I’ll be curious to see how this project turns out in the long term. In the US, old growth forests previously had a tree distribution that is very different from

I’ll be curious to see how this project turns out in the long term. In the US, old growth forests previously had a tree distribution that is very different from young growth and newer managed forests. The pattern used to be less dense, with taller bigger trees whose shade kept the nearest tree was further away. This has benefits in terms of fire resistance, limited spread of pestilence, etc. The healthiest young forests are actually manually thinned to achieve a desirable density where each individual tree can thrive rather than get crowded in. Depending on the environment young growth may also need regular assistance to fight invasive species and weeds until the tree is established, since the ecosystem would be out of natural balance (lacking trees, shrubs, animals, insect populations, etc).