The wildfire season is underway in North Central Florida. University of Florida researchers say too many invasive hardwood trees are crowding the Southeast coast's pine tree population, creating more fuel for fires and making them much harder to fight.

A new UF study recommends cutting down those hardwoods to restore a healthier pine forest.

"We've demonstrated that it's cost-effective to use a combination of forest products to pay for restoration," said Jack Putz with UF Biology. "And in those restored eco-systems, the canopy is more open, the fires don't move from tree to tree, they move along the ground and they're easy to suppress."

Experts say that pine forests require some controlled fires to maintain their health.