What is the difference between monoculture and old forest growth?
A monoculture is one species. For example, a red pine stand where all the trees are red pine. Old growth forests (or primary forests) are undisturbed forests that usually contain multiple species. Old growth forests initially emerge after complete and total destruction of all living vegetation. Examples of old growth are forests that have existed undisturbed since glaciation (the glaciers eliminated all life and over thousands of years the forests established) or tropical forests that have existed undisturbed for thousands of years. These should not be confused with secondary forests. Secondary forests occur when old growth forests are cut down (not all the living organism are displaced) and the land is left to reforest.
