207-309 Timber Management and Harvesting

207-277 Forest Inventory and GIS.

On completion of the subject, students should:

• understand geometric alignment of roads, balancing of earthworks, construction principles and practices;

• understand concepts and methods for managing forests for sustainable timber production, and be aware of forest use conflicts and methods to resolve them;

• obtain an introduction to basic forest harvesting equipment;

• obtain an introduction to the role of harvesting in forest management;

• obtain an introduction to environmental scheduling and management problems associated with forest harvesting;

• obtain an introduction to cash flow planning, preparation of logging plans, avoidance of fraudulent practice and meeting constraints imposed on Australian loggers by Codes of Forest Practice;

• and learn about the role of forest management information systems (including GIS) in decision-making; wood production in even and uneven-aged forests; growth and yield predictions; yield regulation; computer modelling in decision-support systems; and different methods and criteria for evaluation alternative management strategies.

One three-hour written examination (50%), and practical assignments (totalling 50%).