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Successful burns of aggregated retention coupes
in the Styx Valley, Tasmania (Autumn 2009). (Image: Dave
McElwee).
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Results from the Warra silvicultural
systems trial have shown that the establishment and early growth of
the regeneration in wet eucalypt forest is enhanced by well burnt
seedbeds. Very early on in the development of aggregated retention
harvesting it was recognised that achieving ‘good’
burns, that created sufficient well burnt seedbed was more
difficult in aggregated retention coupes than in clearfell coupes.
With a few years of practice, field staff at Forestry Tasmania are
now more comfortable with burning aggregated retention coupes than
they were early on, and are achieving reasonable results.
Monitoring the outcomes of the burns in the aggregated retention
coupes is an annual exercise for Robyn Scott and her team at
Forestry Tasmania. (In fact, Robyn is currently managing the team
‘in absentia’, having been on
‘holiday’ since late March to have her first baby,
James. In Robyn’s absence, Dave McElwee has been responsible
for coordinating the field work.)
The 2009 burning season, like all burning seasons, was different
from previous years. Significant rainfalls through the middle of
March threatened to foreshorten the season altogether but settled
weather in April allowed most of the burning program to be
completed. The early wet weather left most of the available fuel
wetter than desired, so most of the burns were patchier than in
previous years, but reasonable seedbed has been created.
Regeneration surveys will be conducted in March next year in these
coupes and again in March 2012 to assess the regeneration. |
