In order to realize the full potential of reforestation in the United States, the nations tree nurseries need to increase seedling production by an additional 1.7 billion each year, a 2.4-fold increase over current nursery production. Owen Burney, superintendent of the NMSU John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center at Mora, contributed to a new study published by the science journal Frontiers in Forests and Global Change. (NMSU photo by Jane Moorman)
These numbers, taken from a new study co-authored by a New Mexico State University researcher and 17 other scientists from across the U.S., show the promise of increased nursery output as a way to fight climate change, create jobs, and recover from uncharacteristically severe wildfires.