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Sustainability Indicators for Tasmanian Forests 2001 – 2006 Prepared by the Tasmanian and Australian Governments for the 2007 Ten Year Review of the Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement Month 2007 May 2007 CONTENTS Acronyms ......................................................................................................viii Executive summary ......................................................................................................... x Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 Criterion 1: Conservation of biological diversity ............................................................... 6 1.1 Ecosystem diversity ...................................................................................................... 6 1.1.a Extent of area of forest types .......................................................... 6 1.1.b Area of forest by growth stage...................................................... 10 1.1.c Extent of area by forest type and reservation status ..................... 14 1.1.d Fragmentation of forest cover....................................................... 19 1.1.e Area of old growth by forest type by reservation status ............... 21 1.2 Species diversity ....................................................................................................... 25 1.2.a Forest- dwelling species for which ecological information is available ........................................................................................ 25 1.2.b The status of forest-dwelling species at risk of not maintaining viable breeding populations, as determined by legislation or scientific assessment ..................................................................... 28 1.2.c Representative species from a range of habitats monitored at scales relevant to regional forest management........................................ 33 1.3 Genetic diversity ....................................................................................................... 43 1.3.a Forest-associated species at risk from isolation and the loss of genetic variation, and conservation efforts for those species ....... 43 1.3.b Native forest and plantations of indigenous timber species which have genetic resource conservation mechanisms in place ............ 49 Criterion 2: Maintenance of productive capacity of forest ecosystems............................ 54 2.1.a Native forest area available for wood production, area harvested, and growing stock of merchantable and non-merchantable tree species........................................................................................... 54 2.1.b Age class of plantations ................................................................ 57 2.1.c Annual removal of wood products compared to the volume Determined to be sustainable for native forests and future yields for plantations ............................................................................... 59 2.1.d Annual removal of non-wood forest products compared to the level determined to be sustainable......................................................... 64 2.1.e The area of native forest harvested and the proportion of that effectively regenerated, and the area of plantation clearfelled and the proportion of that effectively re- established .......................... 70 Criterion 3: Maintenance of ecosystem health and vitality .............................................. 74 3.1.a Area and percentage of forest affected by processes or agents that may change ecosystem health and vitality.................................... 74 3.1.b Area of forest burnt by planned and unplanned fire ..................... 81 Criterion 4: Conservation and maintenance of soil and water resources.......................... 85 4.1.a Area of forest managed primarily for protective functions .......... 85 Sustainability Indicators for Tasmanian Forests 2001-2006 ii 4.1.b Management of the risks of soil erosion and the risks to soil physical properties, water quantity and water quality in forests... 88 Criterion 5: Maintenance of forest contributions to global carbon cycles...................... 102 5.1.a Total forest ecosystem biomass and carbon pool ....................... 102 Criterion 6: Maintenance and enhancement of long-term multiple socio-economic benefits to meet the needs of society .......................................... 105 6.1: Production and consumption ................................................................................... 105 6.1.a Value and volume of wood and wood products.......................... 105 6.1.c Value of forest based services..................................................... 116 6.1.d Production and consumption and import/export of wood, wood products and non-wood products................................................ 118 6.1.e Degree of recycling of forest products........................................ 124 6.2: Investment in the forest sector................................................................................. 126 6.2.a Investment and expenditure in forest management .................... 126 6.2.b Investment in research, development, extension and use of new and improved technologies ......................................................... 129 6.3 Recreation and tourism ............................................................................................. 133 6.3.a Area of forest available for general recreation and tourism ....... 133 6.3.b Range and use of recreation/tourism activities available............ 135 6.4 Cultural, social and spiritual needs and values ......................................................... 140 6.4.a Area of forest to which indigenous people have use and rights that protect their special values and are recognised through formal and informal management regimes.................................................... 140 6.4.b Registered places of non-indigenous cultural values in forests that are formally managed to protect these values............................. 144 6.4.c The extent to which indigenous values are protected, maintained and enhanced through indigenous participation in forest management ................................................................................ 147 6.4.d The importance of forests to people............................................ 149 6.5. Employment and community needs......................................................................... 150 6.5.a Direct and indirect employment in the forest sector................... 150 6.5.b Wage rates and injury rates within the forest sector................... 154 6.5.c Resilience of forest dependant communities to changing social and economic conditions ................................................................... 159 6.5.d Resilience of forest dependent indigenous communities to changing social and economic conditions................................... 160 Criterion 7: Legal institutional and economic framework for forest conservation and sustainable management ............................................................. 161 7.1.a Extent to which the legal framework supports the conservation and sustainable management of forests ............................................. 161 7.1.b Extent to which the institutional framework supports the conservation and sustainable management of forests ................. 169 7.1.c Extent to which the economic framework supports the conservation and sustainable management of forests ................. 184 7.1.d Capacity to measure and monitor changes in the conservation and sustainable management of forests ............................................. 186 Sustainability Indicators for Tasmanian Forests 2001-2006 iii 7.1.e Capacity to conduct and apply research and development aimed at improving forest management and delivery of forest goods and services........................................................................................ 189 Appendix 1.1 ..................................................................................................... 194 Appendix 1.2.b.1 Existing and proposed RFA priority species .............................. 262 Appendix 1.3.a ..................................................................................................... 284 Appendix 6.3.a Reservation of high quality wilderness....................................... 306 Appendix 7.1.b Community awareness................................................................ 308 Appendix 7.1.d Sustainability measuring and monitoring programs ................... 310 Table 1.1.a Extent of forest by tenure (a)................................................................... 9 Table 1.1.b Area of native forest types by growth stage and tenure groups (a) ....... 13 Table 1.1.c.1 Area of native forest type protected by IUCN category of reserve (a).. 16 Table 1.1.c.2 Area of native forest type protected by reserve class (a)....................... 17 Table 1.1.c.3 Change in reservation status of native forest types................................ 17 Table 1.1.e (i) Old Growth by forest type and tenure (a).............................................. 23 Table 1.1.e(ii) Old Growth by forest type and reserve type (a) .................................... 24 Table 1.1.e (iii) Change in reservation status of old growth by forests type................... 24 Table 1.2.a.1 Numbers of forest dwelling taxa within each group.............................. 26 Table 1.2.a.2 Changes