The journal Science in an article Global Decline in Large Old Trees reports on the alarming decline in the large old trees. Large old trees play a key ecological role in forests, woodlands, savannas, agricultural landscapes, and urban areas. Large tree loss is happening in most types of forests all over the world.
Large trees provide nests and shelter for up to 30% of all birds and animals in some habitats, store large amounts of carbon, recycle solid nutrients creating richer habitats for other life, effect the flow of water within landscape and local climate.
A study of Mountain Ash (Eucalytus regnans) in Australia found that the large old trees not only dying in large numbers in forest fires but also at ten times the normal rate in non-fire years. Losses were attributed to drought, high temperatures, logging and other causes.
Read more at: World’s big trees are dying: Alarming increase in death rates among trees 100-300 years old
Natural History Wanderings 
Leave a comment