One of the first things you may notice in a coastal, temperate

In a temperate old growth forest, the forest floor is often very undulating with what’s known as ‘pit and mound’ topography. This is created through various disturbance patterns of disease or wind throw, which uproots trees as they fall over, and these big downed logs and woody debris create mounds after they decay over centuries, returning nutrients to the ecosystem. Shade tolerant trees grow on fallen nurse logs, vernal ponds are created in the pits, dens form in woody debris, and the forest floor is comprised of layers of organic material collecting over centuries to not only store moisture to keep this forest cool year round and more resistant to wildfire, but tons of carbon, which is distributed to a complex web of life that exists underground where 60% of the carbon in these forests is stored. Modern industrial logging practices clearcut forests, and heavy machinery squashes the existing pit & mound topography, compressing soils and reducing organic matter so that it stores less water, biodiversity and carbon. In a secondgrowth forest, whether regenerated naturally or planted, these trees aren’t big enough to contribute to the same level of pit and mound topography, and thus there’s less habitat for wildlife, fewer vernal pools, and with firmer soils and less water retention, this forest dries out much quicker than a mature forest making it more prone to wildfire. Through ecological thinning and restoration of these secondgrowth forests, we can help to create more complexity on the forest floor as organic matter builds up and mature trees fall and decay to create habitat, vernal pools, and nurse logs that contribute to a healthy forest ecosystem. Though it is no substitute for conservation of mature forests in the first place, proper science-led restoration efforts can help speed up the succession of unhealthy secondgrowth forests created through industrial logging to increase old growth characteristics and create healthier forests in the long term. @reddfishrestoration #restoration #forest #ecology #science #climate #biodiversity #betterfutures #carbon