old-growth

(ŏld′grōth′)

adj.

Of, related to, or being a forest characterized by a large proportion of old trees, a high level of structural complexity, and a history of little human disturbance.

old growth n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

old growth - forest or woodland having a mature or overly mature ecosystem more or less uninfluenced by human activity

virgin forest

forest, woods, wood - the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

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References in periodicals archive

"Primary" or "old growth" forests store far more carbon than logged forests: about 30 to 70 percent more.

WILD HERITAGE: Scraping Carbon with Old Trees

The individual chapters are authored by leading old-growth experts examining topics of contemporary forest ecology including forest structure and dynamics, below-ground soil processes, biological diversity, differences between historical and modern forests, carbon and climate change mitigation, management of old growth, and more.

Ecology and Recovery of Eastern Old-Growth Forests

Some specific subjects investigated are old-growth disturbance dynamics, forest-stream interactions in eastern old-growth forests, biological diversity in eastern old growth, and carbon dynamics in eastern old-growth forests.

Ecology and Recovery of Eastern Old-Growth Forests

Bob also played a prominent role in launching the system of public reserves in Massachusetts that protects late-successional forests that are on the path to becoming old growth. He is the current chair of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation's Forest Reserve Scientific Advisory Committee.

Giants in Their Field and the Forest

Little did Forsman know that this little creature would be the catalyst that would rein in a timber industry gone berserk, mowing down old growth timber with hand-powered crosscut saws and, later, gas- powered chainsaws.

Elliott Forest in middle of crossroads on timber policy

This material was believed to be representative of typical production of these species and was classified as old growth or second growth according to information obtained from the suppliers.

Aboveground decay resistance of selected Canadian softwoods at four test sites after 10 years of exposure

"We're interested in all timber, whether it's young growth or old growth," he says.

Tongass bellwether: Dargon point timber sale: sustainable young-growth timber industry shows early promise

"All the remaining old growth is in the western part of the state," he explained.

Trees stand the test of time

Trees, particularly old growth trees are known to scrub off carbon dioxide naturally from the air and keeping it within their cells; reason enough to protect such trees.

Global Warming and Forestry

As crazy as it sounds, no one really knows how much old growth is left in America's forested regions, mainly because various agencies and scientists have different ideas about how to define the term.

Dear EarthTalk: how much "old growth" forest is left in the United States and is it all protected from logging at this point?

The battle was intense in the late '80s and early '90s, but by now the mills that needed old growth logs have shut down, and the people who were going to be laid off have already been laid off or are now retrained.

Commentary: saving the scrub: birds, bush and habitat battles: an interview with David Wilcove