Do the satellites distinguish between second- and old-growth forest?
Our method of analysis detects clearcutting but it does not distinguish between old-growth and second- or third-growth forests. Tracking clearcuts–places where nearly the entire forest has been cut down–provides a rough gauge for how extensively humans have altered the forests of the Northwest. Clearcuts of old-growth forests cause long-lasting simplifications of those natural communities. But even the many clearcuts that now occur in second- or third-growth stands are signs of disrupted ecosystems and a general indicator of wood-products consumption. Clearcut logging alters natural ecosystems, constricting the habitat for old-forest species, which cannot survive in immature second-growth stands. And all forms of logging emit greenhouse gases, which are responsible for global warming, and require road building, which causes erosion and degrades streams. What does this tell us about what the Northwest Forest Plan has done for the US areas? In all three study areas in the United States
