Conifer regeneration failure in northern New Mexico

Higher temperatures and aridity across the western United States is fundamentally shifting fire regimes and ecological succession. In the southwestern U.S., wildfires are burning more acreage and at higher severity, resulting in extensive conifer mortality. Subsequent unfavorable climatic conditions during post-fire conifer recovery are resulting in limited conifer regeneration or regeneration failure.

The goals of this project are to: 1) investigate when and where conifer regeneration failure occurs under historical and future climate conditions and fire regimes, 2) determine the primary drivers of conifer regeneration failure, and 3) how post-conifer regeneration failure may alter ecosystem composition and structure.

Bryce DiNardo (M.S. student) and Melissa Lucash