While Maine is the country’s most forested state, the history of industrial forestry has rendered the majority of the forests into young, structurally and compositionally simplified second or third growth stands. Late-successional/old-growth (LSOG) forests are vanishingly rare, particularly on private lands. The remaining stands of LSOG forests are characterized by their complex forest structure, high biodiversity, and unique ecological functions, which contribute significantly to carbon storage, water purification, and habitat for diverse wildlife.
Recent advancements in LIDAR technology have allowed for detailed mapping of LSOG forests, revealing precise locations and extents of these ecosystems across private lands throughout the state. While the availability of such granular data offers exciting possibilities for conservation of the remaining old growth forest tracts, the decentralized nature of the LSOG areas presents a formidable challenge: LSOG areas are interspersed across hundreds to thousands of private, commercial and family owned, timberland tracts, and remain unprotected due to fragmented ownership and varying management objectives.
With this project, we propose a comprehensive approach to incentivize the conservation of LSOG forests on private lands through a three-stage strategy: (1) review existing conservation markets, (2) develop a ranking and prioritization system for LSOG protection, and (3) design a market-based system for LSOG conservation.