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Aerial view of the Warra silvicultural systems trial area, January 2009. |
Image: Leigh Edwards |
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Clearfelling with retained understorey islands. |
Image: Leigh Edwards |
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Single tree / group selection. |
Image: Leigh Edwards |
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Aggregated retention. |
Image: Leigh Edwards |
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Strip and patch-fell. |
Image: Leigh Edwards |
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Project summary:
Clearfell, burn and sow (CBS) is the prescribed silvicultural technique for wood production from lowland wet eucalypt forests. Its widespread adoption raises concerns, particularly due to initial aesthetics, a reduction in late successional species and structures, and a decline in the special species timbers resource when rotations of about 90 years are used. The Warra silvicultural systems trial has been established to compare CBS with five alternative treatments that were selected after a review of silvicultural systems applied in wet forests elsewhere. The alternatives include CBS with understorey islands, stripfell/patchfell, 10% dispersed retention, 30% aggregated retention and single tree/small group selection. Click here to download a pdf presentation (787kb) of these alternatives, or for additional information, see Clearfelling Newsletter issue 1 (228kb).
Criteria being assessed in each treatment include: the proportion of suitable seedbed according to burn/disturbance classes; site occupancy and early growth of eucalypts and competing vegetation; site occupancy and early growth of special species timbers; growth and persistence of retained trees; windthrow and crown health of retainers; effect of browsing on eucalypt regeneration; summary of incidents, contractor views and Workplace Standards Authority inspections; amount of timber produced per day; marking, regeneration and contractor subsidy costs; and proportion of fuel reduced, resources required, burn intensity matched to prescription.
Several biodiversity projects inform the silvicultural systems trial, examining successional trends and management impacts among
mammals,
invertebrates,
birds,
vascular plants,
non-vascular plants and
macrofungi.
Methodology: Not available
Datasets: None available.
Publications: Baker, S. (2010). The evolution of variable retention: western Canada, the USA and Tasmania. BC Forest Professional 17: 12-13.
Baker, S., Grove, S.J., McElwee, D., Neyland, M., Read, S., Scott, R. & Wardlaw, T. (2009). Ecological goals, biodiversity outcomes, and performance measures for aggregated retention coupes. DFRD Technical Report 03/2009. Forestry Tasmania, Hobart.
Forestry Tasmania (2004). Alternatives to clearfell silviculture in oldgrowth forests. Paper 1 in the series Towards a New Silviculture in Tasmania’s Public Oldgrowth Forests. Forestry Tasmania, Hobart.
Forestry Tasmania (2004). Safety management. Paper 4 in the series Towards a New Silviculture in Tasmania’s Public Oldgrowth Forests. Forestry Tasmania, Hobart.
Forestry Tasmania (2009). A new silviculture for Tasmania’s public forests: a review of the variable retention program. Forestry Tasmania, Hobart.
Hickey, J. & Brown, M.J. (2003). Towards ecological forestry in Tasmania. In: Franklin, J.F. & Lindenmayer, D.B. (Ed.), Towards Forest Sustainability. CSIRO, Melbourne, pp. 31-46.
Hickey, J.E. & Neyland, M.G. (2000). Testing silvicultural options for mixed forest. In Sustainable management of indigenous forest, pp. 65-73. Wickliffe Press Ltd, Lincoln University, Christchurch.
Hickey, J.E., Neyland, M.G., Edwards, L.G. & Dingle, J.K. (1999). Testing alternative silvicultural systems for wet eucalypt forests in Tasmania. In Practising Forestry Today, pp. 136-141. Institute of Foresters of Australia Inc., Hobart.
Hickey, J.E., Neyland, M.G. & Bassett, O.D. (2001). Rationale and design for the Warra silvicultural systems trial in wet Eucalyptus obliqua forests in Tasmania. Tasforests 13: 155-182
Hickey, J.E., Neyland, M.G., Grove, S.J. & Edwards, L.G. (2006). From little things big things grow: The Warra Silvicultural Systems Trial in Tasmanian wet Eucalyptus obliqua forest. Allgemeine Forst und Jagdzeitung 177: 120-130.
Neyland, M.G. (2004). Seedling regeneration, growth and density of Eucalyptus obliqua following partial harvesting in the Warra silvicultural systems trial. 3. The first “clearfell, burn and sow” coupe, Warra 8B, age 3 years. CRC for Sustainable Production Forestry Technical Report 142.
Neyland, M.G. (2004). Seedling regeneration, growth and density of Eucalyptus obliqua following partial harvesting in the Warra silvicultural systems trial. 4. The patchfell and stripfells, Warra 1A, at age 3. CRC for Sustainable Production Forestry Technical Report 147.
Neyland, M.G. (2004). Seedling regeneration, growth and density of Eucalyptus obliqua following partial harvesting in the Warra silvicultural systems trial. 5. The second “clearfell, burn and sow with understorey islands” coupe, Warra 8H and a brief comparison with the first understorey island coupe Warra 8B. CRC for Sustainable Production Forestry Technical Report 148.
Neyland, M.G. (2004). Seedling regeneration, growth and density of Eucalyptus obliqua following partial harvesting in the Warra silvicultural systems trial. 6. The first “single tree, small group selection” coupe, Warra 5D, age 3 years. CRC for Sustainable Production Forestry Technical Report 149.
Neyland, M.G. (2004). Seedling regeneration, growth and density of Eucalyptus obliqua following partial harvesting in the Warra silvicultural systems trial. 2. Dispersed retention at Warra 8C and comparison with Warra 1B. CRC for Sustainable Production Forestry Technical Report 136.
Neyland, M.G. (2004). Seedling regeneration, growth and density of Eucalyptus obliqua following partial harvesting in the Warra silvicultural systems trial. 1. Dispersed retention. CRC for Sustainable Production Forestry Technical Report 128.
Neyland, M.N. (2010). The response of the vegetation to a range of alternatives to clearfelling of tall wet eucalypt forests at the Warra silvicultural systems trial, Tasmania, Australia. Doctoral thesis, University of Tasmania, Hobart.
Neyland, M., Hickey, J. & Edwards, L. (2002). Warra Silvicultural Systems Trial: Research Plan 1997-2006. Measurement and monitoring. Forestry Tasmania, Hobart.
Neyland, M., Hickey, J., Beadle, C., Bauhus, J., Davidson, N. & Edwards, L. (2009). An examination of stocking and early growth in the Warra silvicultural systems trial confirms the importance of a burnt seedbed for vigorous regeneration in Eucalyptus obliqua forest. Forest Ecology and Management 258: 481-494.
Neyland, M.G., Hickey, J.E. & Edwards, L.G. (2009). Safety and productivity at the Warra silvicultural systems trial. Tasforests 18: 1-16.
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