Chetram Sanichar November 7th, 2021

GEOG*1220

Essay: Research
Introduction
Emergence

Extent

Severity

Biophysical and Socioeconomic Implications

Description of the human activity and its impacts

Description of Human Activity
 Old forest, new perspectives—Insights from the Mountain Ash forests of the Central Highlands
of Victoria, south-eastern Australia (David B. Lindenmayer)
o Salvage logging is defined by the Society of American Foresters (Helms, 1998) as:
‘…the removal of dead trees or trees damaged or dying because of injurious agents […]
to recover economic value that would otherwise be lost’.
o removes some or all of the biological legacies left by disturbances such as wildfires in old
growth forests.
Impacts of Salvage Logging on Biophysical Environments
 Old forest, new perspectives—Insights from the Mountain Ash forests of the Central Highlands
of Victoria, south-eastern Australia (David B. Lindenmayer)
o Post-fire salvage logging appears to have removed the mixture of overstorey age
cohorts in many areas (Lindenmayer et al., 2008).
o In other words, the influence of a pre-existing old growth forest on future stand
conditions (and on some elements of biodiversity) can extend well after a natural
disturbance has occurred and a new stand has begun to develop—even if the
disturbance has been a stand-replacing event
o Importance of Old Growth Forest
o Large diameter trees characteristic of old growth forest are likely to survive fire,
allowing burned stands to develop into multi-aged forests (Lindenmayer et al., 2000a).
o Large trees that are burned have a high probability of developing cavities (Inions et al.,
1989). Because cavity trees are a major limiting factor for some components of the
vertebrate biota (Lindenmayer et al., 1991a), retaining large burned trees after fire is
important for enhancing biodiversity conservation in Mountain Ash forests.
o Multi-aged stands created following wildfires in old growth stands will have special
habitat values for a range of mammals and birds. For example, the highest diversity of
arboreal marsupials in Mountain Ash forests occurs in multi-aged stands (Lindenmayer
et al., 1991a).
 Salvage harvesting policies after natural disturbance ( D.B. Lindenmayer, D.R. Foster, J.F.
Franklin, M.L. Hunter, R.F. Noss and F.A. Schmiegelow)
 o Large diameter trees characteristic of old growth forest will, if burned in a wildfire, often
stand for prolonged periods (>50 years) and be suitable nesting and denning sites for a
range of hollow-dependent species (Lindenmayer et al., 1997). And,
o Large diameter trees characteristic of old growth forest will be important substrates for
the development of luxuriant mats of bryophytes after they collapse to the forest floor
(Ashton, 1986, Lindenmayer et al., 1999c). Large moss-covered logs may, in turn, act as
microfire-breaks in future wildfires (see Andrew et al., 2000).
Impacts of Salvage Logging on Sociocultural Environments

Evaluation of solutions
Evaluation of Current Solutions in Country

Evaluation of Current Solutions in Other Countries

Recommendations and Conclusion

Viable Solution
 Old forest, new perspectives—Insights from the Mountain Ash forests of the Central Highlands
of Victoria, south-eastern Australia (David B. Lindenmayer)
o However, it seems appropriate that these same old growth stands, if burned in a
wildfire, should continue to be logging exclusion areas.
o That is, areas of old growth forest that are disturbed intensively might be those where
post-disturbance salvage logging operations should either be excluded or at least
modified to ensure the retention of large numbers of biological legacies
o Salvage logging operations need to be carefully managed so as not to undermine the
ecological benefits of the biological legacies that characterize naturally disturbed old
growth stands. Such considerations also underscore the dynamic nature of forest stands
and landscapes. They highlight a need to recognize that in places where old growth is
scarce, younger aged stands may need to be set aside to eventually develop into new
areas of old growth in the future. An understanding of spatial variability in disturbance
dynamics can guide where the best places to do this might be.
 Salvage harvesting policies after natural disturbance ( D.B. Lindenmayer, D.R. Foster, J.F.
Franklin, M.L. Hunter, R.F. Noss and F.A. Schmiegelow)
o Large-scale salvage harvesting is often begun soon after a wildfire, when resource
managers make decisions rapidly, with long-lasting ecological consequences. A better
approach would be to formulate salvage harvesting policies before major disturbances
occur. Such policies should make provision for the exemption of large areas from
salvaging such as national parks, nature reserves, and watersheds closed to human
access to maximize water quality (8). Furthermore, good planning should guide the
timing and intensity of salvage harvesting.