Draft Forest Management Plan For Cashmere Forest, Port Hills, Canterbury A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Forestry Science in the University of Canterbury by Jeremy Mansell University of Canterbury 2006 i Table of Contents Abstract ..................................................................................................................xiv Acknowledgements................................................................................................xvi Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................................1 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background of Management Planning......................................................................... 2 1.3 General Approach of the Cashmere DFM plan .......................................................... 3 Chapter 2 Cashmere Forest Vision and Outcomes...............................................4 2.1 200 Year Vision............................................................................................................... 4 2.2 30 Year Outcome ............................................................................................................ 5 2.2.1 Forest Management.............................................................................................. 5 2.2.2 Ecology (Restoration, Biodiversity) .................................................................... 5 2.2.3 Landscape ............................................................................................................ 6 2.2.4 Recreation ............................................................................................................ 6 2.3 5 Year Outcomes ............................................................................................................ 7 2.3.1 Forest Management.............................................................................................. 7 2.3.2 Ecology (Restoration, Biodiversity) .................................................................. 10 2.3.3 Landscape (inc. Soil & Water)........................................................................... 10 2.3.4 Recreation .......................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 3 Ecological Context of the Area............................................................13 3.1 Background................................................................................................................... 13 3.2 Location......................................................................................................................... 13 3.2.1 Physical Location............................................................................................... 13 3.2.2 Legal Area.......................................................................................................... 14 3.3 Physical Attributes ....................................................................................................... 15 3.3.1 Geological History............................................................................................. 15 3.3.2 Soils.................................................................................................................... 16 3.3.3 Topography........................................................................................................ 18 3.3.4 Climate............................................................................................................... 21 ii 3.4 Ecological History of the Area .................................................................................... 23 3.5 Today’s Vegetation Cover ........................................................................................... 25 3.5.1 Port Hills ............................................................................................................ 25 3.5.2 Cashmere Forest................................................................................................. 26 3.6 Fauna ............................................................................................................................. 29 3.7 Streams .......................................................................................................................... 32 3.8 Adjacent Areas ............................................................................................................. 33 Chapter 4 Production Forest Description............................................................35 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 35 4.2 Forest Context............................................................................................................... 35 4.2.1 Forest Boundary................................................................................................. 35 4.2.2 Forest Area......................................................................................................... 36 4.2.3 Forest Access ..................................................................................................... 38 4.2.4 Regulatory Limitations ...................................................................................... 40 4.2.5 Environmental Forest Benefits........................................................................... 40 4.2.6 Social Forest Benefits ........................................................................................ 42 4.3 Forest Description ........................................................................................................ 43 4.3.1 Compartment Area............................................................................................. 43 4.3.2 Forest Inventory................................................................................................. 43 4.3.3 Compartment History......................................................................................... 44 4.3.4 Stratum Description ........................................................................................... 45 Chapter 5 Approach to Economic Evaluation.....................................................46 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 46 5.2 Cost Information .......................................................................................................... 46 5.2.1 Harvesting.......................................................................................................... 46 5.2.2 Haulage .............................................................................................................. 47 5.2.3 Earthworks ......................................................................................................... 48 5.2.4 Silviculture......................................................................................................... 49 5.2.5 Annual Charges.................................................................................................. 50 5.2.6 Indigenous Restoration ...................................................................................... 51 5.3 Log Grade and Price Information .............................................................................. 51 iii 5.4 Economic Evaluation ................................................................................................... 52 5.4.1 Introduction........................................................................................................ 52 5.4.2 Liquidation Value .............................................................................................. 53 5.4.3 Discounted Cashflow......................................................................................... 53 5.4.4 Discount Rate..................................................................................................... 54 5.4.5 Normal Cashflow ............................................................................................... 54 5.4.6 Land Area........................................................................................................... 55 5.4.7 Sensitivity Analysis ........................................................................................... 55 5.5 MARVL Analysis ......................................................................................................... 56 5.5.1 Introduction........................................................................................................ 56 5.5.2 Dictionary .......................................................................................................... 56 5.5.3 Models................................................................................................................ 57 5.5.4 Coupe Harvesting and CCM.............................................................................. 57 5.5.5 CCM (log trace) ................................................................................................. 58 5.5.6 Constraints of MARVL Inventory and Software............................................... 59 Chapter 6 Economic Evaluation ...........................................................................60 6.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................