Fire surpasses drought as top driver of western forest loss

ESA 2026 meeting findings: fire now surpasses drought as the primary driver of western forest loss, a paradigm shift for carbon sinks and recovery. Great Salt Lake crisis threatens migratory birds. AI monitoring documented failure modes. Also: Minnesota boreal forests at risk from wildfires and climate change (Lee Frelich). A new study warns human-caused warming could compress 3 million years of tropical change into decades, highlighting Amazon vulnerability.