>Can anyone please tell me anything about the origins of the TERM >'old-growth'? I guess it originated in the Pacific NorthWest of North >America and has become widely adopted in Australia and elsewhere. It does >not appear in the indices of European forestry text books nor, >surprisingly, in the US forestry text books of the 1930s that I have seen >(eg Mathews 5th edn 1935). Any leads would be much appreciated. > >John Dargavel >Australian National University Old growth stands have three key elements: 1) Age: most trees in the stand are approaching their pathological age. A long time has passed since a large-scale disturbance. 2) Coarse woody debris: present in large quantities and in large size classes. 3) Vertical diversity: Tall trees, medium height trees, little trees, the latter two size classes filling the gaps where old trees have fallen down due to wind, disease, etc. If you want to speak with an expert, try: Charlie Cogbill RD 2 Box 160 Plainfield, VT 05667 tel: 802-454-8619 Best regards, Donald Mansius cndmans@state.me.us
Mail converted by
MHonArc 1.1.0