Just a few centuries ago, tall white pines dominated Nova Scotia’s landscape. Most were ten stories high but several even reached fifteen stories in height. Looking at the much shorter firs and spruce that make up the majority of our woods now, it’s hard to believe that the landscape here was once so different.
Sketch of Forests near Halifax circa 1817
The first settlers from Europe must have been awestruck by the majesty of the forests they encountered. But they soon logged them and cleared the way for agriculture. Today, old growth forests are found on less than 1% of the province’s land.
In Cow Bay and nearby Eastern Passage, tracts of forest continue to be cleared to make way for residential development. Most of the time, the trees are removed to facilitate construction. Isolated trees that are left standing die within a few years as they are shallow rooted and top heavy, due to spending most of their life stabilized by other trees in a stand.
Clearing near Flandrum Hill offers a view of Osborne Head
Trees that are fifteen stories high don’t reach that height overnight. White pine have a lifespan of up to 450 years. Eastern hemlock can live up to 800 years. By cutting down an old growth forest, it’s almost ridiculous to say that you’ve done the planet some good by planting a thousand new seedlings. Yet, incentives created to fight climate change often give points for new plantings while ignoring the destruction of old trees.
Biodiversity thrives in old growth forests. Many species of plants (mosses and orchids) and animals (barred owls, wood ducks, fishers and American martens) depend on old large trees for their survival. Some creatures nest in the cavities of standing trees, while others make dens beneath large trees that have fallen to the ground.
As I write this, I can hear wind gusts of up to 75 km/hr (47 mi/hr) thrashing the firs and spruce back and forth outside my window. They’re shallow rooted and susceptible to coming down in strong winds. The only white pine in the yard was planted by me almost 20 years ago and is protected in a stand. If it’s allowed to reach its life expectancy, it will likely provide a home for wildlife in 2440.
God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools.
~John Muir
For more information about Old Growth Forests, see Nova Scotia Nature Trust’s pdf on the subject.
Details of the 1817 J.E. Woolford image of Nova Scotia woods can be found at the Nova Scotia Museum Collection.
Flandrum Hill 
It’s sad enough to me when an old tree loses its battle and succumbs naturally, but when they are lost because of the greed of man….it makes me crazy.
Me too Cindy. Sad too 😦
The majestic White Pines of the Adirondacks and most of the southern portion of Ontario and Quebec also meet the same feat. There is only a dozen White Pines in the Adirondacks that tower over 100 feet. The late 1800’s and early 1900’s logged thousands of stands of virgin White Pine to build homes and industry of a swelling population from better living and immigration into the US.
Deer replaced moose, feral dogs and coyotes replaced lynx and wolf.
It never stops, even during this economic slow down, I see residential areas growing each week. Taking more habit and more resources from wild areas and wildlife.
Thank you for an excellent post. To see the past is to create the future.
Scott, thanks so much for adding your knowledge to the discussion. One day it will eventually stop. This type of ‘progress’ isn’t sustainable.
Wow, 450 years? Wow. Something about trees is so mysterious and pure. Thank you for this post! 🙂
Tacy, some trees have amazingly long lifespans. Just imagine all the history some of them have witnessed.
I’m deeply conscious of the effect of the lumbering era on northern Michigan, but until just now I hadn’t seen it as part of a sweep through the entire north country. You’ve given me a lot to think about. Maybe I’ll make a little trip over to Hartwick Pines State Park to do the thinking. It’s a place filled with irony–49 acres of old growth forest and a logging museum . . .
Gerry, wherever there are trees, there will be men who will be willing to cut them down. Old growth forests are shadowed by logging interests in many places.
I haven’t been to Hartwick Pines since I was in high school (Rudyard) and that was a looong time ago 🙂 Because of your reminder I’m going to make a point of it – my husband was a logger for many years and I remember the museum as being fascinating.
I found this quote this morning while going through the mail – from the Arbor Foundation – and it was perfect.
“They are beautiful in their PEACE, they are WISE in their silence. They will stand until after we are dust. They TEACH us, and we TEND them.”
-Galeainip Alteiem Macdunelmor
Cindy, thank you for adding that Arbor Foundation quotation. It IS perfect. I hope you and Gerry both enjoy your visits to Hartwick Pines.
Hope your 75 km winds didn’t down too many trees. The old-growth forests are so beautiful, so peaceful, carry so much spirit. We lose so much spirit when our trees are cut for excessive greed. Thanks for this post.
Hi Kathy, unfortunately, more trees did come down. But you can’t stop the wind from blowing.
It is the same story everywhere. Here the forests used to be so thick, it was frightening (I know from books 😦
But today the landscape resembles the scalp of a balding man, just look at he satellite image, we can see the scale of destruction. WE are not mere fools, I think we are more like evil.
Swaps, ‘the scalp of a balding man’ – what a way to describe the landscape. What a shame the forests in your country have changed so much in such a relatively short amount of time.
Thanks for the link you added about green vs fossil fuels You’re right: it’s not surprising.
Yes, sadly it seems to be the same everywhere. I have deep respect for forests and trees, witnesses of times long gone by. In our alpine area forests were growing (or were purposely planted) on steep slopes to protect mountain villagers from avalanches. Nowadays residential chalets (occupied for only short periods) have been built on slopes our ancestors would never have touched. Thus endangering lives and disrupting a natural protection. Sad. Senseless.Thanks for your interesting post.
Isa, I knew that trees helped to prevent erosion but I didn’t know about how they can prevent avalanches. Thanks for adding your insight into the situation in Switzerland.
“incentives created to fight climate change often give points for new plantings while ignoring the destruction of old trees”
Great point. I am often amazed at how different a protected, well-maintained forest (Keji, Windhorse farm, for example)is compared to where I live, where there has been a lot of clear cutting. The importance of biodiversity often seems to be forgotten, and then people wonder why we have “pest” problems.
Grace, the forests in Keji park are home to so many rare species. Encouraging biodiversity has so many benefits on so many levels.
I hope you have been weathering the recent storms – I don’t know if you are getting our same coastal windy weather but it sounds like it. Hoping that the trees are still standing.
Millhill, we did get A LOT of wind and rain. Despite the negative effect on the trees, strong storm waves do tend to leave more seashells on the beach 🙂
Amy-Lynn, your Blog inspires the most interesting comments and is always informative. Love the shot of the view of Osborne Head. I’ve directed many friends to your site and it is universally praised. One friend asked if “witches brooms” occur in Ontario. My guess is “yes” but she just needs to look for them. I never noticed them till you pointed them out.
Sybil, everyone’s comments added so much insight to the discussion. Thank you everyone 🙂
I’m sure witches’ brooms occur in Ontario too. Once you know they exist, they become easier to spot.
Nothing surprising…
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7044708.ece
[…] For more information about the decline of Nova Scotia’s forests since the arrival of Europeans, see my earlier post on The Fall of the Tall Trees. […]