Progress Report 2007-2008 - Department of Environment and ...
Progress Report 2007-2008 - Department of Environment and ...
Progress Report 2007-2008 - Department of Environment and ...
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Ongoing<br />
132<br />
Due date Region FA section Milestone <strong>Progress</strong><br />
Within next<br />
five years<br />
UNE,<br />
LNE<br />
3.5<br />
Att. 8<br />
Refinement <strong>of</strong> resource availability by improving the<br />
inventory such as additional plot measurements<br />
(funding provided at $500 000 pa for five years).<br />
In progress<br />
Forests NSW has implemented a Forest Inventory Policy, which is designed to account for harvesting activity <strong>and</strong> maintain the<br />
currency <strong>of</strong> its strategic resource data. Continuous replacement <strong>of</strong> FRAMES plots is part <strong>of</strong> this policy.<br />
Improvements to FRAMES Tools<br />
In relation to FRAMES improvements, by the end <strong>of</strong> 2006, Forests NSW had completed a broad series <strong>of</strong> improvements to its<br />
FRAMES modelling, including:<br />
Biometrics<br />
• Growth models have been updated for all areas using recent Permanent Growth Plot (PGP) measure data.<br />
• Models have also been simplified to improve rigorousness with respect to implementation <strong>and</strong> testing.<br />
• Further data were collected <strong>and</strong> analysed to improve the recovery factors, volume functions, taper functions, height/diameter<br />
functions <strong>and</strong> tree product apportionment equations biometrics.<br />
Growth <strong>and</strong> yield simulation<br />
• FRAMES has been adapted to report species level yield trends.<br />
• Changes have been made to the modelled product mix to provide more realistic <strong>and</strong> flexible product categories.<br />
• The simulation tool has been integrated with the inventory <strong>and</strong> Woodstock wood flow model systems to improve efficiency <strong>and</strong><br />
user-friendliness.<br />
• New reports have been developed that include the pr<strong>of</strong>iles <strong>of</strong> average pre- <strong>and</strong> post-harvest st<strong>and</strong> states for areas that meet the<br />
harvest criteria. This report can be used by regional staff to ground-truth the modelled harvest specifications.<br />
• Silvicultural <strong>and</strong> harvesting assumptions have been updated as a result <strong>of</strong> silviculture studies in the North Coast region.<br />
• New log level trace reports have also been incorporated into the growth <strong>and</strong> yield simulation process, enabling precise log level<br />
data to be incorporated into FRAMES yield tables. Previous yield simulation models accurately predicted st<strong>and</strong>ing yield at estate<br />
level but were found to vary significantly at more localised levels. The new log trace approach enables precise estimates at local<br />
levels.<br />
Area management<br />
Because <strong>of</strong> the complex nature <strong>of</strong> net area management <strong>and</strong> the large number <strong>of</strong> spatial inputs to area modelling, Forests NSW has<br />
restructured its strategic net area management toolkit. This has resulted in the development <strong>of</strong> a grid-based area prediction tool for<br />
North Coast regions. The new modelling environment permits layers that contribute to area availability to be easily extracted <strong>and</strong><br />
updated as new data becomes available.<br />
Estate models<br />
• Changes have been made from Spectrum RFA to the Woodstock estate modelling system to facilitate more reliable <strong>and</strong> efficient<br />
yield scheduling <strong>and</strong> reporting at a range <strong>of</strong> spatial levels.<br />
• Resource growth <strong>and</strong> yield estimates have been defined at a more localised level (e.g. in contractor management zones) to<br />
support planning <strong>and</strong> monitoring activities.<br />
• The model has been modified to ensure that only appropriate silvicultural intensities are applied to defined management areas.<br />
Forests NSW will continue to review the utility <strong>of</strong> these <strong>and</strong> other tools for informing future management decisions. As part <strong>of</strong><br />
remeasurement, PGPs have been converted to a new plot size (0.2 ha). All new PGPs will be established at the new plot size. The<br />
larger plot size will result in a better capture <strong>of</strong> variability <strong>and</strong> improve mortality <strong>and</strong> recruitment modelling. When data become<br />
available, the current models will be reviewed <strong>and</strong> if necessary updated <strong>and</strong> incorporated in FRAMES.<br />
NSW FOREST AGREEMENTS AND INTEGRATED FORESTRY OPERATIONS APPROVALS