Identifying Mature & Old Forests in Washington

Forested State Trust Lands

Identifying Old trees and Forests in Washington
Robert Van Pelt

In connection with the Definition and Inventory of Old Growth Forests on DNR-Managed State Lands project, we have produced two guides to identifying old trees and forests in Washington: Identifying Mature and Old Forests in Western Washington and Identifying Old Trees and Forests in Eastern Washington, both written by Robert Van Pelt.

The purpose of these guides is to help readers interpret the ecology, disturbance history, and age of a given stand or tree using environmental features, including the physical characteristics of the trees themselves.

A working ecological understanding of the major tree species, the environments where they grow, and the dominant disturbance regimes at play in a given stand is required when reconstructing stand history and making determinations of tree and stand age. These guides are designed to provide the tools needed for such determinations.

To obtain hard copies of these guides, contact Sabra Hull.

Identifying Mature and Old Forests In Western Washington