Old growth forests

Old growth is a term used in forest community ecology to convey a very late successional stage, where the dominant tree species in the location has attained a very old age. Ecologically, old growth forest is very important, therefore, measurements and indexes should be used to reflect the value these habitats hold. I suggest that an old-growth habitat index be used to reflect the “old-growth quality” of the upland and floodplain regions in Prospect Park. Most “old-growth” indices capture multiple qualities of the trees such as trees with dbh’s of over 100cm, diversity of tree sizes, standing dead trees greater than 50cm dbh and larger than 15 m. These three elements are readily available in forest inventory data sets and are easily calculated in the field; however, height was not calculated for this data set. Therefore, using a comparison of the number of snags of Sycamores and Silver Maples in the Floodplain data and Red and White Oaks in the Upland data, which were the most dominate species in the respective sites, a index can be created. Snags are just as vital as live trees and data was collected on dead trees in each site. Snags made up approximately 3.0% and 1.02% at the Upland and Floodplain sites respectively. A higher percentage of snags, and especially snags with large dbh’s, indicate old growth is increasing. Therefore, from this index it would appear that Prospect Park Upland old growth is increasing. Ecologically this may suggest…

success there is also great loss. This land, before the modern era, was flourished with countless amounts of full, healthy forests and the species that lived throughout the years. Yet, the forests were in the way of a bigger idea that humans wanted to establish and that is advancement with big business. Deforestation is clearing Earth 's forests on a massive scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of the land. (National Geo) Then once…

deforestation putting an end to many of the most unique animals on the planet. Chile has over 80 percent of their natural forest wiped out. Due to the demand for wooded products many large companies have wiped out native forest area and even planted non-native trees, which now dominate throughout the country. In this paper I will bring to the forefront the major impacts that deforestation has on Chiles’ environment and animals living in the Valdivian Coastal Reserve, which is part of the worlds…

Tropical forests are found near the equator in Central America, parts Africa and Asia. They are very hot and humid and contain a huge variety of plants and animals round half of the entire world's species. Trees are mostly hardwood. “The world's largest tropical rainforests are in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia” (Line3 TR), this explain as to why the temperature in these places tend to be humid. Tropical forest is a great place for many different species of plant to grow because of…

of general disruption of a forest ecosystem that occurs when trees are cut on a large scale. It also refers to any process that alters an original tree covers, which includes felling of all trees on a site, thinning a forest and setting bush on fire. Trees are cut down by people for various reasons, for example trees are cut down to be used or sold as fuel in the form of charcoal and sometimes it can be used as pastures for livestock , building of houses and settlements etc. The removal of…

Natural vegetation comprises the forest, shrub and grasses, and is determined by the climactic conditions and soil types. The climate of Pakistan is too dry for forests, except in the northern hilly and sub mountain belts. Soil formation and hill slopes is a requirement for forest growth, but human practices in these areas have contributed to erosion, rather than to soil formation. The country like Pakistan should have 20-25% under the forest. Pakistan has only about 4% area under the forest.…

William’s article discussed the misconception that deforestation is a recent occurrence, and that it has been gaining momentum in the tropical forest regions of the world since approximately the 1950’s (Williams, 2001). The writer would continue to compare the amount of damage to the environment over the centuries due to the effects of deforestation. Chopping down trees is part of an age-old human quest for shelter, food, and warmth; Trees provide wood for construction, shelter, and the making…

across the world's forests. Deforestation started in the Mesolithic Period some 15,000 years ago when trees were cleared for livestock (Britannica). Deforestation has been an ongoing debate for a number of years. Supporters of deforestation argue that deforestation doesn't harm the environment, the land is important for farming, and that it isn't a big deal. While those in opposition argue that the destruction of forests leads to changes in the environment,…

Benefits of Natural Forest Fires to Forest Ecology Introduction Since its discovery, fire has fascinated man with its potential. Fire provides light and heat and while it destroys some things that come in contact with it, it is also capable of metamorphosing other things for the overall benefit of life. Natural fires are a routine occurrence in forested areas, especially during hot and dry weather conditions or due to lightning strikes. In the summer of 1988, for example, 42 instances of…

Vancouver is a coastal city in B.C. It has a population growth of 4.4%. This change had affected Vancouver because they now have more pollution and deforestation. Once Vancouver got more people the demand for vehicles has increased and the demand of other resources has increased as well. Since more people are using vehicles the pollution has increased there. It didn’t affect vancouver that much but, the increase has been a concern to the government. They decided to lower hybrid cars to help stop…