FOR00103 - Native Forest Silviculture (2020)

Introduces students to the theory and practice of silviculture, by reviewing the underlying physiological and ecological principles and explaining how these are applied in controlling the composition, growth and regeneration of native forests.

The following topics will be considered, discussed or reviewed:

• objectives and context of native forest silviculture
• ecological basis of disturbance, succession and regeneration in the functioning of forest communities: implications for sustainable forest management and productivity
• growth habit and form of native forest trees, branching characteristics and tree shape, crown density, crown development and growth stages of eucalypts
• physiological relations of shoot growth and growth habit
• growth and development of native forest stands, environmental factors, time and functioning of forest ecosystems, hydrology
• regeneration systems and techniques in native forests, coppice or seedling, enrichment planting, significance and meaning of 'advance growth'
• silvicultural systems in native forests: coppice and high forest systems, clearcutting, seed tree and shelterwood techniques, group selection systems, management of even-aged and uneven-aged stands
• evolution of silvicultural practice in eucalypt forests: treemarking and selection systems, 'timber stand improvement'
• current issues and practices of stand management in eucalypt forests and other native forest types, protection management of old growth native forests compared to intensive silviculture of native regrowth stands
• silvicultural significance of changing local and world markets and increasing importance of maintenance of biodiversity in native forests
• product specification for high and low grade wood products
• tropical rainforest silviculture: ecological basis to regeneration strategies of major species groups
• shade tolerance, growth patterns, disturbance and gap phase regeneration in tropical closed forests
• canopy retention systems and their ecological consequences in tropical moist forests, polycyclic or cutting cycle selection logging, effects and issues of widespread clearcutting and burning of tropical closed forests.

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

Prescribed texts