Storing carbon in forests is an essential, nature-based buffer against climate change. Yet forests packed with too many trees increase the threat of severe wildfires… A team of UC Merced and collaborating researchers evaluated the tradeoffs between two seemingly opposing scenarios: Trees are critical because they pull carbon dioxide from the air, preventing carbon from adding to greenhouse effects that trap heat and warm the atmosphere; and the increasing severity and danger of wildfires call for the thinning of overly dense forests. The researchers found that the best approach is a combination of both. They reported that forests can provide wildfire safety and be effective carbon collectors if trees are selectively harvested and turned into long-lived wood products. …The researchers concluded that the Sierra Nevada can remain a long-term carbon sink if land managers thin small trees, store carbon from harvested biomass in durable wood products, and use prescribed fire strategically.