The useful question is what changes for users, developers or buyers, and whether the announcement stays industry context or becomes something people can actually use.

In 2020, the Dome Fire burned over 43,000 acres in Mojave National Preserve, destroying more than a million Joshua trees. Researchers Maya Zomer and Lucia Layritz observed charred remains but also found resilient green resprouts, signaling some survival. The team recognized the urgent need for rapid assessment tools to guide recovery efforts in a landscape where Joshua trees face existential threats from worsening wildfires and climate change.

Joshua trees, native to the Mojave, Great Basin, and Sonoran Deserts, can live over a century but are increasingly vulnerable due to hotter, drier conditions and invasive grasses that fuel larger fires. A 2019 UC Riverside study warned of their near-disappearance from Joshua Tree National Park. Researchers at Berkeley’s Schmidt Center for Data Science & Environment partnered with the National Park Service to create software that quickly evaluates fire damage and supports recovery planning, addressing the desert’s unique challenges where traditional forest fire assessment methods fail.

The new tools include a burn severity assessment that uses satellite data tailored for desert ecosystems, providing park managers with rapid, accurate maps of fire impact. After the 2024 Eureka Fire and 2025 Black Rock Fire in Joshua Tree National Park, the tool helped assess damage and guide recovery plans. Nick Graver, a park botany lead, noted its role in combining satellite analysis with field assessments to inform decisions on vegetation recovery and resource allocation.

A second tool, the scenario planning platform Josh, launched in 2025, allows managers to simulate long-term outcomes of restoration strategies like planting or herbivory protection under climate change scenarios. The goal is to empower parks to make data-driven recovery decisions independently, ensuring efforts are targeted where they are most likely to succeed. Researchers aim for these tools to become self-sufficient resources for rapid wildfire response in desert landscapes.