The development and current implementation of silvicultural pratices in native forests in Tasmania

Summary The historical development of silvicultural practices in Tasmania is reviewed for eucalypt forests, rainforests and blackwood forests. The silviculture of eucalypt forests prior to the 1950s was characterised by selective logging without any planned regeneration treatment. By the 1960s extensive research in the wet eucalypt forests resulted in the systematic application of silvicultural regimes based on clearfelling, slash burning and regeneration from seed trees or artificial sowing. This regime was extended to most eucalypt forest types throughout the 1970s with mixed results. Partial harvesting techniques were developed and introduced in the 1980s for multi-aged forests with sparse understoreys. Clearfelling remains the predominant regime in lowland wet eucalypt forests with a dense understorey. A range of partial logging methods are used for most drier and highland eucalypt forests. Over the last decade, 45% of native forest coupes on State forest had partial harvesting, 39% were clearfelled, burnt and sown and 16% were converted to plantations. On private land, 44% of native forest coupes had partial harvesting, 9% were clearfelled, burnt and sown, 28% were converted to plantations and 19% were converted to non-forest uses such as agricultural grazing. Silvicultural techniques for rainforest and blackwood swamps have been relatively recently developed, primarily to supply special timbers for furniture and craftwork. The implementation of native forest silviculture is guided by a series of Native Forest Technical Bulletins which specify silvicultural prescriptions for commercial forest types. Some future directions for native forest silviculture are discussed.