Date: February 4, 2019
Source: Oregon State University
Twenty-five
years into a 100-year federal strategy to protect older forests in the Pacific
Northwest, forest losses to wildfire are up and declines in bird populations
have not been reversed, new research shows.
The
findings, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, underscore the importance of continuing to prioritize the safeguarding
of older forests, the scientists say -- forests characterized by a complex
structure that includes multiple canopy layers, large trees, downed wood and
snags.
The
researchers stress it's vital to remember that upon its adoption in 1994, the
Northwest Forest Plan was conceived as a century-long plan, and was not
expected to show significant positive impacts on biodiversity for 50 years.
"Trees
in the northwestern United States are some of the longest-lived and largest in
the world," said Matt Betts of Oregon State University. "Douglas-fir
can live to be more than 800 years old and grow to be more than 100 meters
tall, so it shouldn't be surprising that it is hard to 'restore' this forest
type, and that any plan to do so will take a long time.
"The
plan has been one of the most impressive forest conservation strategies in the
world, and there is no doubt that it has had a strong positive impact on the
conservation of old-growth forests, but our results show that even with these
strong conservation measures, bird species living in this system still aren't
doing too well."
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