Second-growth not as good genetically

American Forests, Spring, 2005

Second-growth tropical forests pale in genetic comparison to their predecessors, according to research conducted by ecologists at the University of Connecticut and reported by the Washington Post. Researchers compared genes in two sets of palms: 130 second-growth Iriartea deltoidea last cut in 1981 and a neighboring grove of 66 old-growth palms that provided the only seed and pollen source for the newer trees.

Researchers found two of the old-growth trees contributed a total of 56 percent of the genes found in the second-growth. The remainder came from 23 of the old-growth trees; 41 trees contributed nothing.