Fred Breglia, Landis Arboretum, talks about Old Growth Forests on this podcast episode.
Do you “talk tree”?Have you ever wondered how old the beautiful trees in your woodlands or in New York State forests are? Then this episode is for you.
Fred Breglia joins
Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley in a multi-faceted
discussion about
Old Growth Forests. Fred is the executive director of
Landis Arboretum located in Esperance, N.Y. Landis is an arboretum
and public garden incorporating 300 acres and 10 miles of hiking trails in
Schoharie and Montgomery counties in New York State. The grounds are open
from dawn to dusk every day. Fred is also an
award-winning certified arborist with decades of experience in the green
industry. He is also a frequent speaker and educator. Capital District
residents may know him as the “Tree Man,” a regular guest on WAMC’s Vox Pop
Radio Show.
An old-growth forest (also known as a primary forest, virgin forest, or mature forest) is one that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thus exhibits unique ecological features, and might be classified as a climax community. There are a small number of old-growth forests in New York state, whose assemblage of trees have co-evolved to a majestic state of maturity with a biological complexity of soils, habitats, and species. Old-growth forests have a great capacity to improve air and water quality, sequester carbon, and help mitigate climate change. However, fewer than one percent of our original forests remain in the eastern United States.
The oldest trees are not necessarily the largest ones. They are ones that have successfully used their available resources efficiently. Did you know that the oldest white pine in New York State is 470 years old? There’s a lot more to learn in this episode. Enjoy!
Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas
Guest: Fred Breglia
Photo by: Teresa Golden
Production Support:Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski
Xandra Powers
Community Horticulture Coordinator
[email protected]
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Last updated December 7, 2023
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