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The monocultural stand of trees is a sure sign that logging has been taking place, here in the southern Cascade Range of Oregon. In general, forests are diverse places, when in their natural state, with holes opened into the stand by falling trees, other clearings made by fire, and many species associated with these. But after the trees are cut, foresters for the last several generations have been inclined to replace the many species with just a few, or often, just one species that is genetically produced to be quick-growing, and therefore provide a relatively swift return on investment. But considerable diversity is lost, in the process. Whether this is critical for habitat sustenance or not is another question, not easily answered.
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