Burning question answered by three year study
From the Autumn/Winter 2009 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.
Forests NSW doctoral student, Phil Lacy, has completed a three year study. Photo by Howard Spencer
Fire hazard reduction in young plantation eucalypts is set to be assisted by the development of a new tool.
It is the culmination of three years of studies by Forests NSW doctoral student, Phil Lacy.
“We conducted 36 experimental burns which provided indicators for how to conduct hazard reduction in a way that would not harm the young plantations, and we developed an indicator which could give a quick answer on whether to remove fire-affected trees or let them grow on,” Phil said.
“Tree response results came from multiple measurements of more than 1700 individual trees.”
The project has described and quantified the fuel characteristics commonly found in sub-tropical eucalypt plantations from age four to eleven. These characteristics have been related to fire behaviour and new fire behaviour models, specific to young eucalypt plantations, developed.
The results will be made available in a manual to be published by the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), a national body formed in partnership with fire and land management agencies in 2003 to undertake end-user focused research.
“Considerable investment has been made in establishing plantations to produce quality sawlogs and incorrect use of prescribed burning can damage, degrade or even kill the crop,” Phil said.
“But the avoidance of the use of fire can pose an even a greater risk of catastrophic wildfire.
“The project and the resulting prescribed burning guide will provide practitioners with a guide to control fuel loading with minimal risk to crop quality.
“Forests NSW has more than 50 000 hectares of eucalyptus plantations and along with many other plantation companies will benefit from this valuable tool.”
Howard Spencer - Public Affairs & Media
