California lost 1.3M Joshua trees in 2020 Dome Fire; new software aids recovery
Scientists are using new digital tools to aid the recovery of Joshua trees in California's Mojave National Preserve following the devastating 2020 Dome Fire. The software helps park managers identify areas where restoration efforts are most likely to succeed amidst climate-driven threats.
Why it matters
Technological intervention is becoming essential for preserving biodiversity in ecosystems increasingly threatened by climate change and invasive species.
California lost as many as 1.3 million Joshua trees when the 43,000-acre (17,400-hectare) Dome Fire burned through the Mojave National Preserve in 2020.According to the University of California, Berkeley, scientists at the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center for Data Science & Environment (DSE) have partnered with the US National Park Service to develop digital fire recovery tools. The new software helps park managers quickly map fire damage and focus restoration work on areas where fragile desert plants are most likely to survive.Dystopian landscapes demand swift interventionWhen UC Berkeley postdoctoral researchers Maya Zomer and Lucia Layritz travelled through burned parts of the Mojave National Preserve after the 2020 fire, they saw miles of charred vegetation that looked like a moonscape.
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