Indigenous knowledge reveals history of fire-prone California forest

Region
North America
Climate Objective
Adaptation
Planning and Implementation Activity
Analysis and Data Collection
Monitoring and Evaluation
Sectors and Themes
Disaster Risk Reduction
Forestry and Other Land Use
Barriers Overcome
Information
Source
nature.com
Language
English
Case Summary

A collaboration between scientists and Native American tribes finds tree density in parts of the Klamath Mountains is at a record high, and at risk of serious wildfires.

Indigenous oral accounts have helped scientists to reconstruct a 3,000-year history of a large fire-prone forest in California. The results suggest that parts of the forest are denser than ever before, and are at risk of severe wildfires1. The research is part of a growing effort to combine Indigenous knowledge with other scientific data to improve understanding of ecosystem histories.

Further Information

Case study author(s)

Jude Coleman

Year Published
2022