Longleaf Pine Forests and Woodlands: Old Growth under Fire!

“Old growth forest” evokes certain images and often strong feelings for many of us. To some degree, our images and definitions of old growth converge. Descriptions often include approximations of the following: stable for decades or centuries; a deep and many-layered canopy; massive and long-lived trees in the canopy; large dead logs in various degrees of decay; indicator species adapted to stable environments and incapable of rapid colonization. But much of the image-building has come from writings about the “ancient” forests of the Pacific Northwest, and from descriptions of remnant deciduous forests in the Appalachian chain. As we explore the diversity of forest types in the East, we must examine these often unspoken assumptions about old growth carefully. The degree to which they apply is rooted in the ecology of each forest type. Undoubtedly, all are characterized by complex ecological connections.