Old Growth Forests:  Islands of Biodiversity

Majestic poplars and oaks towering over the forest floor.... a "virgin" forest untouched by people.  That's what sometimes the view of old growth forest.  The reality is far more rewarding and complex. Let's take a look at what old growth really is and the important role it plays.  We'll also clear up some misconceptions that  appear about old growth, and how to identify potential old growth in the wild.​​  Scroll down and find out!

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Old Growth forests are not just "old trees".  In a sense, the age of trees is a kind of shorthand for the many complex ecological relationships that only time with minimal human disturbance can develop.  True, the benefits of bigger trees are obvious: providing habitat for numerous animals, as a food source, and the well-understood capacity for holding down soil.  Yet low-disturbance forests are also have greater vegetative structure than young tree stands, deeper soils, greater diversity of species, more microhabitats, and greater resilience to natural disturbances.  
Other reasons why Old Growth is Important:

• Old growth forests are biodiversity islands in a fragmented landscape. They often serve as ecosystem libraries.

• Old growth forest structure can be remarkably resilient to invasive species.  For example, a study of an old growth stand in Lily Coronet Woods in Eastern Kentucky found 263 species in a 52 hectare area, with only one being non native, virtually unheard of in most places. [1]

• ​Old growth forests are also better at nutrient cycling due to the development of complex fungal networks.