New findings show that old-growth forests, a critical nesting habitat for threatened northern spotted owls, are less likely to experience high-severity fire than young-growth forests during wildfires. This suggests that old-growth forest could be leveraged to provide valuable fire refuges that support forest biodiversity and buffer the extreme effects of climate change on fire regimes in the Pacific Northwest.
source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/old-growth-forest-may-provide-valuable-biodiversity-refuge-in-areas-at-risk-of-severe-fire