SUSTAINABILITY & RESOURCES PROJECT NUMBER: PRC147-0809 FEBRUARY 2011 Management of Victoria’s Publicly-owned Native Forests for Wood Production This report can also be viewed on the FWPA website www.fwpa.com.au FWPA Level 4, 10-16 Queen Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia T +61 (0)3 9927 3200 F +61 (0)3 9927 3288 E [email protected] W www.fwpa.com.au Management of Victoria’s Publicly-owned Native Forests for Wood Production: A Review of the Science Underpinning their Management. Prepared for Forest & Wood Products Australia by J. Turner, D. Flinn, M. Lambert, K. Wareing and S. Murphy Publication: Management of Victoria’s Publicly-owned Native Forests for Wood Production: A Review of the Science Underpinning their Management. Project No: PRC174-0809 © 20111 Forest & Wood Products Australia Limited. All rights reserved. Forest & Wood Products Australia Limited (FWPA) makes no warranties orr assurances with respect to this publication including merchantability, fitness for purpose or otherwise. FWPA and all persons associated with it exclude all liability (including liability for negligence) in relation to any opinion, advice or information contained in this publication or for any consequences arising from the use of such opinion, advice or information. This work is copyright and protected under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). All material except the FWPA logo may be reproduced in whole or in part, provided that it is nott sold or used for commercial benefit and its source (Forest & Wood Products Australia Limited)) is acknowledged. Reproduction or copying for other purposes, which is strictly reserved onlyy for the owner or licensee of copyright under the Copyright Act, is prohibited without the prior wwritten consent of Forest & Wood Products Australia Limited. This work is supported by funding provided to FWPA by the Department of Agrriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). ISBN: 978-1-921763-12-0 Principal Researcher: John Turner, David Flinn, Marcia Lambert Kevin Wareing Forsci Pty Ltd Kevin Wareing & Asssociates Pty Ltd [email protected] [email protected] Simoon Murphy Department of Sustainability & Environment, Victoria [email protected] Final report received by FWPA in November, 2010 Forest & Wood Products Australia Limited Level 4, 10-16 Queen St, Melbourne, Victooria, 3000 T +61 3 9927 3200 F +61 3 9927 3288 E [email protected] W www.fwpa.com.au TABLE OF CONTENTS _____________________________________ Page No. 1. INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES 1 2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO VICTORIA’S NATIVE FORESTS 3 2.1 Forests Prior to European Settlement 3 2.2 Impacts of European Settlement 3 2.2.1 Clearing of Forests for Agriculture, Mining and Settlement 3 2.2.2 Forest Regulation 5 2.2.3 Fire Regimes 5 2.2.4 Timber Harvesting 6 2.3 Current Tenure of Native Forests 8 2.4 Discussion and Conclusions 9 3. NATIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT IN VICTORIA 10 3.1 Statutory, Institutional and Policy Framework 10 3.2 Forest Management Planning 11 3.3 Timber Harvesting 13 3.3.1 Introduction 13 3.3.2 Determination of Appropriate Sawlog Harvesting Levels 14 3.3.3 Establishment of VicForests 14 3.3.4 Separation of Commercial and Policy, Monitoring and Regulatory Roles 14 3.4 Victoria’s Timber industry Strategy 17 3.5 Towards Sustainable Forest Management in Victoria 18 3.6 Discussion and Conclusions 22 i 4. COMMERCIALLY IMPORTANT FOREST TYPES AND THEIR SILVICULTURAL 23 MANAGEMENT 4.1 Forest Types 23 4.2 Introduction to Silvicultural Principles 26 4.3 Silvicultural Research and Practice 27 4.4 Alpine Ash Forests 29 4.4.1 Introduction 29 4.4.2 Silviculture of Alpine Ash in NSW and Tasmania 29 4.4.2.1 Tasmania 29 4.4.2.2 New South Wales 31 4.4.3 Silviculture of Alpine Ash in Victoria – A Detailed Case Study 32 4.4.3.1 Flowering, Fruit Development and Seeding 32 4.4.3.2 Germination 33 4.4.3.3 Seedling Establishment 34 4.4.3.4 Silvicultural Systems 34 4.4.3.5 Alpine Ash SFM Case Study 36 4.4.3.6 Alpine Ash Regeneration Following Wildfire 37 4.4.3.7 Future Seed Management 38 4.4.3.8 Thinning 40 4.5 Mountain Ash Forests 41 4.5.1 Introduction 41 4.5.2 Silvics of Mountain Ash Forests 43 4.5.3 Stocking Following Harvesting of Mountain Ash in Victoria 44 4.5.4 Mountain Ash Silviculture 44 4.5.5 Mountain Ash Regeneration 45 4.5.6. Mountain Ash Growth and Development 46 4.6 High Elevation Mixed Species Forests 48 4.6.1 Introduction 48 4.6.2 Silvics of HEMS Forests 50 4.6.3 Regeneration of HEMS Forests 51 4.6.4 HEMS Silviculture 52 4.6.4.1 HEMS Seed-tree and Clearfell 54 4.6.4.2 HEMS Selection System 55 4.6.4.3 HEMS Shelterwood 55 4.6.4.4 HEMS Variable Retention 55 4.6.4.5 HEMS Reforestation and Re-treatment 56 4.6.4.6 Thinning HEMS Forests 56 4.6.4.7 Overwood Competition 56 4.6.4.8 Seed Management 57 4.7 Low Elevation Mixed Species Forests 57 4.7.1 Introduction 57 4.7.2 Silvics of LEMS Forests 59 4.7.3 Stocking Following Harvesting of LEMS in Victoria 60 4.7.4 LEMS Silviculture 61 4.7.4.1 LEMS Seed-tree System 61 ii 4.7.4.2 LEMS Clearfell System 61 4.7.4.3 LEMS Selection System 61 4.7.4.4 LEMS Shelterwood System 62 4.7.4.5 LEMS Variable Retention System 62 4.7.4.6 LEMSD Reforestation 62 4.7.4.7 Thinning 63 4.7.5 Growth Response 64 4.7.5.1 Regeneration 64 4.7.5.2 Regrowth Development 65 4.7.5.3 Thinning and Fertilizing 66 4.7.5.4 Overwood Competition 67 4.7.6 Impacts of Overwood on Regeneration 67 4.8 Box-Ironbark Forests 69 4.8.1 Introduction 69 4.8.2 Silvics and Regeneration of Box-Ironbark Forests 72 4.8.3 Box-Ironbark Silviculture 73 4.8.3.1 Selection 73 4.8.3.2 Thinning 73 4.8.3.3 Ecological Thinning 74 4.9 River Red Gum Forests 75 4.9.1 Introduction 75 4.9.2 Site Characteristics of River Red Gum 76 4.9.3 Silviculture of River Red Gum 76 4.9.4 Effect of River Regulation 78 4.10 Discussion and Conclusions 81 4.10.1 Introduction 81 4.10.2 Alpine Ash Forests 81 4.10.3 Mountain Ash Forests 82 4.10.4 High Elevation Mixed Species Forests 83 4.10.5 Low Elevation Mixed Species Forests 83 4.10.6 Box-Ironbark Forests 84 4.10.7 River Red Gum Forests 84 5. ASSESSING THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF SUSTAINABLE FOREST 85 MANAGEMENT 5.1 Introduction 85 5.2 Native Forest Products and Marketing in Victoria 85 5.3 Products and Markets 87 5.4 Non-Wood Forest Products 89 5.4.1 Introduction 89 5.4.2 Historical Considerations 89 5.4.3 Recent Developments 91 5.5 Discussion and Conclusions 92 iii 6. MANAGEMENT OF FIRE, PESTS AND DISEASES IN FORESTS 93 6.1 Introduction 93 6.2 Wildfires 94 6.2.1 Damage to Trees and Stands 94 6.2.2 Community Issues and Government Enquiries 95 6.2.3 Environmental Impacts 96 6.2.4 Use of Fire Retardants 98 6.3 Fuel Reduction Burning 99 6.3.1 Introduction 99 6.3.2 Knowledge of Fuel Accumulation and Fire Behaviour 99 6.3.3 Effectiveness of Fuel Reduction Burning in Wildfire Control 100 6.3.4 Ecological Impacts of Fuel Reduction Burning 102 6.4 A New Bushfire Strategy 107 6.5 Fire and Sustainable Management 108 6.6 Pests and Diseases 110 6.6.1 Introduction 110 6.6.2 Insect Pests 110 6.6.2.1 Mountain Ash Psyllid 110 6.6.2.2 Gum Leaf Skeletoniser 111 6.6.2.3 Phasmatids 112 6.6.3 Pathogens 113 6.6.3.1 Target Spot or Corky Leaf Spot 113 6.6.3.2 Armillaria Root Rot 114 6.6.3.3 Cinnamon fungus 115 6.7 Forest Health Surveillance 116 6.8 Discussion and Conclusions 117 7. PRODUCTIVITY AND YIELD 119 7.1 Introduction 119 7.2 Estimation of Growth and Biomass – General Considerations 119 7.3 Assessment of Victoria’s Forest Resources 121 7.4 Estimates of Biomass 121 7.5 Productivity of Forest Types 123 7.5.1 Alpine Ash Forests 123 7.5.2 Mountain Ash Forests 123 7.5.3 High Elevation Mixed Species Forests 124 7.5.4 Low Elevation Mixed Species Forests 124 iv 7.6 Growth Estimates for the Major Forest Types 125 7.7 Discussion and Conclusions 126 8. ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT 127 8.1 Introduction 127 8.2 Soils and Soil Management 127 8.2.1 Erosion 127 8.2.2 Compaction 133 8.2.3 Nutrient Loss and Productive Capacity 134 8.3 Water Values 140 8.3.1 Water Yield 140 8.3.1.1 Introduction 140 8.3.1.2 Harvesting and Wildfire Effects 141 8.3.1.3 Thinning Effects 145 8.3.2 Water Quality 146 8.3.2.1 Introduction 146 8.3.2.2 Fire Effects 147 8.3.2.3 Harvesting Effects 148 8.3.3 Aquatic Values 149 8.4 Biological Diversity 152 8.4.1 Introduction 152 8.4.2 Wet/Montane Forests 152 8.4.2.1 Flora 153 8.4.2.2 Fauna 154 8.4.2.3 Current Research Directions 155 8.4.3 Lowland/Dry/Damp Forests 156 8.4.3.1 Flora 157 8.4.3.2 Fauna 158 8.4.3.3 Thinning 159 8.5 Greenhouse Gases and Carbon Storage 160 8.5.1 Greenhouse Gases 160 8.5.2 Carbon Storage 162 8.5.3 Greenhouse gases and carbon storage 164 8.6 Discussion and Conclusions 165 8.6.1 Soils and Soil Management 165 8.6.2 Water Values 166 8.6.3 Flora and Fauna Values 166 8.6.3.1 Wet/Montane Forests 167 8.6.3.2 Lowland/Dry/Damp Forests 168 8.6.4 Greenhouse Gases and Carbon Storage 168 v 9.