Post-fire tree planting significantly accelerates forest recovery in burned areas, increasing regrowth rates by 25.7%.  That’s according to a first-of-its-kind study by researchers at the Ecological Research Institute (ERI) of Northern Arizona University, recently published in the scientific journal Forest Ecology and Management. Recent policy changes and significant financial investments aim to accelerate tree planting efforts nationwide; however, the large-scale effectiveness and impact of post-fire planting has remained largely unknown, until now. Lead author Kyle Rodman, an ERI research scientist, said this study gives researchers and policymakers alike an in-depth look at the effectiveness of tree replanting in landscapes that have been increasingly affected by wildfires.