The importance of protecting old-growth forests

The world’s old-growth forests support an abundance of life, and their survival is essential for protecting the planet’s biodiversity

As I step into the dappled forest light, my gaze is drawn upward, capturing the towering majesty of the ancient giants around me. Trees, these guardians of time, stand tall in the Daintree Rainforest, one of the world’s oldest and most biodiverse ecosystems. Each tree has its story to tell, shaped by millennia of existence. Some have seen the passage of time for hundreds of years, while others date back millions, with roots reaching into the ancient past.

In this verdant wonderland, trees play countless roles in the circle of life. Fallen branches become homes to beetles, and the intricate network of roots provides a haven for small creatures foraging in search of sustenance. Birds find sanctuary in the sheltering boughs, while fungi and lichen cloak trunks and limbs in a delicate embrace.

As I stand in awe under their comforting shade, I can’t help but marvel at their grand purpose. These trees, the lungs of the planet, silently breathe in carbon dioxide and water, marrying them with the life-giving magic of the sun. In return, they release the essential oxygen that fills our own lungs, making our little planet a haven of life.

As I leave the rainforest to continue my journey, I carry with me the memory of these primeval beings. Their legacy will live on, inspiring generations to cherish and protect the irreplaceable treasures of our planet’s forests. For in the heart of every tree lies a timeless story, a story of life, survival, and a deep-rooted connection to the Earth.

Ancient old-growth forests around the world

Forests cover 31 percent of Earth’s land area, which is 4.06 billion hectares or 10 billion acres. Of this, 36 percent is primary forest, also known as virgin, primeval, or old-growth forest. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, a primary forest is a ‘naturally regenerated forest of native species, where there are no clearly visible indications of human activities and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed’.

Some of the most critically important habitats on Earth, these old-growth forests are home to myriad animals and plants, as well as being essential carbon sinks, absorbing enormous amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere and playing a crucial role in the fight against climate change.

Carpathian Mountains, Romania

Carpathian Mountains, Romania

Forming an arc across central and eastern Europe, this magnificent mountain range hosts the continent’s largest area of virgin forest, including some 500-year-old trees. This incredible region is home to the greatest remaining
European populations of large carnivores, including bears, lynx, and wolves, and many other species, such as capercaillies, owls, and woodpeckers.

Sadly, these precious forests are under threat from commercial and illegal logging practices, poaching, and hunting. Conservationists, scientists, and the Foundation Conservation Carpathia are working to protect a vast area of the Carpathian forests, restoring the ecosystem and creating a national park, which they hope will become the “European Yellowstone”.

Foundation Conservation Carpathia acquires and protects forests and grasslands for the benefit of biodiversity and local communities. See carpathia.org.

Amazon, South America

Amazon, South America

The world’s largest tropical rainforest – this symbol of epic wilderness and adventure, and the famous “lungs of the planet” – is in peril. The Amazon covers around seven million square kilometres of South America – mainly in Brazil, but also Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. It makes up almost a third of all tropical rainforest left on Earth, but it is being dangerously plundered and deforested at an incredible rate: according to

WWF, an area the size of a football field is destroyed every 12 seconds. Covering one percent of the planet’s surface, the Amazon is home to an astonishing 10 percent of all known species, so its value is immense. Research shows that a new species is discovered every three days here, joining the rainbow of life we already know and love, including pink river dolphins, hyacinth macaws, emerald tree boas, and golden jaguars. First Peoples have long used the forest for food, shelter, and medicine, but for many years, logging companies have driven their way deeper into their lands, cutting away primary forest for timber, urban development, mining, and cattle farming.

Across the Amazon, fires are also lit to clear land, with the deforested regions becoming more susceptible to devastating wildfires and releasing huge amounts of CO2 instead of absorbing it, which is fuelling climate change.

WWF is campaigning to save the Amazon rainforest and has many ways for people to help.  See wwf.org.au.

Tongass National Forest, US

Tongass National Forest, US

Tongass is the world’s largest and oldest coastal temperate rainforest, and the largest national forest in the US. Stretching across 17 million acres of southeast Alaska, it is a nature-lover’s paradise. Coastal temperate forests
are found in wet, cool climates where marine air and mountains combine to create heavy rainfall.

Old-growth forest of hemlock, spruce, and cedar rises above land sculpted by ancient glaciers, remnants of the last ice age. The forest, which includes 800-year-old trees, is the traditional homeland of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian Peoples. It is also one of the world’s most effective carbon storehouses, holding more than 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 and sequestering an additional 10 million tonnes each year.

In 2001, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule was introduced in the US to protect national forests, including Tongass, from industrial clearcut logging, but the forest has remained under threat from attempts by various administrations to harvest the region’s rare and valuable old-growth trees.

The Natural Resources Defense Council protects wildlife and wilderness from the threats of industrial development. See nrdc.org.

Daintree Rainforest, Australia

Daintree Rainforest, Australia

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Daintree is the largest continuous stretch of tropical rainforest in Australia and holds the prestigious title of the world’s oldest rainforest, at 180 million years old. Home to generations of Australia’s First Nations, the forest was recently returned to its original custodians in a historic deal and will now be managed by the Eastern Kuku Yalanji People, alongside Queensland’s state government.

Full of magical critters, including crocodiles, possums, tree kangaroos, and ostrich-like cassowaries, the area holds the best representation of the plants and animals that populated the ancient continent of Gondwana. It is also home to 90 percent of Australia’s bat and butterfly species.

Covering roughly 1,197 square kilometres, Daintree encompasses mountains, waterfalls, gorges, and rainforest that runs right to the edge of the ocean, meeting another of our country’s natural wonders: the Great Barrier Reef. Although protected, development around the Daintree and the introduction of non-native plants are threats to the forest’s unique biodiversity, so Rainforest Trust Australia is working to expand the park’s borders with a 70 acre buffer zone that will help to protect this critical habitat.

Rainforest Trust Australia is dedicated to the protection, extension, and recovery of Australia’s natural landscapes. See rainforesttrust.org.

Words by Lauren Jarvis

This article was featured in Issue 43 of Breathe Magazine with the title: Leaves of legacy - View Magazine

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