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NAL Agricultural Thesaurus
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Concept Breadcrumbs

Forestry, Wildland Management > forests > old-growth forests
Natural Resources, Conservation, Environment > natural resources > biological resources > vegetation > vegetation types > forests > old-growth forests
Preferred Term:

old-growth forests

Definition:
Stands of forest trees of either seral or climax species growing singly or in association with other tree species. The stands are usually well past the age of maturity as defined by the culmination of mean annual increment and often exhibit characteristics of decadence. These characteristics may include, but are not limited to: low growth rates, dead and dying trees, snags, and down woody material. The stands are usually characterized by large diameter trees relative to species and site potential, multi-layered canopies, a range in tree diameter sizes, and the presence of understory vegetation. The specific attributes of an old-growth stand are primarily dependent on plant associations and forest cover type.
Concept Schemes:
NALT Core
NALT Full
Broader Concept:
forests
Related Concepts:
Entry Terms:
  • old growth forests
URI:
https://lod.nal.usda.gov/nalt/41240
Download this Concept:
RDF/XMLCreated 2006-01-19, last modified 2018-02-26
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