America Adapts - The Climate Change Podcast

Doug Parsons hosts Dr. Brandon Collins, an adjunct professor at UC Berkeley and the lead scientist at Berkeley Forests. As wildfires rage in the Western U.S., why are some areas more prone to out of control fires than others?  Brandon explains the ecology of western forests and some of the management options to mitigate against these extreme events. We also discuss the growing impact of climate change on these catastrophic fires and why the land management of a hundred years ago is making it harder for these landscapes to adapt to climate change. Topics covered: Some fires permanently damage the ability of the forest to grow back. What’s the climate signal in present day wildfires? Can we use controlled burns to avoid the largest, most catastrophic fires? What happens to the land post fire? Are fire impacted forests transitioning into new ecosystems? We need year-round fire crews to prescribe burn in the winter. How emerging infrastructure funding in Congress can help in managing fires. Bonus conversation wi