The Old-Growth Forest Network

Walking through the Big Woods, one might never realize how special the spot is. The trees are big and old – some perhaps upwards of 300 years – but this tract might disappoint someone who expects old-growth forest to look like Sequoia National Park or the ents of Middle Earth. Photographing trees always makes them look tinier than they are (see the photo of General Sherman below), but one could drive by the Big Woods and never know centuries of natural history lay nearby.

Forests are not monoliths, and three-century forests composed of differing species will look vastly distinct. When speaking of these ancient forests, several terms commonly arise. Old-growth forests, broadly defined, are those that have grown for long periods without disturbance. Virgin forests, sometimes called first-growth forests, are trees that have never been logged. Most of the time, virgin forests also happen to be old-growth forests, but not all old-growth forests are virgin. A more technical definition of OGFs revolves around the maturity of a region. Tall, old trees populate these forests, with multi-layered canopies, canopy gaps, and woody debris on the floor. Old-growth forests are supreme, diverse ecosystems. Mature ecosystems can develop after logging, turning a forest into old-growth but not first-growth. It’s also possible for virgin forests not to be old-growth forests, though the circumstances are rare. New forests emerging naturally – perhaps thanks to wildfire or climate change – would constitute young, virgin woods. Further complicating the situation is the term primeval forest. By some definitions, this status denotes a forest never significantly altered by humans. Virgin forests might never have been logged, but they could have been transformed in other ways, through hydrology, farming, or numerous other methods. The forest primeval is a spot unchanged from its natural blossoming. These locations are exceedingly uncommon on today’s Earth.

The definitions of these terms tend to be ambiguous. How mature must a forest be to become old growth? How far back does a forest need to stretch untouched to be primeval? Discussions about the Big Woods among tree-loving friends prompted the question about its status. Is this stretch simply old-growth forest or is it virgin, or both? Begat by a man who served with General Anthony Wayne in the early 1800s, the Big Woods represent the forest that covered much of Ohio during this period. Matthew Hueston cleared a lot of the land he purchased for farming but decided to save a section of trees for his descendants. The Big Woods are definitely old-growth forest; some of the trees are older than the United States and the ecosystem is unquestionably mature. Some sources stop at old-growth, but according to the National Parks Service and the Audubon Society, this parcel has never been cut, making it first-growth.