Old-growth forests: characteristics and conservation value
This document provides an exhaustive review of the scientific state of the art on forest maturity and its different meanings, and synthesizes the most significant and observable characteristics of old-growth stands. These include the existence of very old trees, gaps in the canopy that allows the regeneration of shade tolerant species, significant amounts of dead wood – both standing and in the soil - , a clear vertical diversification, and the absence of anthropic interventions. The structural properties that characterize old-growth stands - and their associated ecological functions - gradually appear over time, and are the result of the ecosystem dynamics, in a cycle that is constantly re-starting. Moreover, it is necessary to take into account the scale factor; an old-growth forest will be composed simultaneously of stands in all phases of development, from young to old-growth, resulting in a heterogeneous landscape mosaic. Due to its special structural characteristics, old-growth stands are the habitat of a large number of highly specialized species. The scarcity of old-growth stands implies that forest biodiversity related to senescent phases has become threatened. This document reviews the importance of old-growth stands for different groups: birds, chiroptera, saproxylic coleoptera, vascular flora, lichens and fungi. The last old-growth stands are the most natural forest habitats available, and therefore, they are a valuable element of comparison, so they can be considered as "reference stands" for each type of forest. This reference character of old-growth stands takes on special relevance under the Habitats Directive and the Natura 2000 Network. Moreover, the study of old-growth stands can also provide criteria to guide forestry towards the achievement of conservation objectives of species or habitats, especially in protected areas. In the last section of the document, a set of criteria for evaluating both structural parameters and anthropogenic influence is proposed, and a procedure for the practical evaluation of forest maturity is advanced.
- Εκδότης: EUROPARC-España
- Δημιουργός: -
- Πηγή: -
- Ιστότοπος: http://localhost:80
- Γλώσσα: Αγγλική
- Άδεια Χρήσης: -
- Έτος: 2017
- Βιβλιογραφία: EUROPARC-España. 2017. Old-growth forests: characteristics and conservation value. Ed. Fundación Fernando González Bernaldez, Madrid
