❓ Dr Constable questions the Department of Conservation and Land Management's (CALM) methodology for determining the extent of old-growth karri forest prior to European settlement and the frequency of fires. The Minister responds by clarifying CALM's role and referencing studies used to estimate pre-1750 karri forest extent and map existing old-growth areas.
AnsweredQoN 123Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
123. Dr CONSTABLE to the Minister for the Environment:
In reference to the Department of Conservation and Land Management's determination of the extent of old growth forest prior to European settlement -
(a) which studies and data exist to support CALM's claim that fires (and hence, regenerative events) were relatively frequent in the State's karri forests before European settlement;
(b) how can CALM be aware of how many regeneration events in a karri forest have taken place from the studies and data in and not know where these fires occurred and the extent of those fires;
(c) how can CALM estimate the number of regenerative events in the State's karri forests prior to 1826 when fires may have occurred in the same areas of forest a number of times; and
(d) if there is no conclusive way to determine the percentage of the old growth karri forest that existed prior to European settlement, how can CALM claim that the total area of karri forest today is approximately 80% of what it was prior to 1826?
In reference to the Department of Conservation and Land Management's determination of the extent of old growth forest prior to European settlement -
(a) which studies and data exist to support CALM's claim that fires (and hence, regenerative events) were relatively frequent in the State's karri forests before European settlement;
(b) how can CALM be aware of how many regeneration events in a karri forest have taken place from the studies and data in and not know where these fires occurred and the extent of those fires;
(c) how can CALM estimate the number of regenerative events in the State's karri forests prior to 1826 when fires may have occurred in the same areas of forest a number of times; and
(d) if there is no conclusive way to determine the percentage of the old growth karri forest that existed prior to European settlement, how can CALM claim that the total area of karri forest today is approximately 80% of what it was prior to 1826?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 November 2000
Response time
97 days
The Minister Replied:
(a-d) CALM has not determined the extent of old growth forest prior to European settlement.
A number of studies have, however, been undertaken to map the likely extent of the karri forest prior to European settlement. These involved the interpretation of aerial photographs, field reconnaissance and in some areas cleared for agriculture, application of the relationship between existing karri remnants and soil moisture as indicated by summer pasture condition. The results of these studies were published in
Bradshaw, F.J., Collins, P.M., and McNamara, P.J. (1997) Forest mapping in the South West of Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management, 14 pp plus 3 mapsheets.
This work formed the basis for the estimates of pre-1750 extent of the karri forest ecosystems reported in the Regional Forest Agreement documents (Commonwealth and Western Australian Steering Committee Comprehensive Regional Assessment. A Regional Forest Agreement for Western Australia. Volume 1, January 1998. Commonwealth of Australia and Western Australian Government, 185 pp). The data indicate that over 80% of the estimated pre-1750 area of the karri dominant forest is still forested today.
A further series of studies was undertaken to map that portion of the existing karri forest which is old growth, where karri old growth is defined as previously unlogged forest which is dominated by the mature or senescent growth stage. This work combined the interpretation of stand growth stage from aerial photographs, field sampling of tree ages, and stand disturbance records to map the current extent of karri old growth. These studies are described in
Bradshaw, F.J., Rayner, M.E., and Kierath, M. (1999) The Karri Forest: 2095AD in Landscope, WA's Conservation, Forests and Wildlife Magazine, Winter 1999 Edition.
Bradshaw, F.J. and Rayner, M.E. (1997) Age structure of the karri forest: 1. Defining and mapping structural development stages.
Australian Forestry 60: 178-187.
Bradshaw, F.J. and Rayner, M.E. (1997) Age structure of the karri forest: 2. Projections of future forest structure and implications for management. Australian Forestry 60: 188-195.
Rayner, M.E. (1992) Application of dendrochronology, stem analysis and inventory data in the estimating of tree and stand ages in karri forest. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Technical Report No. 27, 19 pp.
This work was applied in the old growth analyses and maps published in the Comprehensive Regional Assessment for the Regional Forest Agreement.
(a-d) CALM has not determined the extent of old growth forest prior to European settlement.
A number of studies have, however, been undertaken to map the likely extent of the karri forest prior to European settlement. These involved the interpretation of aerial photographs, field reconnaissance and in some areas cleared for agriculture, application of the relationship between existing karri remnants and soil moisture as indicated by summer pasture condition. The results of these studies were published in
Bradshaw, F.J., Collins, P.M., and McNamara, P.J. (1997) Forest mapping in the South West of Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management, 14 pp plus 3 mapsheets.
This work formed the basis for the estimates of pre-1750 extent of the karri forest ecosystems reported in the Regional Forest Agreement documents (Commonwealth and Western Australian Steering Committee Comprehensive Regional Assessment. A Regional Forest Agreement for Western Australia. Volume 1, January 1998. Commonwealth of Australia and Western Australian Government, 185 pp). The data indicate that over 80% of the estimated pre-1750 area of the karri dominant forest is still forested today.
A further series of studies was undertaken to map that portion of the existing karri forest which is old growth, where karri old growth is defined as previously unlogged forest which is dominated by the mature or senescent growth stage. This work combined the interpretation of stand growth stage from aerial photographs, field sampling of tree ages, and stand disturbance records to map the current extent of karri old growth. These studies are described in
Bradshaw, F.J., Rayner, M.E., and Kierath, M. (1999) The Karri Forest: 2095AD in Landscope, WA's Conservation, Forests and Wildlife Magazine, Winter 1999 Edition.
Bradshaw, F.J. and Rayner, M.E. (1997) Age structure of the karri forest: 1. Defining and mapping structural development stages.
Australian Forestry 60: 178-187.
Bradshaw, F.J. and Rayner, M.E. (1997) Age structure of the karri forest: 2. Projections of future forest structure and implications for management. Australian Forestry 60: 188-195.
Rayner, M.E. (1992) Application of dendrochronology, stem analysis and inventory data in the estimating of tree and stand ages in karri forest. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Technical Report No. 27, 19 pp.
This work was applied in the old growth analyses and maps published in the Comprehensive Regional Assessment for the Regional Forest Agreement.
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