Standing Tall: Forests for Life
Background: Acadian Forest — More than just trees
From protecting against drought and flood to creating the air we breathe, mature Acadian forests are crucial to many living things. Hundreds of animals and plants, from orchids and lichens, to insects, salamanders, goshawks and bears, depend on large trees and old forests (PDF, 160 kb). Together, they create a healthy diverse forest, with many different habitats for plants and animals.
Large ancient trees
are a major part of mature Acadian forests, along with a variety of
trees of different sizes and ages. When old trees die and fall over,
gaps created in the forest canopy allow sunlight to stream through to
the forest floor, allowing tree seedlings to grow up. This ‘gap’ growth
is how the old forests of Nova Scotia renew themselves. Some dead and
dying trees stay standing, their inner cavities providing shelter for
birds and animals from woodpeckers to wood ducks, from bats to bears. Want details on what kind of cavities different species need? Download a summary here (PDF, 83 kb).
Acadian forests reduce the impacts of storms, floods, drought, and insect attacks. Trees shade streams and brooks, keeping water cool, and forest soils store water, reducing the effects of droughts. Tree roots and fallen tree trunks slow down runoff and keep stream banks from eroding, and forest canopies intercept rain and keep it from washing soil away.
The Acadian Forest resists insects and disease because of its diversity of trees types and ages. In contrast, softwood tree farms, with extensive areas of one tree species, can be devastated by pests
Read more about how species from moose to microbes depend on the biodiversity of the Acadian Forest!