August wildfires burned tens of thousands of acres in seven UC natural reserves, including a quarter of UC Berkeley’s Hastings Natural History Reservation in Carmel Valley.
Drone surveys of these reserves are now revealing the extent of the damage and providing data that can help scientists understand the long-term and short-term damage caused by fires.
“Although the burns are tragic, in many ways, they present an unparalleled opportunity to understand how California’s ecosystems recover from wildfire,” says Peggy Fiedler, executive director of the UC Natural Reserve System (NRS). “Our teams will gather baseline information that can guide recovery efforts on our reserves and across the West.”
Many of the areas burned are extremely rugged. The capacity to fly drones across hazards such as ravines, cliffs, thick brush and poison oak will enable the scientists to obtain more comprehensive surveys of areas charred by fire.
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Image via Becca Fenwick.