Flavie Pelletier

Researchers at McGill University have confirmed that aspen play a key role in forest fire prevention and mitigation across Canada. Planting these trees near communities can reduce both the likelihood and severity of fires and limit how far they spread, the researchers said. “Aspen is not a 100 per cent effective fire deterrent, but compared with other species, it is a better choice to plant around communities or critical infrastructure,” said Flavie Pelletier, lead author and recent PhD graduate in Natural Resource Sciences. While individual aspen trees burn easily due to traits like thin bark, large aspen stands have the opposite effect, with bigger patches linked to lower fire severity. …Pelletier said that the team used previously unavailable remote-sensing data to do a large-scale analysis of how fires and aspen interact. …Because some forestry companies remove aspen to promote commercially valuable conifers, the findings could also influence forest management practices.