Climate change contributes to changes in wildfire growth in a number of ways. The three main examples are increases in carbon dioxide, increases in temperature, and fluctuations in precipitation. Carbon dioxide is naturally occurring and is necessary for photosynthesis, which plants need to grow. With enough water present, higher levels of CO2 can even make trees more productive. However, in the West and Southeast, where dry seasons occur every year, this CO2 level does nothing to help promote growth. Additionally, while warmer temperatures can make the growing season longer, it also can cause certain species to dry out and die, making them perfect tinder for fires. Climate change also greatly increases the risk of drought in some areas, and higher levels of precipitation in others. Drought works in a twofold way: it dries out tress and shrubs, providing fuel for fires, and it inhibits the trees' ability to produce sap, making them vulnerable to disease and infestation by insects like beetles that ultimately destroy them. Scientists believe that the point of research for the next decade needs to focus on understanding better how climate affects disturbances (wildfires, infestations, hurricanes, drought, windstorms, etc), because in a number of ways, our understanding of what climatological conditions lead to certain disasterous outcomes is still quite limited. Improved programs and monitoring will lead to a return of balance to forests and predicting disasters and managing them.
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