Claims that forests stop growing after 25 years are contradicted by field evidence showing old forests continue storing carbon, while dead trees and burned forests retain vital ecological value.

There has been a lot of discussion about forests in the past few months. Much of the attention has focused on a forest carbon method and associated carbon crediting system aimed at protecting forests and forest biodiversity. Like many debates, there have been some good arguments. But there has also been some extraordinary disinformation. Some of this has come from the native forest logging industry, but perhaps surprisingly, some has come from environment groups that most people might think would want forests protected.

One of the greatest furphies of all has been that forests stop growing by the time they reach 25 years old, and the trees die and the carbon is returned to the atmosphere. I can understand these absurd claims being made by lobby groups for the native forest logging industry. This is because it is sobering to understand the very large amounts of carbon that are actually stored in a forest when it is not logged and allowed to become old growth. The reasons why some environment groups would make a similar claim about forests ceasing to grow at 25 years are somewhat mystifying. But perhaps it is best to examine some of the........

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