nprnews_____ = ||| lubuntu at wor1|||As Wildfires Grow More Intense, Iconic Western Forests May Not Come Back||| kickerpage = |||no kicker pagenpr for NPRNEWS||| summarynpr = |||Extreme fires are more likely with climate change, and they're making it harder for some tree species to regenerate. Ecologists say this could transform large areas of Western forest into grassland.

Nearly two decades after the 2002 Hayman fire in Colorado, this high-severity burn area near Cheesman Lake is still treeless.



Michael Elizabeth Sakas/CPR News


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Michael Elizabeth Sakas/CPR News

Environment And Energy Collaborative

As Wildfires Grow More Intense, Iconic Western Forests May Not Come Back

CPR News

Extreme fires are more likely with climate change, and they're making it harder for some tree species to regenerate. Ecologists say this could transform large areas of Western forest into grassland.