What is an Old-Growth Forest? Part 1 - Characteristics and Dynamics

What makes a forest old-growth? Filmed in an old-growth stand of temperate rainforest (Coastal Western Hemlock BEC Zone) at the University of British Columbia's Malcolm Knapp Research Forest.
⭐⭐ Explore this forest in 360° VR: • 360° VR Old-Growth Forest ⭐⭐
⭐⭐ Drone views of this forest: • Old-Growth Temperate R... ⭐⭐
Filmed on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Katzie First Nation.
00:00 - Intro
00:31 - Definition of Old-Growth?
01:13 - Old-Growth Characteristics
01:23 - Large Trees
02:37 - Age Diversity
03:06 - Size Diversity
03:57 - Vertical Structural Diversity
04:29 - Horizontal Structural Diversity
05:02 - Snags
05:31 - Coarse Woody Debris
05:55 - Stand Dynamics
07:24 - Old-Growth Phase
Script: Patrick Culbert
Camera/Sound: Astrid Jolley
Drone Footage: Patrick Culbert
Editing: Patrick Culbert

[@FreeSpeechXtremist]

I'm in the UK we have a Scotts pine 85% forest here that's 60 years old it has never been thinned though I have made some small clearings and a few were made by Xmas tree poachers many moons ago. We are stuck on what to do with it. It is a local nature reserve but it's on old railway workings and alot of rubble in the soil. We have many roosting pairs of rare birds of prey but the pines are now self thinning at an alarming rate it is getting pretty dangerous for walkers. We have spoken to foresters who want to remove 60% of the trees including most the deciduous ones as they want that wood. How much of the felled wood is best to be left and does removing 60% of the trees sound reasonable for the situation the deciduous trees will coppice well but the environment loss seems a risk to the breeding birds of prey we have on site. Any advice you have would be appreciated.

[@PatrickCulbertUBCForestry]

I'm not familiar with your area in particular, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt compared to a local forester! If it is a 60-year-old pine plantation that has never been thinned and is experiencing heavy mortality, I think a thinning is quite appropriate. 60% removal might be on the high side, but it could be quite reasonable given the circumstances. If the hardwood species will indeed resprout from the stumps (I'm not familiar with the species you have there or their characteristics), they should grow robustly under the increased light availability after the thinning. To the casual observer, the forest probably won't look great for a few years post-harvest, but then the new growth will start to look good. As far as the birds of prey, there may be a negative impact in the short term, but I suspect the increased light will lead to more growth in the understory with more low vegetation like shrubs and brush. This may provide improved habitat for birds and small mammals, supplying better (or at least comparable) prey for the birds of prey. Since this is a recreational forest, it is important for safety that dead or declining trees near trails are harvested. From an ecological perspective, it might be good to leave some declining or dead trees (away from trails) to remain as snags in the forest, as these can be important habitat for cavity-nesting birds and mammals. I hope that's helpful. Again, please put much more weight in the opinions of a local forester familiar with the area, but those are my general thoughts.

[@FreeSpeechXtremist]

@@PatrickCulbertUBCForestry Thanks for replying it's very helpful. The hardwoods are mainly mixed maples, beech, birch and oaks good coppice stock. The trees are spaced at 2m intervals apart from the few sections I've thinned and dead trees I have cleared along paths. I did tree surgery when younger so know the local trees just not forestry. The forestry experts advising us are profiting from the trees felled so I just wanted to check it was in the ball park. I was thinking 60% of trees a little high as well and it maybe best for wildlife if we did half the area and wait 5 or 10 years to do the other half. Thanks again has actually been really useful to have your input.

[@PatrickCulbertUBCForestry]

You're welcome. I hope the management leads to a healthier forest that still supports the raptors and other biodiversity of the area.

[@tanjitrubaiat8627]

It seems like there has never been any kind of thinning. Is it because it is better not to give any treatment to a natural forest or because it is for research purposes?

[@PatrickCulbertUBCForestry]

Correct, if this stand had been thinned, it would not be considered old growth. This stand is being managed as old-growth by the research forest, which means no management operations. Thinning is often used in second-growth forests that are fully-stocked (often with similar-sized trees). The aim of thinning is to remove some trees in order to reduce competition and provide more resources for the trees that remain.