PA Forests and Old
Growth Forests
Before the Bell…Get Ready for
Alphabox of Champions
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Everything off your desk except a pencil…
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Complete the alphabox to the best of your ability
One word per box…as many as you can.
What do you know about…
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What types of forest there are?
What has happened to PA forests over the past
300 years?
What is an Old Growth Forest?
• Old-Growth Forests (virgin forest): forests
that have never been disturbed (logged or
burned)
Old Growth Redwoods
(Cali and Oregon)
Old Growth Douglas Fir
(Pacific Northwest)
PA Old Growth
Distribution of Old Growth Forest
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Largest area of old-growth forest in the country.
The area is high in biodiversity.
Brief History of PA Forests
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Prior to European
Settlers there were over
29 million acres of virgin
forest in PA
200 years ago logging
was done to clear the
land for crops and use for
lumber
A high demand for wood
made PA the leading
lumber producer in the
nation in the 1860’s
PA Forest History Con’t
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Many of the hemlock
trees (state tree) were
cut down for the tannic
acid in their bark and
the wood was wasted
By the 1900’s almost
all the Old Growth
forests were removed
Today Pa manages 2
million acres of forest
and only a few patches
of virgin forest.
Organisms of the Pacific
Northwest Old Growth Forest
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These are from your homework.
Just know what each of these organisms are
and what their niche is in the Old Growth
Forest.
Question…
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Before you learn about it, write down what
you think a forest should look like…have… to
be the healthiest and most sustainable?
Laws and Old Growth
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Forests are managed by the US Forest Service.
Law requires that national forests and other
federal lands to be managed for multiple use:
 Logging
 Mining
 Grazing
 Recreation
 Fish and Wildlife Habitat
 Watershed Protection
Protected Forests
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Only National Parks or Wilderness Areas are
protected from logging…NOT National Forests!
Links to National Park Websites
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Click on these links to take time to explore
some national parks. Look at pictures and
locations of the parks…
Try to look at several with the time that you
have.
http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/parks/
Conflict Between Logging and
Environmental Protection…
Great Link for Redwoods
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/redwoods/redwoods