JASPER, ALTA. — It could take more than a century for the freshly burned forest in Jasper National Park to regenerate into its previous postcard-perfect form, a wildfire expert says.

The dense forest’s regrowth could be affected by how deep the fire burned into the ground and how many pine cones hatched like popcorn in the intense heat and released seeds — not to mention climate change more generally, said Jen Beverly, an associate professor with the University of Alberta’s Department of Renewable Resources.