Dear colleagues,
>
> Part of my current remit is to analyse the causative factors
> underlying the transition from shrinking to expanding forests
> in particular countries. Unfortunately I cannot determine
> when this transition occurred for either Australia or
> New Zealand.
For Australia:
There are currently restorative projects in Australia to plant trees
however I do not believe they are in the form of young forests. The causes
are the negative economic effects arising (excuse the pun) from rising
salty water tables ("salinity problems") due to past deforestation.
Some bodies involved are "Landcare" and "Greening Australia".
I think Landcare is also invovled in planting native trees to prevent
further creek erosion on farm land.
Also there is some concern about river water quality so there is a program
called "Corridors of Green", possibly also from "Greening Australia".
Is some states there are also groups called something like "Australian
Conservation Trust Volunteers" who have various reasons for replanting
Australian bush, such as providing more habitat for native fauna. These
replantings might eventually produce more forested areas.
Overall though there is still quite a positive rate of deforestation in
Australia. Under state forestry in Tasmania and Victoria forests are being
logged for sawlogs and pulpwood. The majority
of such areas are being cleared, burned and seeded with eucalypt
canopy species. The process after logging is termed "regeneration to native
forest". However the estimated rotation time is about 90 years.
Consequently the original forest type will not be replaced (mature with
eucalypts up to several centuries old with a corresponding ecosystem).
According to Forestry Tasmania this clearing was
previously uneconomic, before the presence of a pulpwood industry, and as such
it is a contemporary event.
The rate for state forests in Tasmania is somwhere in the region of
7,000ha/year. There is a seperate rate for private land (for Tasmania about
6,000ha/year).
There is also a seperate positive rate due to clearance for development and
agriculture although the figures for all states for last year have
not been gathered. See "Native Vegetation Clearance, Habitat Loss and
Biodiversity Decline" Biodiversity Series, Paper No. 6. Biodiversity Unit.
Department of the Environment Sport and Territories. GPO Box 787, Canberra ACT
2601. Ph 008 803 772.
Regards,
Dr Christopher Dean
cdean@ecoblaster.anu.edu.au
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