sustainable forest management - Forestry Tasmania

Native forest regeneration
Forestry Tasmania aims to ensure that productivity on
state forests is always maintained. In order to achieve this,
forest regeneration practices are constantly monitored
and reviewed. Successful eucalypt regeneration generally
requires:
• effective site preparation by fire or by mechanical
disturbance to create receptive seedbed
• an adequate supply of high quality seed
• freedom from heavy frosts, drought and excessive
damage by insects and browsing animals.
To ensure high quality native forest regeneration, Forestry
Tasmania has developed and maintains a Native Forest
Quality Standards process. This process enables the
timely, effective and accurate monitoring and reporting
of silvicultural operations in native forests. The process
uses goals, targets, standards and performance indicators
to determine the success of regeneration operations. An
annual quality standards review is held to discuss issues
of concern relating to silvicultural operations, to ensure
a constructive approach to improving practices, and to
provide a forum for exchange of information and ideas. The
information provided below is the summary information
collated from this process.
Site preparation
cent scorching of retained stems, and the achievement of
an acceptable level of fire protection.
Site preparation has a significant impact on the success of
regeneration. Site preparation techniques employed by
In 2007/08, 8400 hectares (3100 hectares of clearfelled
Forestry Tasmania include high or low intensity burning,
area and 5300 hectares of partially harvested area) native
mechanical loosening of the soil or excavator heaping
forest were treated for site preparation which includes areas
of logging slash. In some cases the disturbance caused
carried over from the previous year. A total of 94 per cent of
by harvesting produces sufficient seedbed for adequate
clearfell and 86 per cent of partial harvest areas respectively
regeneration.
achieved the site preparation quality standard (Figure 16).
This compares with the five-year average of 85 per cent
The quality standard for clearfelled areas is that receptive
and 93 per cent for clearfell and partial harvest respectively.
seedbed is created over at least two-thirds of the area to
One partial harvest area and four clear felled areas did not
be regenerated. In partially harvested areas, the quality
meet the standard as a result of poor burns. Nine partially
standard is that receptive seedbed is created over at least
harvested coupes did not meet the standard because of
one-third of the area to be regenerated, less than 10 per
excessive scorch to remaining trees.
Figure 16. Five year native forest site preparation summary
% of treated area that met standard
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Clearfell
Partial Harvest
2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08