Expanding surveying capacity to address continuing threats to forests

https://kinglakefriendsoftheforest.com

Clearfell logging by VicForests has ended in Victoria, in part due to the success of our greater glider court case. However, other very significant threats to forest ecosystems continue, including logging by other names (eg. so-called salvage logging, storm clean-up, and strategic fuel breaks) and the devastating burning regime being implemented by Forest Forest Management Victoria (FFMV) . In order to try to stop these practices, we need to be able to survey for a larger number of species across larger areas, and we need to gain information about forest structure and traits that is best obtained via technology such as ‘Light Detection and Ranging’ (LiDAR), a method of mapping that allows high levels of detail to be recorded about topography, and vegetation, across a wide area.

FFMV plan to burn areas that are habitat to endangered species including spotted tailed quoll, brush tailed phascogale and forest owls. We are unable to use the spotlight survey technique used for greater gliders to survey for these other animals. We are requesting support to purchase a heat sensing camera and red light torches that will enable us to survey for these animals.

In the Central Highlands, the average clearfell logging coupe was 30-40 hectares. By comparison, the average burn area is around 400 hectares hence our intention to utilise LIDAR to survey the habitat of these vast areas. We are requesting support to pay for specialist LIDAR surveying.