Up to 30% of bird diversity hotspots, places where large numbers of different bird species occur, in the western United States face threats from high-severity wildfires in the future that could eliminate critical forest habitats, according to new research published in the journal Nature Communications.

Scientists from the USDA Forest Service, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and University of New Mexico combined advanced fire forecasting with bird distribution data from eBird to create the first comprehensive map showing where changing fire regimes will have the most impact on bird communities across the western United States.

In addition to identifying where forests are most at risk to severe fire, land managers can use high-resolution maps generated from the new research to pinpoint opportunities to minimize fire impacts. The forward-looking approach also enables targeted conservation planning before fires occur rather than responding after damage is done. Land managers, for example, could seek to reduce fuel loads in areas forecasted to be at risk of severe megafires.

Continue reading about the research on the Lab of Ornithology's website