Drought conditioning conifer seedlings for post-fire reforestation success

Fire lab seminar series

Thursday, April 9, 2026 - 10am PT/1pm ET

Reforestation success in areas impacted by high-severity wildfire and seasonal moisture limitations require nursery-grown seedlings capable of establishing and surviving in harsh environments. Drought conditioning (i.e. restricted nursery irrigation regimes) has the potential to improve planting outcomes, although assessments of effectiveness based on replicated field trials in operational settings are rare. Here, we present findings from both our experimental greenhouse study as well as survival and performance of outplanted seedlings.