A review of the outcomes of a decade of forest health surveillance of state forests in Tasmania

Abstract

Summary Forest health surveillance, involving annual inspection of pine and eucalypt plantations by trained health observers, commenced in Tasmania in 1997. In the ten years since its introduction, forest health surveillance has become fully integrated into Forestry Tasmania's plantation management program. Importantly, forest health surveillance has provided value extending beyond the detection of pest and disease problems and has become a key element of the solutions for the management of health problems. The use of forest health surveillance to assist in the management of health problems at strategic, tactical and operational levels is discussed and illustrated with examples including establishing priorities for research, informing deployment strategies for managing pests or diseases, incursion responses and management in direct response to detection of pests or diseases.