Hon Giz Watson questions the impact of logging and associated activities on threatened species monitored under the Forestcheck program. The Minister's response indicates Forestcheck doesn't directly target those species, but cites research suggesting silvicultural treatments have minimal negative impact on vertebrates and birds.

AnsweredQoN 460Legislative Council
Asked
27 June 2012
Portfolio
Environment

QuestionView source ↗

FORESTCHECK —
FAUNA SPECIES MONITORING
460. Hon GIZ WATSON to the minister representing the
Minister for Environment:
Some notice of my question has been
given. I refer to the answer to my question without notice 386 on 19 June this
year.
(1) For each of
the threatened species monitored under the Forestcheck program—that is,
woylie, chuditch, Carnaby's cockatoo, Baudin's cockatoo, and
forest red-tailed black cockatoo—has it been shown that logging,
post-logging burns, and increased predation by introduced predators associated
with logging have no impact on the individuals, the population, or the species
as a whole?
(2) If yes to (l), please table the
evidence or research upon which this assessment is based?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question.
(1)–(2)
The Forestcheck monitoring program does not target the species listed in the
question. Forestcheck results are published online on the Department of
Environment and Conservation's website at
http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/content/view/5605/2290/. Results from five years of
Forestcheck monitoring were published in the journal Australian Forestry 2011 , volume 74, issue 4.
The paper describing the results
of Forestcheck monitoring of terrestrial vertebrates—Wayne et al. 2011 ''FORESTCHECK:
terrestrial vertebrate associations with fox control and silviculture in jarrah
( Eucalyptus marginata ) forest'', Australian Forestry 74: 336–349—states
that —
Within the limits of the data, no species were negatively associated with
silvicultural treatment compared with external reference forest.
The paper describing the results
of Forestcheck monitoring of birds—Abbot et al. 2011 ''FORESTCHECK:
the response of birds to silviculture in jarrah ( Eucalyptus marginate ) forest'', Australian Forestry 74: 328-335—states that —
There was little evidence of any
substantial effect of silvicultural treatments on avian community structure or
on individual bird species.
The PRESIDENT : Members, could I just make the
observation, seeing as a couple of websites were referred to in that answer,
that we have heard before that just giving a website as an answer is
unacceptable. But giving an answer with some detail and then providing a
website for members to go to for further information is okay. I think that
answer was within the context of that.

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