The majestic forests of the American West tower with iconic trees that hold decades, even centuries, of history in their heights and rings. But young, fledgling trees also tell significant stories about climate and the potential for forests to bounce back following wildfires, such as the ones that have afflicted the West with increasing intensity over the last several years. Now, that potential for renewal may be imperiled amid a warming climate and more frequent droughts and calamitous blazes. “Small trees tend to be more sensitive to climate than mature…
