Camille Stevens-Rumann Camille Stevens-Rumann Diane Agnew Owen Burney James Calabaza Marin E. Chambers Catrin M. Edgeley Donald Falk Lee G. Hughes Chris Marsh Courtney A. Schultz Laura McCarthy Ryan Morrison Manuel Montoya Julie Padowski Matt Piccarello Jeremiah R. Pinto Jesse Roach Michael Roberts Kyle Rodman Jack Triepke Lani Tsinnajinnie Nicolena vonHedemann Alex J. Webster William C. Buettner Abelino Fernandez Leger Alyssa Mineau Lindsey Rotche Gregory Russell Jamie Woolet |
| author_sort | Kelly W. Jones |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The frequency, severity, and scale of extreme wildfire events is increasing globally, with certain regions such as the western United States disproportionately impacted. As attention shifts toward understanding how to adapt to and recover from extreme wildfire, there is a need to prioritize where additional research and evidence are needed to inform decision-making. In this paper, we use a horizon-scanning approach to identify key topics that could guide post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery efforts in the western United States over the next few decades. Horizon scanning is a method that uses an iterative and structured expert-elicitation process to identify emerging themes or set research agendas. Experts from across researcher and practitioner organizations identified 12 topics as having the greatest potential impact, and being the most time-sensitive to address, for advancing knowledge on post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery. Five topics fall under the social sciences, including institutional coordination, collaborative governance, pre-fire planning, community engagement and equity, and workforce development; four topics relate to forest management, including seed and seedlings, outplanting strategies, post-fire forest trajectories, and climate-informed reforestation; and three relate to hydrology, including soil erosion mitigation, flood and debris flow mitigation, and post-fire water quantity and quality trajectories. While conducted for the contiguous western United States, this analysis is relevant for other regions where both people and forests are impacted by extreme wildfire events. Addressing these topics has the potential to improve the equity, effectiveness, and efficiency of post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery responses. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5edccd5ef58241d0af204e1a7ab2ca2d |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2624-893X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change |
| spelling | doaj-art-5edccd5ef58241d0af204e1a7ab2ca2d2025-08-20T02:40:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Forests and Global Change2624-893X2025-07-01810.3389/ffgc.2025.15958861595886A horizon scan to inform research priorities on post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery in the western United StatesKelly W. Jones0Kelly W. Jones1Daniel Cadol2Melinda Morgan3Camille Stevens-Rumann4Camille Stevens-Rumann5Diane Agnew6Owen Burney7James Calabaza8Marin E. Chambers9Catrin M. Edgeley10Donald Falk11Lee G. Hughes12Chris Marsh13Courtney A. Schultz14Laura McCarthy15Ryan Morrison16Manuel Montoya17Julie Padowski18Matt Piccarello19Jeremiah R. Pinto20Jesse Roach21Michael Roberts22Kyle Rodman23Jack Triepke24Lani Tsinnajinnie25Nicolena vonHedemann26Alex J. Webster27William C. Buettner28Abelino Fernandez Leger29Alyssa Mineau30Lindsey Rotche31Gregory Russell32Jamie Woolet33Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United StatesJTH Forestry Research Center, New Mexico State University, Mora, NM, United StatesDepartment of Earth and Environmental Science, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM, United StatesDepartment of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United StatesDepartment of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United StatesColorado Forest Restoration Institute, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United StatesAlbuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, Albuquerque, NM, United StatesJTH Forestry Research Center, New Mexico State University, Mora, NM, United StatesTrees, Water and People, Fort Collins, CO, United StatesColorado Forest Restoration Institute, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United StatesSchool of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States0School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States1Philmont Scout Ranch Conservation Department, BSA, Cimarron, NM, United States2Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United StatesDepartment of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States3New Mexico Forestry Division, Santa Fe, NM, United States4Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States5Department of Economics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States6School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States7Forest Stewards Guild, Santa Fe, NM, United States8USDA Forest Service Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources, Moscow, ID, United States9City of Santa Fe Water, Santa Fe, NM, United States0New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute, New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, NM, United States1Ecological Restoration Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States2USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Region, Albuquerque, NM, United States3Department of Community and Regional Planning, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States1Ecological Restoration Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States2Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United StatesDepartment of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United StatesDepartment of Earth and Environmental Science, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM, United StatesDepartment of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United StatesDepartment of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United StatesDepartment of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United StatesDepartment of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United StatesThe frequency, severity, and scale of extreme wildfire events is increasing globally, with certain regions such as the western United States disproportionately impacted. As attention shifts toward understanding how to adapt to and recover from extreme wildfire, there is a need to prioritize where additional research and evidence are needed to inform decision-making. In this paper, we use a horizon-scanning approach to identify key topics that could guide post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery efforts in the western United States over the next few decades. Horizon scanning is a method that uses an iterative and structured expert-elicitation process to identify emerging themes or set research agendas. Experts from across researcher and practitioner organizations identified 12 topics as having the greatest potential impact, and being the most time-sensitive to address, for advancing knowledge on post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery. Five topics fall under the social sciences, including institutional coordination, collaborative governance, pre-fire planning, community engagement and equity, and workforce development; four topics relate to forest management, including seed and seedlings, outplanting strategies, post-fire forest trajectories, and climate-informed reforestation; and three relate to hydrology, including soil erosion mitigation, flood and debris flow mitigation, and post-fire water quantity and quality trajectories. While conducted for the contiguous western United States, this analysis is relevant for other regions where both people and forests are impacted by extreme wildfire events. Addressing these topics has the potential to improve the equity, effectiveness, and efficiency of post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery responses.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2025.1595886/fulldisasterecosystem sustainabilityhazardpost-fire erosionpost-fire floodingreforestation |
| spellingShingle | Kelly W. Jones Kelly W. Jones Daniel Cadol Melinda Morgan Camille Stevens-Rumann Camille Stevens-Rumann Diane Agnew Owen Burney James Calabaza Marin E. Chambers Catrin M. Edgeley Donald Falk Lee G. Hughes Chris Marsh Courtney A. Schultz Laura McCarthy Ryan Morrison Manuel Montoya Julie Padowski Matt Piccarello Jeremiah R. Pinto Jesse Roach Michael Roberts Kyle Rodman Jack Triepke Lani Tsinnajinnie Nicolena vonHedemann Alex J. Webster William C. Buettner Abelino Fernandez Leger Alyssa Mineau Lindsey Rotche Gregory Russell Jamie Woolet A horizon scan to inform research priorities on post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery in the western United States Frontiers in Forests and Global Change disaster ecosystem sustainability hazard post-fire erosion post-fire flooding reforestation |
| title | A horizon scan to inform research priorities on post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery in the western United States |
| title_full | A horizon scan to inform research priorities on post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery in the western United States |
| title_fullStr | A horizon scan to inform research priorities on post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery in the western United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | A horizon scan to inform research priorities on post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery in the western United States |
| title_short | A horizon scan to inform research priorities on post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery in the western United States |
| title_sort | horizon scan to inform research priorities on post wildfire forest restoration and recovery in the western united states |
| topic | disaster ecosystem sustainability hazard post-fire erosion post-fire flooding reforestation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2025.1595886/full |
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