Tree life cycle data helps us understand how a forest regenerates (grows) after a disturbance, such as a fire, or after a forest is managed for fuel reduction. This data informs us of which tree species are regrowing and what the future composition of the forest might be. 

Plant diversity, the different species of plants in a forest, is an important measure for scientists and land managers. Plants provide food and shelter to a variety of animals, help supply clean air and water and help ecosystems withstand threats such as diseases or climate change. Invasive species such as Scotch Broom or Himalayan blackberry can displace native plants and reduce overall plant diversity at a site. Plant diversity may also change following a disturbance (i.e. fire) or a forest management technique (i.e. fuel clearing). Each plant species may have specialized structures that enable it to survive following disturbances and management. 

Understanding how fire interacts and behaves in a forest is important to mitigate fire risk and help manage our forests. In the biosphere, characterizing and measuring forest fuels (what can burn in a forest) can help us predict how a fire might behave. Forest fuels include twigs, branches, live vegetation such as shrubs or invasive species, pine needles and more. Both the atmosphere and hydrosphere can interact with forest fuels in the biosphere (i.e. rain making fuels more moist) and subsequently affect how a fire behaves (i.e. weather affecting how a fire moves).