Presentation short abstract

Climate change raises questions about protecting and restoring old growth. We study how ecological and social factors, particularly human-environmental relationships, shape our views of these forests, challenging the notion of humans as separate from nature and of old growth as untouched.

Presentation long abstract

Mature and old growth (MOG) forests are invaluable ecological and cultural assets due to their biodiversity, environmental resilience, and capacity to inspire. Ongoing debates about terminology and management strategies for MOG highlight the need for a unified national approach that accommodates regional variations and local insights. Protecting and promoting MOG forests involves integrating climate change and species-specific considerations, raising questions about ecological baselines and restoration, especially in relation to Indigenous land management practices pre- and post-colonization.

Is old growth determined by age, size, biodiversity, or natural disturbances like low-frequency fire? Additionally, how do human perceptions shape our understanding of old growth, especially when considering the charismatic coastal Pacific Northwest forests, foiled by the once-historically vast but currently depleted longleaf pines in the Southeast? Our research investigates the interplay between ecological and social factors in defining and shaping MOG forests. The findings reveal current perceptions of humanity's role in old growth and mature forest systems amid widespread environmental change. We consider whether perceptions of restoration reflect a position in which humans are above nature, seeing it as a resource to commodify, or whether humans, being so detrimental to the environment, no longer (or never) belong in nature. Or do we engage in a system that can yield both beneficial and harmful outcomes? This inquiry challenges the view of old growth as 'unaffected by human influence,' seeking a broader understanding of our relationship with nature and its most precious and oldest systems under ecological change.