Canadian researchers study forest recovery as global wildfires continue

Canadian researchers are studying the plant and animal life that regenerates after severe forest fires, according to Mongabay. Four of the five worst years recorded for global forest fires have occurred since 2021. Wildfires in 2026 have forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes across North America, Europe, and Africa. [1]

The research follows a record-setting series of wildfires in Canada that began in March 2023 and intensified that June. All 13 Canadian provinces and territories experienced fires during that season, with major blazes recorded in Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec. [2]

The 2023 Canadian wildfire season resulted in the largest area burned in the recorded history of Canada and North America. It surpassed previous record-setting fire seasons in 1989, 1995, and 2014 in Canada, as well as the 2020 fire season in the western United States. [2]

The ongoing scientific project studying post-fire recovery received support through a grant for 2025 and 2026 from the Sitka Foundation and the Science Media Centre of Canada, Mongabay reported. [1]