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.

Managing Bushland On The Farm, Penny Hussey

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

Since the time of European settlement in Western Australia, the replacement of native vegetation with crops and pastures has led to problems for both agricultural production and nature conservation. The most obvious of these are hydrological changes leading to salinisation and waterlogging, and the extinction of some native plants and animals.

Protection of remaining remnants of native bushland, together with revegetation, is increasingly seen as important ways of achieving sustainable agriculture and maintaining our unique wildlife.

Trees And Livestock : A Productive Co-Existence, Richard Moore

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

Trees, as part of farming can help to combat land degradation problems and produce a good economic return from timber at the same time. For example, there is now clear evidence that planting trees can help combat salinity by lowering water-table levels. Trees can also substantially improve overall farm productivity by providing shelter for pastures and livestock. The challenge is to find practical and economical methods of integrating trees and farming. A combination of widely-spaced trees and livestock is one promising method. This article describes the benefits of this type of agroforestry to farmers, suitable locations and how to practice …

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.

Wildlife Corridors In The Wheatbelt, Richard Hobbs, Denis Saunders

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

Native vegetation in the Western Australian wheatbelt now persists mostly in small areas that remained uncleared for various reasons. (See 'Remnant vegetation on farms is a valuable resource' on page 43.) On their own, most of these remnant areas are difficult to manage, and too small to retain viable populations of many of the birds and other animals found in the wheatbelt. These patches of vegetation can be linked by wildlife corridors, which may increase the ability of the wildlife to move about and persist in the area

Animal Production From Tagasaste Growing In Deep Sands In A 450 Mm Winter Rainfall Zone, Chris Oldham, Greg Allen, Peter Moore, Bruce Mattinson

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

In 1985, Martindale Pty Ltd, Sir James McCusker's family company, signed a unique research contract with Professor David Lindsay of the University of Western Australia. The aim of the Martindale Research Project was to study ways of increasing farm productivity in the sheep-wheat zone of south-western Australia. A primary focus was the high cost of grain or hay used to fill the autumn feed gap in grazing systems.

However, it was not clear how or if tagasaste might be economically used to replace the grain and/or hay traditionally fed by hand to sheep and cattle in autumn.

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.

Revegetating Salt-Affected Land With Shrubs, Ed Barrett-Lennard, Fionnuala Frost, Steve Vlahos, Norm Richards

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

The establishment of salt-tolerant shrubs such as saltbush and bluebush on salt-affected land reduces the risk of soil erosion, and can also fit into farm programmes as a profitable enterprise. Salt-tolerant shrubs can be used as forage for sheep in summer and autumn, when the availability of annual pastures is low or annual pastures are just beginning to emerge. This article describes three methods for establishing shrubs on salt-affected land and what affects shrub establishment.

Reclaiming Sandplain Seeps Planting Trees, Richard George

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

Sandplain seeps affect large areas of agricultural land in Western Australia's eastern and northern wheatbelt and in the Great Southern. These seeps are estimated to account for about 10 per cent of dryland salinity in the agricultural area. Research and field observations show that seeps may be cheaply and quickly reclaimed using various types of drains or small blocks of trees (George 1990). This article discusses results of reclamation methods associated with tree planting on sandplain seeps in the eastern wheatbelt.

Planting Trees To Control Salinity, Nick Schofield, Phil Scott

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

Dense tree plantings covering at least 30 per cent of cleared land can lower groundwater levels by two metres or more in 10 years from the time of planting. This sizeable drop can be expected at sites receiving 700 to 800 mm of rain a year. Research by the Water Authority of Western Australia shows the most promising strategy when using trees is to put dense plantings on the discharge zone and on lower to midslopes. This strategy is successful where groundwaters contain less than 30,000 milligrams per litre total soluble salts (TSS).

This article discusses research in the 450 …

The Greening Of Australia, Martine Scheltema

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

Many urban Australians have little understanding of the problems of land degradation because it's an extremely slow process that doesn 't directly influence their day-to-day lives. Understandably, they would have trouble relating to sub-soil compaction, waterlogging, increased soil acidity and salinity. They also have trouble comprehending why fencing according to soil type is an important management tool for farmers, or what role contour banks, drainage systems, the addition of gypsum and planting trees have in reversing land degradation. But given that tree loss "has been at the core of almost every aspect of land degradation in Australia ", and that …

Survey Of The Damage Caused To Trees By Goats, Steve Gherardi, Dick Mills, Tim Johnson

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

The damage that goats can cause to trees is one of the major problems associated with their farming in the agricultural areas of Australia. It is also considered one of the main hindrances to the development of the goat industry. The Department of Agriculture s Goat Industry Development Unit surveyed mohair and cashmere producers to determine the prevalence of tree damage and its extent and severity; why producers believed goats damaged trees; and how producers minimised or prevented this damage.

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

Using Trees To Reclaim Land Lost To Saline Seeps, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, Arthur Wright

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

The National Soil Conservation Program (NSCP) has tapped the vigorous community support for landcare initiatives through its demonstration sites for reclaiming sandplain seeps in the Western Australian wheatbelt. The demonstrations, which use tree plantations to reclaim seeps, began in 1989. The sites are being keenly monitored by participating farmers and members of land conservation districts (LCDs).

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 …

Tree Establishment In The Wheatbelt, F Batini

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

Although most of the Forests Department's activity has centred around the State Forests in the higher rainfall areas, the Department has, for many years, encouraged the planting and conservation of trees throughout the farming areas.

Chemical Control Of Eucalypts : Standing Timber, Stumps, Sucker Regrowth, Geoffrey A. Pearce

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

The eucalypt is particularly well adapted to withstand long periods without rain. The characteristics which make this possible also make the tree difficult to kill, without removing the stump and part of the root system.

Planting And Care Of Trees In The Wheatbelt, F Batini

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

THE climate of South Western Australia includes a long summer drought which subjects trees to considerable moisture stress.

Shade trees and shelter belts can be established successfully in the wheatbelt without hand watering, provided a suitable site and variety of tree is selected and a little time is spent in site preparation and care of the young tree.

This article, which is adapted from a Forests Department publication "Catalogue of Trees for growing under Western Australian conditions", sets out the best varieties of trees and establishment methods.

Stem Canker Disease Of Red Flowering Gums, W P. Cass Smith

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

Of the many native Eucalypts in Western Australia few are more attractive than the red flowering gum.

It flowers generally during the Christmas period and provides a beautiful display for several weeks, with blossoms of several colours including dark red, scarlet, orange and pink.

Control Of Eucalypt Regrowth, J G. Paterson

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

EUCALYPT regrowth has presented a problem to farmers throughout the State for many years.

Some species are checked by heavy grazing although, in the main, this method is far from satisfactory.

Ammonium Nitrate Blasting Agent (Anfo) For Land Clearing, G A. Greaves

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

The introduction of "prilled" AN has revolutionised explosives practice and made possible safer and cheaper methods of blasting.

This article outlines the methods of handling and using ANFO blasting agent for land clearing.

Fodder Shrubs In The Murchison, D G. Wilcox

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

THE Murchison pastoral country is usually thought of as either having a perennial grass cover, as in the Wandarrie, or as Mulga country with trees and short grass.

It is easy to overlook the small shrubs which occur all over the Murchison in every type of situation, and can provide high quality feed for sheep.

Insect Pest Of Forests. 1. Wood Boring Beetles, Clee Francis Howard Jenkins

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

MANY different types of wood boring beetles are associated with timber and forest trees.

Some attack only dry seasoned wood, others prefer freshly felled logs, and others again choose the standing trees.

National Parks Of Western Australia, Clee Francis Howard Jenkins

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

NATIONAL PARKS," says the Encyclopaedia Britannica, "are spacious land areas, essentially of primitive or wilderness character, that contain scenery and natural wonder so outstanding in quality that their preservation intact for the benefit, enjoyment and inspiration of the people, is a national concern."