Whitebark Institute was fortunate to host John Williams, Fire Ecologist with The Nature Conservancy.
In this Science on Tap talk, learn how fire in Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades forests has changed dramatically due to climate warming and over a century of fire suppression. While modern annual area burned is still below historical levels, it’s rapidly increasing—and fires today burn with much higher severity. Forests once shaped by frequent, low-intensity fires are now experiencing larger, more destructive wildfires, leading to major ecological shifts in forest structure, species composition, wildlife habitat, carbon storage, ecosystem services, and resilience.
Filmed during Science on Tap event on November 6, 2025 at Distant Brewing Company, Mammoth Lakes, CA.