The Value Adding and Silvicultural Systems Program (VSP) was a key research initiative under the Timber Industry Strategy (TIS), which was released in 1986. It combined two major projects into one large, native forest multi-disciplinary research and development program: (1) The Silvicultural Systems Project (SSP), and (2) The Value Adding Utilisation System Trial (VAUS). Controversy over the clearfelling system led to the SSP developing and evaluating alternative systems for harvesting and regeneration of native forests used for wood production from socio-economic and environmental perspectives in pursuit of more balanced outcomes. Controversy over the removal of residual roundwood, mainly for the wood chipping and conversion to pulp and paper products, led to the VAUS Trial. As well as being seen as damaging to the environment clearfelling had been condemned as an inefficient method of timber harvesting. It was also seen as generating a concentration of wood waste unsuitable for use as sawlogs, which was cited as a justification for additional export wood chipping.

The SSP was initiated in 1986 to address the clearfelling question, and the VAUS Trial was initiated in 1989 to address residual log removal and related issues such as slashburning. Both projects focused on research and development to assist the resolution of conflicts among competing economic, social and environmental values, and to build on the past work of many people with a deep interest in and energy for the future of native forests for sustainable timber production. Internationally and nationally, these projects generated considerable interest, with the development of ecologically sound forest management systems which are sustainable, safe, cost-effective, and providing equitable social benefits being a commonly held aspiration of forest managers globally.

Silvicultural Systems Project

This project aimed to develop systems that were ecologically sustainable and met required economic and social criteria. The SSP study ended up focussing on two forest types: the Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forests at Tanjil Bren, in the Central Highlands, and the mixed coastal lowland forests, at Cabbage Tree in East Gippsland. This study was probably the most comprehensive silvicultural and ecological study undertaken in Australian native forests and studies included soils, tree growth, silvicultural information, ecologic and biodiversity data. This multidisciplinary study involved in-house scientists along with a diverse range of contracted scientists from several external research bodies. The Victorian State Forestry Department established these two sites using a biometric-design to ensure that results were statistically valid. The study was maintained for over twelve years, with some intermittent evaluations continuing beyond that, and was wound down because of Departmental restructuring. It was designed to last much longer.

A report in 1990 outlined progress in the development and implementation of the project (Squire 1990). The results of the SSP have been reported in both peer-reviewed, and the “grey literature” which can be difficult to access. The Department’s Forest Service generated a Technical Report Series, the Value Adding and Silvicultural Systems Program (initially SSP, then VSP), published through the Centre for Forest Tree Technology and disseminated broadly to targeted libraries. Included in this series were three documents: the Discussion Paper (Campbell R. 1997a), the associated Knowledge Base (Campbell R. 1997b), and the Block-level simulation study (Burgess et.al. 1997). These documents are based on the experimental work conducted as part of the SSP, published literature and the professional experience of participants in the evaluation. The documents present a synthesis of this knowledge up until 1994 when funds were largely redirected to other higher priority needs. They are attached as “summary documents”.

The Discussion Paper and Knowledge Base together with an evaluation of the existing clearfelling systems (Burgess et. al. 1991) were in part used to develop the Ada Forest Block Simulation Study. This simulation study was seen as a way of up-scaling from the coupe-level to permit more appropriate spatial evaluation, particularly relating to landscape changes over the long-term. The Block is an appropriate forest management unit for this purpose, with the 7000 ha Ada Forest Block having high timber production, conservation, and amenity values. The potential for alternative silvicultural systems to meet specific management objectives in Mountain Ash forests are highlighted by this study. Specifically, the Mountain Ash Simulation Study developed and evaluated the following strategies within an overall wood production context:

• Integrated Strategy (control)
• Wood Production
• Water Production
• Flora Conservation
• Fauna Conservation
• Social Amenity, and
• Silviculture without Wood Production

Evaluation of strategies, whilst largely subjective, did provide a framework for understanding many of the spatial and temporal implications of applying alternative silvicultural systems on a landscape level. An extension of this study (Part II) which would have aimed to develop explicit objectives, criteria and standards as a basis for logical evaluation of individual strategies did not proceed due to funding constraints and the evolving nature of sustainability indicators at the national and international levels.

For the Cabbage Tree silvicultural research site, across a range of gap sizes and overwood retention levels, its establishment, site occupancy, species composition and growth to 12 years has been reported (Squire et al., 2006; Faunt et al., 2006; Lutze and Faunt, 2006). These and complementary studies reported in the VSP series provided important insights into the potential to introduce (initially on a pilot basis) an uneven aged silvicultural system such as group selection in order to retain the structural and species diversity of the predominantly uneven aged East Gippsland coastal forests in particular.

Value Adding Utilisation System Trial

The primary focus of the VAUS Trial was mainly in East Gippsland, with three main components: (1) A Pilot Trial, (2) Retrospective Studies, and (3) Experimental Coupe Studies. VAUS Trial progress and key findings were reported in Squire (1992), which outlined the significant steps taken to address the important questions raised in the Gruen Report. This Report, under the auspices of TIS, noted that there was a lack of valid quantitative data, or criteria for assessing environmental effects of current harvesting practices let alone the additional effects of residual of roundwood removal. The SSP Cabbage Tree site provided additional guidance on the silviculture that was best suited to the highly variable forest structure of the low elevation East Gippsland forests, particularly on the adequacy of eucalypt regeneration and its growth under varying light conditions and competition (eg. Lutze and Faunt 2006).

References

Burgess J., McEwan P., and Campbell R. (1991) Forest Management Systems for Sustained Wood Production: a Study of Clearfelling in the Neerim Operations Area. SSP Technical Report No. 8. DCE, Vic. pp. 82.

Burgess J., Cherry K., Cleary J., and Papworth M. (1997) Development and evaluation of sustainable silvicultural system for multiple purpose management of Mountain Ash forests – Ada Forest Block Landscape Level Simulation Study, Part 1 Coupe Level Systems and Block Level Strategies. VSP Technical Report No. 29. DNRE, Vic. pp. 41.

Campbell R. (Comp.), 1997a. Development and evaluation of sustainable silvicultural system for multiple purpose management of Mountain Ash forests – A discussion paper. VSP Technical Report No. 28. DNRE, Vic. pp. 68. (* See below)

Campbell R. (Co-ord.), 1997b. Development and evaluation of sustainable silvicultural system for multiple purpose management of Mountain Ash forests – SSP scientific knowledge base. VSP Technical Report No. 27. DNRE, Vic. pp. 283. (* See below)

Faunt, K., Geary, P., Gibbons, P. and Cunningham, R. (2006) The East Gippsland Silvicultural Systems Project. II: Germination and early survival of eucalypt regeneration. Australian Forestry 69, 182–197.

Lutze, M. and Faunt, K. (2006) The East Gippsland Silvicultural Systems Project. III: Site occupancy, species composition and growth to 12 years. Australian Forestry 69, 198–212.

Squire R. (1990[) Report on the Progress of The Silvicultural Systems Project, July 1986-June 1989. DCE, Vic. pp. 84.

Squire R. (Comp. & Ed.) (1992) First Interim Report for the Value Adding Utilisation System Trial 1989-1991. DCE, Vic. pp 135.

Squire, R., Geary, P., and Lutze, M. (2006) The East Gippsland Silvicultural Systems Project. I: The establishment of the project in lowland forest. Australian Forestry 69, 167–181.

* This is a large document and, when you click the link, you will see that you need to download it from Google Drive to be able to view it.