Harvesting/Regeneration Reform - Retaining more trees per hectare
VicForests focuses on variable retention – that is, retaining a significant number of trees in each coupe for current and future habitat for native species – across most of the coupes it harvests.
This is achieved by assessing all coupes for habitat values (that is, native species and in particular threatened species). We then plan for retention, building in threatened species observations.
This approach:
- Protects hollow bearing trees, which are home to many species;
- Recruits future hollow-bearing trees, through planning for mid-term and long-term habitat, as well as retaining trees for immediate biodiversity needs;
- Connects habitat patches, allowing animals to move between areas in the forest; and
- Regenerates forest ecology through a focus on mechanical disturbance and low intensity fires.
This move away from clear-fell harvesting has been delivered since mid-2019, and is best displayed in the diagram below. In some cases and for some landscapes, such as alpine ash, clear-fell harvesting is still undertaken, as it is the most effective for species regeneration.
Details about our harvesting and regeneration systems can be viewed here:
