This decaying beech, like the one pictured before, is one of many indigenous tree species that contribute to the old growth features of this forest. Dead and decaying trees provide habitats for insects, bugs, mushrooms and mycelium; they open spaces in the canopy for younger trees and nurture the forest floor with nutrients gathered when the trees were alive. Old growth forests like this one have characteristic waves in the ground that hint at where, long ago, trees have fallen.
by Matthew Lowell-PellettierThe Dominion is a monthly paper published by an incipient network of independent journalists in Canada. It aims to provide accurate, critical coverage that is accountable to its readers and the subjects it tackles. Taking its name from Canada's official status as both a colony and a colonial force, the Dominion examines politics, culture and daily life with a view to understanding the exercise of power.