Timely prediction of wildfire burn severity in California forests With spaceborne observations of 3D vegetation structure

This project's overarching objective is to demonstrate the value of NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) spaceborne lidar for systematic and timely wildfire severity prediction, and to assess how GEDI-detected structural changes due to wildfire and fuels treatments alter predictions of future wildfire severity in California forests. Our research will provide insights into post-wildfire recovery, forest management strategies to reduce wildfire risk, contemporary fire regimes, and potential fire impacts under extreme wind conditions and in wildland-urban interface areas. Taking advantage of GEDI's broad spatial and frequent temporal coverage, our analysis will focus on conifer and hardwood trees in closed-canopy forests to open-canopy woodlands in the North Coast, Central Coast and Sierra regions of California.