Here’s an interesting blog post about heart rot I found:
It may be very useful to know, for those of us growing trees.
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Great article. I’ve seen Eliza Greenman on YouTube. Very good speaker and clearly passionate about what she does.
I had no idea. While I very much try to balance healthy looking trees with habitat-providing trees in our forest, it’s really good to know the ones who look wounded or hollow are probably doing okay.
For now, we’ve only been taking trees 6" or less in diameter to clear space for some of the older trees and make some sunlight for new food forest plants. We have some really gnarly looking old maples that I hold in high regard and have specifically discussed with hubs to not cut down. It would feel like hacking down a great-grandparent. 
@stephane_rave I’m not sure how well that article will translate, but if it does you might find it interesting. 
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that person has a pretty good view of things.
A French park manager was campaigning here to also save the old half-rotten trees that are home to extraordinary wildlife. But one day he took the idea of studying the soil that was forming in the center of the tree. He found incredible doses of pesticides while the tree was miles away from any crop, all because of the accumulation of rain. It is realized that like any old living being they are large accumulators of all the toxicity of our society which poison in daily all the fauna. Since then he has dropped his weapons, resigned and marched to Paris to explain the result of his work in the government. So is it a good thing to keep old trees that shelter life or is it saving a weak tree to better poison wildlife? rather cut the humans lol
The less we cut better it is for the trees, they have all the mechanisms to fend for themselves.
How the human would react if the doctor said, “hey guy you had an infection in a finger as a precaution we will cut it off. We’ll do this cleanly and disinfect well to be sure”
I think that after that you will live well physically although a little disabled, but mentally you will surely be affected and it would have a lot of small mental repercussions that will influence the rest of your life and who knows may reduce your life expectancy.
I think you’re making the right choice, sacrificing a few trees with no future to heat you up to leave all the potential to the trees in the making. All this while leaving the old trees intact.
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Yes, leaving all the mother trees is a very good idea. 
(“Mother trees” is a botanical term – look it up; it’s amazing what they do!) The oldest trees in a forest help younger trees survive and stay healthy, even trees of different species. They are remarkable and essential. I think you’ve made a wise decision in honoring their place in the forest permanently.
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