High-productivity temperate oldgrowth forests like these are some of the last of their kind in the entire world, and while they’re known for their often massive, ancient trees, the ecosystem they help create are even more impressive.
Varying diversity of tree species at different ages and spacing, the rich mix of understory species growing beneath them all, as well as the often hidden underground network of fungi, insects and bacteria, all helps to create complexities that a wide range of biodiversity requires to function and thrive. It also performs vast ecological functions that helps filter and slow the rate of water moving through these ecosystems, reduce erosion, stabilize hillsides, reduce the impact of drought and makes them more resilient to wildfires, as well as sequestering and storing vast amounts of carbon from the atmosphere.
These forest ecosystems are worth so much more standing than the value of any of these individual trees that we tend to think of, yet oldgrowth timber is still being sought by high-end architects and developers across the world for it’s tight grain and luster, contributing to the destruction of the last remnants of these forests.
Just as luxury demand for Ivory threatens elephants with extinction, the demand for oldgrowth timber is leading to the collapse of these ecosystems, the biodiversity they support, the communities that rely on them, and the global climate that they help to regulate. It’s time we move beyond these cosmetic demands that fuel this destruction by sourcing the wood we use from accredited, ecologically responsible and rapidly renewable sources that support indigenous nations and the communities that rely on these forests in order to keep them healthy. It’s time that we recognize the impacts of our actions so that we can make better choices for healthy forests and communities in the future.
Check out Abodo Wood for a great example of folks doing it the right way 🙌🌲
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