Tree diversity is lower in regenerated forests than in old forests — even after 120 years of regrowth.
20 July 2026
Tree diversity is lower in regenerated forests than in old forests — even after 120 years of regrowth.
Tree species found in old-growth forests in Costa Rica are often absent in regrown forests. Credit: Hiroya Minakuchi/Nature Picture Library
Tropical rainforests that have been cleared can take only 20 years to grow back seemingly as lush as before. But even after 120 years, these second-growth forests still can’t match old-growth forests’ diversity of trees.
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