Abstract

Fire and timber harvesting can diminish the extent of older forests in the near term. The amount and configuration of mature and regenerating forest in the landscape (landscape structure) influences habitat suitability for mature-forest-associated species. We applied spatial analysis to describe the landscape structure of three wet eucalypt forest landscapes in south–eastern Australia and used the results from empirical biodiversity studies to frame interpretation of possible impacts on habitat suitability. We determined the extent of structurally mature forest, its reservation status, and the extent to which it may be edge affected. We also assessed how landscape structure potentially impacts the re-establishment of mature-forest-associated species into previously harvested areas through the proximity to (mature forest influence)—and extent of (landscape context)—mature forest in the surrounding landscape. Our analyses were designed to inform forest management initiatives that draw on these landscape-scale concepts. Central Highlands Victoria had less structurally mature eucalypt forest (4%) compared to North West Tasmania (14%) and Southern Forests Tasmania (21%). Detrimental effects of edge influence on structurally mature forest appeared relatively minor. Low levels of mature forest influence combined with low-medium surrounding mature forest cover (landscape context) indicate potential limitations on recolonisation of coupes by mature-forest-associated species. Our results vindicate the recent shift toward variable retention silviculture and landscape context planning. Our approach to landscape analysis provides a useful framework for other managed forest landscapes.

Highlights

  • Forest managers seeking to achieve sustainable forest management must carefully balance the social, economic, and environmental values of forest ecosystems [1,2]

  • This paper focuses on three components of forest landscape structure with particular reference to how they inform forest management and conservation of mature forest biodiversity in timber production landscapes

  • Aspects of mature forest influence and landscape context are being incorporated into contemporary forest management in Victoria and Tasmania under the auspices of variable retention silviculture and landscape context planning

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Summary

Introduction

Forest managers seeking to achieve sustainable forest management must carefully balance the social, economic, and environmental values of forest ecosystems [1,2]. The fragmentation of harvested forest landscapes can have detrimental effects on biodiversity that manifest at a range of spatial scales from the harvested coupe to the wider forest landscape. This paper focuses on three components of forest landscape structure with particular reference to how they inform forest management and conservation of mature forest biodiversity in timber production landscapes. These are edge effects into mature remnants (‘edge influence’), proximity of harvested areas to nearest mature forest (‘forest influence’), and proportion of mature forest in landscapes surrounding harvested areas (‘landscape context’)

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