Forest Management - FAQ
- What is a forest?
- What is forestry?
- Who manages forests?
- Why are forests managed?
- Who owns Australia's forests?
- How are forests managed?
What is a forest?
One of the first steps in creating a forest policy in Australia was to come to a consensus on what the term ‘forest’ actually refers to. The definition of a forest, as agreed on by Australian governments, is:
"An area, incorporating all living and non-living components, that is dominated by trees having usually a single stem and a mature or potentially mature stand height exceeding 2 metres and with existing or potential crown cover of overstorey strata about equal to or greater than 20 per cent. This definition includes Australia's diverse native forests and plantations, regardless of age. It is also sufficiently broad to encompass areas of trees that are sometimes described as woodlands.”
Photo: NSW Department of
Primary Industries
The term ‘old-growth forest’ is used to refer to ecologically mature forests where the effects of human disturbance are negligible.
To help monitor and record forest data more accurately, forests are categorised according to their crown cover, which is the percentage of ground area that is shaded by the forest canopy. Under the accepted definitions:
- woodland forests have 20-50% crown cover;
- open forests have 51-80% crown cover; and
- closed forests have 81-100% crown cover.
The 164 million hectares of forested land in Australia is made up of around 62% woodland forest, 28% open forest, 3% closed forest (mainly rainforest) and 1% plantation forest.
What is forestry?
Photo: NSW Department of
Primary Industries
In simple terms, forestry is the science and practice of planting and taking care of forests.
Forests are made up of complex, dynamic ecosystems that provide a range of environmental, social, cultural and economic services. Forestry, therefore, requires the application of scientific knowledge and research from a broad field of physical, biological and social sciences.
Read more about forest research.
