Forest Management Commons^™

Trees Working In Western Australia, Dave Berry

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

There is an air of inevirability about farm forestry - no-one disputs that planting trees is a sure route to curbing agriculture's serious land degredation problem. Dave Berry talks with some of the key players developing the industry.

Tree Crops For Profit And Land Improvement, John Bartle

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Western Australian agriculture is deficient in good perennial species. The traditional segregation of agriculture and forestry has diverted attention from commercial wood producing trees as a potential perennial crop. Recently, scientists have made rapid progress in developing tree cropping systems suitable for extensive use in the wetter (more than 600 mm average annual rainfall) areas of the lower south-west. There is potential for a major industry based on fast-growing eucalypts for pulpwood. The foundations for this industry developed from work on agroforestry, forestry sharefarming and salinity control.

Whole-Farm Planning : Success At Wilgi Creek, Kevin Shanhun

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Ian and Bev Lynch own Wilgi Creek, a 376 ha mixed farming property at West Mount Barker in the 700 mm rainfall zone. In 1983, they started a whole-farm plan to overcome the problems of declining production caused by waterlogging (their biggest problem), salinity and deterioration of the remnant native vegetation. Today, their property is an example of a successful, wholefarm land conservation plan based on agroforestry, timber production, water harvesting and improved pastures.

Windbreaks Prove Their Worth, Tim Negus

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Strong winds in the south-west of Western Australia in April 1991 carted tonnes of top soil from stubbles, over-grazed pastures, and recently prepared cropping land. However, where there were windbreaks, downwind protection into the paddock was up to 10 to 20 times the height of the windbreaks. On May 1, 1991, the author inspected farm land for damage from Narrogin to the Dongolocking area, to Harrismith, up the rabbit-proof fence to West Corrigin and back to Narrogin via Kweda. He found the extent of soil erosion varied, and that some tree species planted in windbreaks gave better protection than others

Trees In The Peel-Harvey Catchment, C S. Peek, Richard Silberstein

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The peel-Harvey catchment has been the focus for an intensive research and extension programme to reduce phosphorous run-off flowing into the Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary, while maintaining agricultural productivity.

One of the proposed management strategies is to plant large areas of trees on the catchment's leaching sands. Farmers would be encouraged to take this option if growing trees was at least equal, in financial return, to the present agricultural land uses.

Preliminary data indicate that growing Eucalyptus globulas (Tasmanian bluegum) for woodchipping may be at least as profitable as agriculture. Tree plantations also have the added potential to reduce …