LOS ANGELES, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Scientists at the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) have developed a cost-effective method using satellite data to assess how forests recover from wildfires, potentially transforming land and fire management practices, a release of the agency said Monday.

The scientific study combines imagery from two NASA satellites with specialized land classification data from the U.S. Geological Survey. The approach allows scientists to evaluate the percentage of forest recovery and compare the pace of regeneration across different land protection categories.

Traditionally, burned area recovery has been evaluated through labor-intensive field surveys. The new remote sensing method offers a faster and more economical alternative, according to the study.

"We've developed a simple framework that could give fire and land managers the ability to easily see what efforts make a difference in forest recovery after a wildfire," said Shima Shams, NSF NCAR scientist and lead author of the study. "This method is a quick, cost-effective way to help managers know where to focus funds to get the maximum benefit." ■