A new study,\u00a0funded by NASA,\u00a0found that giant sequoias were\u00a0nearly\u00a0four times more likely to survive extreme wildfires in forests that have been managed with\u00a0prescribed burns, which decrease tree mortality.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
Giant sequoias are a unique species, only\u00a0naturally\u00a0found on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. These\u202f\u00a0trees, which can reach\u00a0more than\u00a0300 feet in height and\u00a0more than\u00a030 feet in diameter, are keystones of the ecosystem and serve as carbon sinks,\u00a0water filters, and\u00a0structural habitats\u00a0for birds, insects,\u00a0and small mammals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Recent wildfires have caused far more deaths among giant sequoias than usual, threatening their future.\u00a0Prescribed, or \u201ccontrolled\u201d\u00a0burns help the trees by thinning underbrush, dead wood,\u00a0and other dry fuels, reducing the\u202flikelihood\u202fof mortality from high-intensity wildfires.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
Researchers analyzed data<\/a>\u00a0on 26,403 giant sequoias across 19 groves in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in the wake of the 2020 and 2021 fire seasons, when a\u00a0record\u00a06.8\u00a0million acres burned across California.\u00a0The study was published July\u00a011\u00a0in the journal Nature Communications. During those two years,19% of the total mature giant sequoia population\u00a0across the range\u00a0was destroyed.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n The team combined lidar, stem maps, high-resolution imagery, and modeling techniques to estimate giant sequoia mortality in relation to\u00a0forest management\u00a0practices\u00a0and found that prescribed burns saved roughly 1,800 giant sequoias.\u00a0<\/p>\n While prescribed burns are widely considered\u00a0among\u00a0the best ways to protect giant sequoias, evidence\u00a0to date\u00a0has been primarily anecdotal.\u00a0This\u00a0study showed the value of high-resolution remote sensing for species-specific conservation efforts, with applications for old-growth forests\u00a0worldwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n To learn more about NASA\u2019s missions, visit:\u00a0https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/earth<\/a><\/p>\n ~ Milan Loiacono<\/em><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cropped-james-riordion-300x300.jpg\"\/)
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