This program area investigates how harvesting is distributed through space and time. In addition, it will investigate how habitat features are retained across the landscape to support ongoing ecological function and habitat connectivity through a state forest.
Monitoring forest structure, health and regeneration
Access the plan: Forest structure, health and regeneration
Monitoring has been designed to answer the following questions:
- Do harvesting conditions establish a mosaic of forest age classes at the landscape scale?
- Do the conditions maintain functional connectivity for focal fauna species to move within and across the forest?
- Are the conditions effective in ensuring regenerating forests meet benchmarks for forest structure, floristic composition and coarse woody debris?
- Are the conditions effectively promoting regeneration to maintain volume and quality for productive supply?
View related projects
- Project F1: Monitoring dieback on state forests
- Project F2: Assessing change in forest structure on state forests
- Project F3: Assessing change in tree composition on state forests
Monitoring fire‑affected forestry sites
Access the plan: Harvesting in fire‑affected sites
During 2019–20, 59% of Coastal IFOA state forests were burnt, about half at high or extreme severity.
The Coastal IFOA was not designed to manage environmental risks in severely burnt areas.
The Environment Protection Authority gave extra, site-specific conditions to Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW).
These conditions required FCNSW to work with the Commission to monitor long-term impacts and forest recovery.
The Commission and FCNSW developed a monitoring plan for fire-affected sites.
Experts reviewed the plan, and the NSW Forest Monitoring Steering Committee approved it.
View related project
Additional resource
- Update (Nov 24): Further advice on Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval (IFOA) operations post 2019-20 wildfires
Monitoring key habitat features
Access the plan: Key habitat features
This work examines whether retained habitat features continue to support fauna and maintain ecological function.
Monitoring has been designed to answer the following questions:
- To what extent do retained habitat features maintain their function?
- Do the conditions support key habitat features to maintain fauna species within and across the forest?
Monitoring assesses whether the Coastal IFOA conditions and protocols provide habitat features in an appropriate configuration to support long‑term persistence of key species. This includes:
- a review of hollow use by key dependent fauna
- hollow mortality and recruitment modelling
- occupancy analysis of key habitat‑dependent species.
View related projects
- Project F5: Hollow use review
- Project F6: Impacts of fire on hollow-bearing trees on state forests
- Project F7: Perpetuating tree hollows under the Coastal IFOA
Monitoring landscape‑scale trends
Access the plan: Landscape‑scale trends in environmental values
Under the former Forest Monitoring and Improvement Program baselines, drivers and trends for forest health across all NSW forests were investigated.