Few deciduous trees in old forest?

Question

There is an old forest near me that has lain untouched for at least 150 years and possibly longer. The forest is on a big hill which is surrounded by a marsh. The great majority of trees in the forest are gigantic hemlocks with aspens a distant second. The aspens are only found in the lower lying areas. I am puzzled why there are so few deciduous trees in the forest. Deciduous trees are the most common around the town, and hemlocks are relatively rare outside the forest. The only deciduous trees in the forest are maples, and the few maples that are there tend to look sickly. Why would there be so few deciduous trees? Do the hemlocks kill them off somehow, or would it be due to the soil?

Answer 1

The hemlocks will tend to make a rather acidic soil due to the decomposition of their needles, which is far slower than that of maple leaves. That could be deterring the maples. Are all the hemlocks comparably sized, and dense? That wouldn't indicate a climax forest to me; there should be glades and rotting trunks. More like a very old deiberately-planted stand?

-- Cheers, -- Mr. d.