AS MORE ORGANIZATIONS AND COMPANIES , INCLUDING HP , COMMIT TO REFORESTATION AROUND THE WORLD , PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO SEE THE BIG PICTURE – AND IT ’ S NOT AS SIMPLE AS PLANTING ANY TREE , ANYWHERE .
by christina nunez
In November 2018 , a forest fire ignited in the extreme drought conditions of Butte County in Northern California , tearing down the steep terrain and through small towns in a literal firestorm . By the time the
Camp Fire was contained , it turned out to be the
deadliest and most destructive blaze in California ’ s history , killing 85 people and burning 153,336 acres .
Now scientists like
Joseph Stewart , an ecologist and postdoctoral researcher at the University of California , Davis , are researching how to repair and replant the region . Some forest fires make way for new tree growth and a stronger , more resilient ecosystem . But after an intense blaze such as the Camp Fire , the trees may be gone for good if the super-dry conditions lead to higher seedling mortality .
“ Even if there are seeds left , there ’ s less chance that the forest is going to be able to come back on its own ,” says Stewart . His research focuses on two questions : what to plant and where — particularly after megafires like the Camp Fire . The devastation yields an opportunity where he and other scientists can devise strategies to bring forests back and , at the same time , make them more resistant to climate change .
“ We ’ ve got a pretty challenging situation in terms of the amount of forest that is in degraded conditions right now ,” Stewart says . “ But the flip side of that is , there ’ s a lot of opportunity to learn from our efforts to repair and make our forests more resilient as we ’ re engaging in those efforts .”
The complexity of reforestation , or the act of restoring a razed or degraded forest back to a living landscape , goes beyond the basic work of just planting trees . Planting to replace what was lost can seem like the most obvious answer . After all , a single mature tree can store carbon , produce oxygen , filter water , provide shelter and food for people and wildlife , stop soil erosion … the list of benefits goes on . But it ’ s not as simple as planting any tree , anywhere .
This is the heart of responsible reforestation : right species , right place , right reason . The goal is to ensure a lasting , thriving ecosystem where native species support the wildlife — everything from fungi and insects to birds and mammals — that has evolved alongside them . Halting and reversing the destruction of forests means protecting and managing them for the long term .
PHOTOGRAPH BY
Fighting the Camp Fire in Butte County , California . Tending young eucalyptus saplings at a nursery on a farm near Qinzhou , Guangxi , China , opposite .
HP / INNOVATION / SUMMER 2022 47