Afforestation reshapes wildfire activity across global temperate biomes.

Afforestation increased wildfire activity across global temperate biomes, raising fire occurrence by 26% and burned area by 23% on average across 67,248 satellite-mapped patches since 2001.

• Why it matters: The wildfire impacts of rapidly expanding afforestation are unclear, despite worries that planted forests could intensify burning under more fire-prone climates.
• What they did: Using land-use change data, fire records, and climate plus anthropogenic covariates, the study quantified afforestation effects on fire occurrence and burned area across 67,248 patches in global temperate biomes from 2001 onward.
• The result: Effects varied by biome: fire occurrence rose nearly threefold in Temperate Conifer Forests and by 38% in Mediterranean Woodlands, fell by 18% in Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands, and in Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests decreased occurrence but increased burned area.

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