Old-Growth Forests: Guardians of Planetary Boundaries

According to the Stockholm Resilience Centre, ?The planetary boundaries concept presents a set of nine planetary boundaries within which humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come“. In 2009, a group of scientists led by professor Johan Rokstr?m identified the thresholds of Earth-system processes which, if crossed, could cause irreversible damage to Earth‘s system and a large-scale environmental change endangering balance in ecosystems and humans that live in and depend on them. The article highlights the necessity to stay within Earth‘s limits and a ?safe operating space for humanity”.

The nine planetary boundaries identified - climate change, rate of biodiversity loss, interference with the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, stratospheric ozone depletion, ocean acidification, global freshwater use, change in land use, chemical pollution, and atmospheric aerosol loading.

At the time of the study, three of the boundaries were being crossed: climate change, rate of biodiversity loss, and interference with the nitrogen cycle. This was alarming and ignited debate and a sense of urgency. However, in 2015, four out of nine planetary boundaries were being crossed, and the most recent study published in 2023 on the subject mapped out all nine planetary boundaries for the first time and estimated that six out of nine have been now transgressed: climate change, biosphere integrity, biogeochemical flows of nitrogen and phosphorus, changes in availability of freshwater, land system change, and chemical pollution by novel entities, such as plastic.

As the boundaries are crossed, interdependent processes may reinforce each other and result in further destabilisation of Earth’s systems. Biodiversity loss boundary was already transgressed in 2009, now both genetic and functional integrity of ecosystems being at risk, and the action against further escalation of these processes is more urgent than ever, according to the latest assessment.

Old-growth forests, such as those protected by Sengir?s fondas - Ancient Woods Foundation , provide safe havens to biodiversity and much needed “rest” from human interference in forests’ natural processes. In this way, the biodiversity present in these forests, such as the many species of trees, other plants, mosses, fungi, and animals, have a chance to recover and flourish.

According to National Geographic, mature and old-growth forests perform some remarkable ecological feats, even as they face new threats posed by the transgression of planetary boundaries, and play a key role in battling at least two of them: biodiversity loss and climate change. These forests support a greater diversity of life than young or managed forests, hold cleaner water, and host astonishingly complicated communication networks made of fungi that transmit messages between trees underground – even between different species of trees. Some studies show that they can potentially hold more carbon in bigger tree trunks and soil than relatively younger forests, helping to mitigate our fossil-fuel emissions. For instance, a recent study of six old-growth forests in Oregon, United States, demonstrated that the largest 3% of trees accounted for 42% of forest carbon. However, these results are not necessarily applicable to Europe as more conclusive studies are needed.?

While a systemic shift towards sustainability is essential to address the transgression of planetary boundaries, protecting our ancient forests is a crucial step in the right direction. Sengir?s fondas - Ancient Woods Foundation is dedicated to preserving these irreplaceable ecosystems in Lithuania, and you can join our mission in various ways. Whether through financial contributions, advocating against deforestation, raising awareness, making conscious lifestyle choices, protecting your own forests, or even donating them to the Foundation.

Every action counts.

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