Listen to Arizona Public Media Interview With Dr. Don Falk About the Bighorn Fire

In a recent interview with Arizona Public Media, Dr. Don Falk, CCASS Advisory Team Member and Professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment, talks about renewal and resilience in the Santa Catalina Mountains after this summer's Bighorn Fire. Dr. Falk highlights the fact that recovery will happen over time, but that the mountains may look different in the future from what we see today. Climate change has led to hotter and drier weather events, drying out forest fuels and increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires across the western United States. The lack of monsoon rains this season did not help. Dr. Falk points out, "...after this and future fires, parts of the mountains may shift to a different mix of plants than we've been used to. Ecosystems aren't static, and the understanding we have of a place is only a short chapter in a long narrative."

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