Private Native Forestry R&D for LLS 2020-24
NSW DPIRD Forestry Research was engaged by Local Lands Services (LLS) to undertake extensive research on the eastern Farm forests of NSW, also known as Northern Private Native Forests and Southern Private Native Forests. Forestry Research - Resources produced a number of reports for LLS between December 2020 and June 2024, many of which are related to each other and are listed as below:
- Hislop S et al (2024) Using remote sensing to investigate the scale and intensity of timber harvesting on private native forests
- Alaibakhsh M & Samuel J (2024) Report on the suitability to produce sawlogs of private property forests in Southern NSW PNF code region
- Kathuria A (2023) Sampling Design for Private Native Forestry R&D Project
- Kathuria A et al (2023) Forest Yield Association Group Mapping of Private Native Forest, North Coast and South Coast of NSW. This report now incorporates and replaces the following two reports:
- Kathuria A et al (2023) Forest Yield Association Group Mapping of NSW South Coast Native Forests
- Kathuria A et al (2021) Forest Yield Association Group Mapping of NSW North Coast Native Forests
- Hislop S et al (2023) Using remote sensing to quantify the impacts of drought and fire on private native forests in eastern NSW
- Hislop S et al (2023) Using remotely sensed information to quantify the extent and severity of the 2019-2020 wildfires in north-eastern NSW private native forests
- Kathuria A (2022) Commercial and Non-Commercial Forest Mapping for Private Native Forest, North and South Coast NSW using LiDAR Data
- Kathuria A (2021) Site Index Mapping for Private Native Forest, North and South Coast NSW using LiDAR Data
- Alaibakhsh M et al (2021) Technical report on estimating available private native forests for timber harvesting in Southern NSW
- Alaibakhsh M & Cameron N (2021) Suitability of private property for native timber production in Northern NSW
- Alaibakhsh M et al (2020) Private native forest available and suitable for timber production within Northern PNF Plan area
- Gonsalves L et al (pending) Report on Fauna in a sample of Farm forests in Northern NSW
- Samuel J et al (pending) Report on Forest Monitoring and Inventory on a sample of Farm forests in Northern NSW
This research was needed to help address policy, planning needs and information gaps relating to private native forestry.
Estimating the extent of selective timber harvesting in private native eucalypt forests with multi-temporal lidar (2024)
A large proportion of forests in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, are owned privately. Timber harvesting is permitted in some of these forests, subject to approval processes and operational procedures. Recent changes to the codes of practice require landholders to provide timely and detailed reports of harvesting operations. Previously, however, harvesting could occur any time in a 15-year period (the length of the approval), and detailed self-reporting was not required. Consequently, the extent of timber harvesting in private forests, as well as the environmental impacts, are poorly understood. In this paper, we present the results of a recent study that used multi-temporal airborne lidar samples to precisely map harvesting-related canopy change in a 1-year period (2020-2021). The lidar transects were collected in a robust design-based sampling framework to enable estimates across the broader area. The methodology we developed principally used the difference in canopy height models between the two lidar datasets, along with customised height and spatial thresholds, to distinguish harvesting impacts from noise and natural disturbances. The methods were applied to northeast NSW (where most private native timber harvesting occurs in the state) to estimate the area of forest disturbed by timber harvesting in 1 year. Of the area of private native forests with an approval plan in place (455 000 ha), we estimated that 1665 ha (±492 ha at the 95% confidence level), or 0.37% (±0.11%), was harvested between April 2020 and April 2021. The robust and objective methodology presented here represents what is understood to be the most detailed assessment of timber harvesting in NSW private native forests to date.
- Hislop S, Stone C, Samuel J, Kathuria A, Alaibakhsh M & Nguyen TH (2023) Estimating the extent of selective timber harvesting in private native eucalypt forests with multi-temporal lidar. Australian Forestry, 86(3-4), 152-160. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049158.2023.2288776
For any enquiries regarding this paper please contact John Samuel.
Report on the suitability to produce sawlogs of private property forests in Southern NSW PNF code region (2024)
DPIRD Forestry Research has developed a comprehensive method aimed at evaluating the availability and suitability of native forest for private native forestry operation purposes. The method was applied to the 1.1 million hectares of private native forests across the NSW Southern PNF code region. A total of 1,743 properties with property land size of 25 ha or over, and over 15 ha of native forest available and suitable for sawlogs production within the property boundary have been selected for the evaluation. The selected properties cover 315,135 hectares of native forest. A modelling process using six parameters enabled each property to be individually assessed and classified into a private native forestry suitability class. This report outlines the methodology employed during this assessment and provides an overview of the derived modelled outcomes.
- Alaibakhsh M & Samuel J (2024) Report on the suitability to produce sawlogs of private property forests in Southern NSW PNF code region (PDF, 3422.53 KB)
For any enquiries regarding this report please contact Dr Masoomeh Alaibakhsh.
Sampling Design for Private Native Forestry R&D Project (2023)
Local Land Services (LLS) and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) have collaborated on a research initiative aimed at enhancing policy and planning for private native forests by addressing existing informational deficiencies. This project utilizes a combination LiDAR, satellite imagery (Sentinel and Landsat) and field-data, to investigate forest characteristics and canopy changes across extensive areas. The sampling strategy is meticulously designed, incorporating stratification based on property size and Private Native Forestry (PNF) plan approval date. Properties were selected with varying sampling intensities for each group, LiDAR transects are conducted on selected properties, while field plots are employed to evaluate key forest attributes such as biomass, basal area, stumps, dead trees, and fallen wood, which subsequently aid in refining remote sensing models. The network of sampling plots, supported by remote sensing data, facilitates comprehensive analysis using both design-based and model-based estimation methods.For any enquiries regarding this report please contact Amrit Kathuria.
Forest Yield Association Group Mapping of Private Native Forest, North Coast and South Coast of NSW (2023)
Forest Yield Association Groups (YAGs) are classifications similar to forest types, characterized by similar biophysical attributes and timber properties. In New South Wales (NSW), the mapping of YAGs has historically been confined to publicly managed State forests. Employing a k-Nearest Neighbor(k-NN) data mining methodology, a spatially explicit model for YAGs was developed at a 25-meter resolution. This model utilized LiDAR, climatic, soil, satellite, and topographic data as predictor variables. The study successfully categorized native forests into seven principal YAGs, with four of these further divided into moisture-related sub-classes, culminating in a total of fifteen YAG classes, with an overall accuracy of 80% (95% CI: 76.0%-84.0%), with most user's and producer's accuracies ranging from 72.3% to 91.7%. This work represents a major step forward in forest type mapping and has important implications for forest management and conservation for Private Native Forest.
- Kathuria A, Cameron N, Webster M & Hislop S (2023) Forest Yield Association Group Mapping of Private Native Forest, North Coast and South Coast of NSW (PDF, 4096.01 KB)
For any enquiries regarding this report please contact Amrit Kathuria.
Commercial and Non-Commercial Forest Mapping for Private Native Forest, North and South Coast NSW using LiDAR Data (2022)
The present study utilized the random forest data mining technique in conjunction with LiDAR data to distinguish between commercial and non-commercial native forests in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Commercial forests were defined as areas containing trees suitable for industrial harvesting, whereas non-commercial forests were identified by the absence of trees of sufficient size. The model exhibited a high accuracy rate of 86.1%, with user's and producer's accuracy ranging from 84.6% to 87%. This model was applied to map forest types across both the North and South Coasts of NSW. On the North Coast, 46% of private native forests (1,133,697 ha) were classified as commercial, while 54% (1,328,910 ha) were deemed non-commercial, for the South Coast, 21.9% (233,466 ha) of the area covered by spatial services LiDAR was identified as commercial, with 78.1% (833,274 ha) classified as non-commercial.- Kathuria A (2022) Commercial and Non-Commercial Forest Mapping for Private Native Forest, North and South Coast NSW using LiDAR Data (PDF, 1215.45 KB)
For any enquiries regarding this report please contact Amrit Kathuria.
Site Index Mapping for Private Native Forest, North and South Coast NSW using LiDAR Data (2021)
Site productivity, defined as the capacity to generate plant biomass, is often quantified using site indices derived from stand height at a specified age. LiDAR data, which offers precise measurements of forest height, helps the reliable estimation of these site indices. There exists a strong correlation between dominant stand height and several metrics derived from LiDAR data. A spatial model for estimating site index was developed for the North Coast of New South Wales (NSW), demonstrating strong concordance with reference data, as indicated by a low bias of -0.17 meters and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 3.5 meters, or 12.7% relative root mean square error (RRMSE). The model, utilizing LiDAR data from spatial services, was employed to generate site index maps at a 20-meter resolution for both the North Coast and South Coast of NSW.- Kathuria A (2021) Site Index Mapping for Private Native Forest, North and South Coast NSW using LiDAR Data (PDF, 3497.99 KB)
For any enquiries regarding this report please contact Amrit Kathuria.
Suitability of private property for native timber production in Northern NSW (2021)
DPIRD Forestry Research has developed a method for assessing the availability and suitability of native forest for private native forestry. The method was applied to 2.5 million hectares of private native forests on the NSW north coast. Nearly ten thousand properties covering 670,724 hectares of native forest were identified as available and suitable for private native forestry. A modelling process using six parameters enabled each property to be individually assessed and classified into a private native forestry suitability class. This report details how the process was undertaken and the modelled results.
- Alaibakhsh M & Cameron N (2021) Suitability of private property for native timber production in Northern NSW (PDF, 3184.99 KB)
For any enquiries regarding this report please contact Dr Masoomeh Alaibakhsh.
