Old Growth in a New World

by Spies, Thomas A.; Duncan, Sally L.

• ISBN13: 9781597264099
• ISBN10: 1597264091
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-11-01
• Publisher: Island Pr

Summary

Old-growth forests represent a lofty ideal as much as an ecosysteman icon of unspoiled nature, ecological stability, and pristine habitat. These iconic notions have actively altered the way society relates to old-growth forests, catalyzing major changes in policy and management. But how appropriate are those changes and how well do they really serve in reaching conservation goals? Old Growth in a New Worlduntangles the complexities of the old growth concept and the parallel complexity of old-growth policy and management. It brings together more than two dozen contributorsecologists, economists, sociologists, managers, historians, silviculturists, environmentalists, timber producers, and philosophersto offer a broad suite of perspectives on changes that have occurred in the valuing and management of old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest over the past thirty years. The book introduces the issues and history of old-growth values and conservation in the Pacific Northwest; explores old growth through the ideas of leading ecologists and social scientists; addresses the implications for the future management of old-growth forests and considers how evolving science and social knowledge might be used to increase conservation effectiveness. By confronting the complexity of the old-growth concept and associated policy and management challenges, Old Growth in a New Worldencourages productive discussion on the future of old growth in the Pacific Northwest and offers options for more effective approaches to conserving forest biodiversity.

Author Biography

Thomas A. Spies is a forest ecologist and team leader in the Ecosystem Processes program at the Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, in Corvallis, Oregon. Sally L. Duncan is policy research director for the Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University in Corvallis.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction and History	p. 1
Searching for Old Growth	p. 3
Historical Context of Old-Growth Forests in the Pacific Northwest-Policy, Practices, and Competing Worldviews	p. 12
Exploring Old Growth Through Ecological and Social Sciences	p. 29
Science of Old Growth, or a Journey into Wonderland	p. 31
Old-Growth Forest as Wildlife Habitat	p. 44
Maintaining Biodiversity in Managed Forests	p. 58
Fish and Old-Growth Forests	p. 70
Contribution of Old-Growth Timber to Regional Economies in the Pacific Northwest	p. 83
Sacred Trees	p. 95
Old Growth and a New Nature: Ambivalence of Science and Religion	p. 104
Common Sense Versus Symbolism: The Case for Public Involvement in the Old-Growth Debate	p. 116
Values, Conflicts, and a Path Toward Resolution	p. 127
Starting the Fight and Finishing the Job	p. 129
A Private-Lands and State-Lands Perspective	p. 139
Getting from "No" to "Yes": A Conservationist's Perspective	p. 149
Old Growth: Failures of the Past and Hope for the Future	p. 158
In the Shadow of the Cedars: Spiritual Values of Old-Growth Forests	p. 168
Old Growth: Evolution of an Intractable Conflict	p. 176
The Challenge of Change-New Worlds for Old Growth	p. 187
Increasing Difficulty of Active Management on National Forests-Problems and Solutions	p. 189
Is Adaptive Management Too Risky for Old-Growth Forests?	p. 201
Nontimber Economic Values of Old-Growth Forests: What Are They, and How Do We Preserve Them?	p. 211
Regional Conservation of Old-Growth Forest in a Changing World: A Global and Temporal Perspective	p. 222
Moving Science and Immovable Values: Clumsy Solutions for Old-Growth Forests	p. 233
Managing an Icon	p. 245
Conserving Old-Growth Forests and Attributes: Reservation, Restoration, and Resilience	p. 247
Managing Young Stands to Develop Old-Growth Characteristics	p. 261
Managing Forest Landscapes and Sustaining Old Growth	p. 274
Unexplored Potential of Northwest Forests	p. 286
Synthesis	p. 301
Old Growth in a New World: A Synthesis	p. 303
Conserving Old Growth in a New World	p. 313
Contributors	p. 327
Index	p. 331
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