Whereas the general dynamics of the biomass and carbon associated with forest trees up to and just beyond their harvestable age are reasonable well understood, this is much less the case for carbon dynamics in old forests and of soil carbon in particular. We also have several poorly known issues on the linkages between biodiversity and the ecosystem functions of the carbon cycle. Will mortality factors like wind throws, breakage, insect and fungal attacks reduce biomass or will gap-filling dynamics balance or compensate biomass losses?