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Earth Night

The Importance of Old Growth Forests

From the globally-rare pine barrens of southeastern Massachusetts to the forests of the Berkshires that harbor black bear and bobcat, Massachusetts forests support a great diversity of plant and animal species. Forests also provide scenic beauty and opportunities for recreation and renewal. They filter and store clean drinking water, clean the air, help make Massachusetts an attractive place for residents, and support tourism's contributions to our economy.

Old growth forests are among the most biologically diverse parts of the landscape, including not only big old trees, but also an unusual mosaic of highly developed soils, woodland wildflowers, mosses, ferns, lichen, and bonsai-like specimens. Some contain northern hardwood trees of yellow birch, sugar maple, and hemlock, and others are mixtures of oak and ash. Still others are nearly pure stands of a single species such as red spruce or pitch pine.

Natural disturbances (wind, ice, fire, and insects) over long periods create a complex array of large live and dead trees, logs in all stages of decay, deep layers of moss and leaf litter, and multiple canopy levels. Many species find optimal habitat in these areas, including raptors such as the goshawk and barred owl, songbirds such as the scarlet tanager and bay-breasted warbler, carnivores such as the fisher and pine marten, and most amphibians. Some types of less glamorous species such as beetles, mosses, and lichens occur only in old-growth stands.