Integrated biodiversity monitoring for the jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest in south-west Western Australia: the FORESTCHECK project

Abstract

Summary The jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest in south-west Western Australia is managed for a variety of land uses and supports a rich biodiversity recognised as being of national and international significance. FORESTCHECK, an integrated monitoring project, was established in 2001 to inform forest managers about changes and trends in key elements of forest biodiversity associated with a variety of management activities. FORESTCHECK monitoring is designed to provide information relevant to a number of regionallevel indicators of ecological sustainable forest management, and it samples a wide range of organisms at multiple sites across the main environmental gradients in the jarrah forest. Monitoring has focused initially on the effects of timber harvesting and associated silvicultural treatment including regeneration release through gap creation, regeneration establishment using shelterwood, and selective harvesting. Forty-eight monitoring grids, each 2 ha in size, have been established within four of the jarrah forest ecosystems mapped for the Western Australian Regional Forest Agreement. This series of papers present results from five years of data collection and examines the response of vascular plants, cryptogams, fungi, vertebrate and macro-invertebrate fauna to silvicultural treatment, including the planned use of fire. Responses of different elements of forest biodiversity are interpreted in relation to changes in forest structure and soil disturbance caused by treatment and underlying patterns of moisture availability and fertility across the forest landscape. The FORESTCHECK project contributes to adaptive management of Western Australian forests by providing timely and relevant information about the implementation and effectiveness of silvicultural practices.