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Glossary item | Last updated: 10 Jan 2025

Old-growth forest

The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 - Bringing nature back into our lives (COM(2020) 380 final) aims to ensure that Europe's biodiversity will be on the path to recovery by 2030 for the benefit of people, the planet, the climate and the economy, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and with the objectives of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. As part of the strategy the EU foresees, among others: legal protection of at least 30 % of its land and sea area as part of a trans-European nature network; the protection of all remaining EU primary and old-growth forests; that at least 10 % of agricultural area is under high-diversity landscape features; that three billion new trees are planted in the EU; that at least 25 000 km of free-flowing rivers are restored.

Source: EUROSTAT


Old growth forest stands are generally considered to be stands in primary or secondary forests that have developed the structures and species normally associated with old primary forest of that type. 
 

Source: EURO-Lex


The old growth forests have been described by the adjective primeval, ancient, wilderness, virgin, pristine while in forester's terminology they are called as over-matured, decadent, and senescent, old growth. The old growth forests may be defined as a climax forest that has never been disturbed by man. The old growth forests can be classified as per the age and disturbance criteria.

Source: EEA Glossary