Tasmania - the Australian forest paradise
2000
Kramer, H.
This paper deals with the history and landscape of Tasmania. Only 39% of the total land area in Tasmania is privately owned. 96% of the total forest area are natural forests and only 4% are plantations. 39% of Tasmania's land area, that is 63% of the state's land area, is protected in world heritage areas, national parks and other reserves, and is not harvested. - Forestry Tasmania, the state's forest administration, manages 1,3 million hectares as multiple-use forests. Theseforests are available for sustainable wood production. There are another 1 million hectares of privat forest. Forestry Tasmania has the objective of optimizing the economic returns from wood production activities, while maximizing the benefits of non-wood functions. These functions include recreation, natur conservation, reserves, flora and fauna protection and water quality. - Tasmania has been establishing forest plantations since the 1920s, and now (1998) there are 62,000 ha hardwood plantations (mostly Eucalyptus) and 72,000 ha softwood plantations (mostly Pinus radiata). Within the next few years a rapid increase of plantations, especially Eucalyptus, is planned. Plantations can produce high volume and valueable wood. However, intensive cultivation and weed-control methods make it a high-cost and high-input form of forestry. Lastly, forest damages such as dieback of Eucalyptus and wildfire are discussed.
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