Science Division Research Project:
Long-term monitoring of impact of timber harvesting on bird populations in south-west forests
Project Context
Understanding the long-term effects of timber harvesting on bird populations
in karri and jarrah forests is important for predicting how bird species and
numbers of individuals respond in terms of time since regeneration.
This study evaluates the effect of past silvicultural practices in the karri
and current silvicultural practices in the jarrah forests. Avifaunal composition
of logged and unlogged karri forest was the most similar so far, 21 years after
logging took place, but species richness and total abundance remained higher
in unlogged karri forest. In jarrah forest, species composition in four treatments
(two logged, two unlogged) had not closely converged after 10 years. The data
accrued so far provide an important baseline for assessing future impacts from
changing climate, and any associated changes in fire regimes and infection by
animal disease and Phytophthora
cinnamomi, as well as for evaluating the ecologically sustainable basis
of forest management.
Project Aims
- To quantify the effects of timber harvesting and silvicultural practices
in the karri and jarrah forests on birds.
Related Resources
- FORESTCHECK
FORESTCHECK is an integrated monitoring project, designed to provide information
to forest managers about changes and trends in biodiversity associated with
forest activities. FORESTCHECK samples a wide range of organisms at multiple
sites across the main ecosystems of the jarrah forest.
Contact Information
Ian Abbott
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