Ontario, Canada — Few drivers speeding down Highway 401, North America’s busiest highway, realize that just beyond the roar of traffic lies a 700-year-old forest. Hidden on cliffs near the Ontario highway, the ancient trees have survived for centuries — but scientists warn they could soon vanish.
Ancient Trees Hidden in Plain Sight
Doug Larson, professor emeritus of biology at the University of Guelph, and his research team discovered the centuries-old forest while studying cliffside ecosystems. Their findings stunned the scientific community.
“When we found our first tree that was more than 1,000 years old I thought, ‘You have got to be kidding,’” Larson told The Guardian. “I had goosebumps. It was like a lightning bolt hitting — it put this forest into a completely different category.”
One of the trees, though now dead, was estimated to be 1,800 years old, Larson said.
According to The Cool Down, Larson believes that tiny ancient forests like this exist all over the world — from North America to New Zealand and France — often tucked into cliff environments where human disturbance is minimal.
Why These Ancient Forests Matter
Old-growth forests play a crucial role in maintaining the planet’s environmental balance. They provide ecosystem services that sustain both wildlife and humans.
- Clean air and water: Older forests absorb pollutants and filter water better than younger forests, according to the Old-Growth Forest Network.
- Biodiversity: Their multi-layered canopies and berry-producing plants feed countless bird species and small mammals.
- Topsoil creation: Ancient trees help build topsoil, the upper layer of soil responsible for producing 95% of the world’s food.
- Carbon storage: Mature forests are powerful carbon sinks — a study of six national forests in Oregon found that the largest 3% of trees store 42% of forest carbon.
“Older forests are essential in slowing the warming of our planet,” Larson explained. “In places where carbon storage is high, animal and plant diversity tends to soar.”
The Alarming Decline of Old-Growth Forests
Despite their importance, only a tiny fraction of old-growth forests remain in the United States. Experts estimate that less than 5% still exist in the western states, and under 1% in the East.
Many are being destroyed by logging and land development, threatening ecosystems that have thrived untouched for thousands of years.
“That is unconscionable,” said Beverly Law, an old-growth forest researcher quoted by National Geographic.
Larson warns that losing these forests could accelerate biodiversity loss and climate change.
“If we humans want to be sustained by this planet forever, we cannot suck it dry,” he said. “This ancient forest survived because we ignored it. There’s a way to make the planet infinitely sustainable if we simply ask less of it.”
Hope Through Science and Art
Some researchers and environmentalists are working to preserve what remains. A Canadian photographer has been documenting the destruction of old-growth forests by capturing before-and-after logging images that reveal the scale of environmental loss.
He recently discovered one of the largest old-growth cedar trees ever recorded — estimated to be over 1,000 years old — off the coast of Vancouver Island. To protect it, he kept the location secret.
These efforts highlight a growing movement to defend Earth’s few surviving ancient forests, urging people to value and preserve the ecosystems that quietly sustain life.
What are your thoughts on protecting ancient forests and balancing progress with preservation? Share your views in the comments below.
