As wildfires rage again in the West, researchers in Oregon say the resulting smoke may have a benefit: It can help little trees grow.
Scientists at Oregon State University’s forestry school recently discovered that wildfire smoke may dull heat from the summer sun just enough to help keep tree seedlings from withering.
Their work, published in the May 8 Canadian Journal of Forest Research, offers yet another nuanced view of wildfires, which can be as beneficial to nature as they are destructive to people and communities.
The researchers found that wildfire smoke in a thinned area of the Willamette National Forest during a 2021 heat wave had the same cooling effect as a 15 percent increase in tree canopy, creating conditions more favorable to seedlings.
