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Timber Production in NSW State Forests The pine plantation rotation

Pine Plantation Rotation

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How are pine plantations managed from seed to timber? This presentation takes you through the process of pine plantation management by Forests NSW.

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Page 1: Pine Plantation Rotation

Timber Production in NSW State Forests

The pine plantation rotation

Page 2: Pine Plantation Rotation

Radiata pine

• Radiata pine is a native tree of North America

• It is grown commercially in Australia and supplies timber for 1 in 4 houses built in NSW

Page 3: Pine Plantation Rotation

Where is it grown?

• Radiata pine plantations are located near Bathurst, Tumut, Bombala and Walcha

• It is also grown commercially in New Zealand, Chile and Spain

Page 4: Pine Plantation Rotation

What is a plantation?

• Plantations are like farms for trees

• Plantations have a cycle of about 32 years

Page 5: Pine Plantation Rotation

Age 0 - Growing the seeds or cuttings and preparing the site

• Germinate the seeds or establish cuttings

• Seed is sown during September and October ready for planting from June to August the following year

• The containerised nursery at Tumut produces 10 million seedlings each year

Page 6: Pine Plantation Rotation

Age 0

• The site needs to be prepared for planting• Plantations are grown on cleared land• Site preparation involves ripping (breaking

up compacted soil with a bulldozer) and mounding (creating rows of soil mounds to allow young seedlings to establish their roots quickly)

Page 7: Pine Plantation Rotation

Age 1 – Planting the Seedlings

• Planting takes place in winter when the seedlings are dormant (not growing)

• One seedling is planted every 2.5 metres along the rows of mounds

• About 1000 plants / hectare

Page 8: Pine Plantation Rotation

Age 2 – Seedlings grow into small trees

• After two years the seedlings reach about 2 metres in height

• Competing vegetation is suppressed

• Fertiliser is used to give plants a boost

Page 9: Pine Plantation Rotation

Ages 13, 21, 28 - Thinning• Thinning is where the smaller

and weaker trees are removed allowing the remaining trees more space, light, water and food to help them grow

• Timber removed during thinning is mostly used for pulpwood and processed into woodchips for newspaper, particle board and kitchen cupboards

Page 10: Pine Plantation Rotation

Age 32 – Final Harvest

• Plantation pine trees are harvested between age 30 and 35

• The logs from this harvest produce timber for houses and furniture

Page 11: Pine Plantation Rotation

What machine is that?

• A feller buncher is used to cut the trees down.

• It is a vehicle with tracks which rotate like an excavator and moves through the forest felling and bunching trees into a clear area.

Page 12: Pine Plantation Rotation

What machine is that?

• A processor looks like an excavator or feller buncher.

• It picks up the trees, removes the branches and cuts the log into different lengths.

Page 13: Pine Plantation Rotation

What machine is that?

• A forwarder is a large vehicle with rubber tyres.

• It has a cabin at the front and an arm with a grapple in the centre for loading logs into the tray at the back.

• The forwarder picks up the logs and takes them to the log dump

Page 14: Pine Plantation Rotation

What machine is that?• Cable logging equipment is often used

in steep country because it is the most efficient option and it minimises erosion

• A yarder with a vertical pole has a skyline cable extends down into the forest to where the trees are being logged

• The trees are felled by a person with a chainsaw and are attached to the cable.

• They are then pulled up to the yarder where the logs are processed and loaded onto a truck

Page 15: Pine Plantation Rotation

What happens next?

• Logs are carried by trucks to sawmills where they are sawn and dried to produce timber

Page 16: Pine Plantation Rotation

What products are made?

• Pulpwood is used to make paper, particle board and kitchen cupboards

• Small logs become treated posts for landscaping

• Sawlogs are used for furniture and house frames

Page 17: Pine Plantation Rotation

After harvesting, what’s next for the plantation?

• Back to Age 0 – a new plantation • After harvesting the trees, the land is

prepared for a new pine plantation and the cycle continues

Page 18: Pine Plantation Rotation

What are growth rings?• A radiata pine tree adds

a growth ring on the outside of its trunk under the bark each year.

• The colour and thickness of the rings are affected by the season – spring produces a lighter coloured ring and summer, a darker ring

Page 19: Pine Plantation Rotation

Where can I find out more?

• www.landlearnnsw.org.au• www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/forests• www.australianforests.org.au