Ecological Values of Old Growth Forests
Overview
An old growth forest is much more than a stand of old trees. Old growth is fundamentally an ecological concept and the simple working definition based on stand age does not consider structural and compositional attributes of the forest.
Old-growth forests provide a great number of essential ecosystem services including carbon sequestration and storage, provision of habitat for many species including species at risk, stabilizing riparian areas, moderating climate conditions and providing clean water and oxygen.
The following pages are an in-depth exploration of the existing knowledge of old growth forest ecology in general, with an emphasis on west coast BC old growth, divided into two sections: