Application of ecological and evolutionary principles to forest management in Western Australia

Summary

After setting forth a set of fundamental concepts (principles) based on our interpretation of current knowledge in the biological sciences, we show that the management of the native eucalypt forest of southwest Western Australia is consistent with these principles. This consistency is the major reason that this forest remains in ecologically good condition following 120 years of timber harvesting (in some of the forest) and 30 years of prescribed burning (over most of the forest). This demonstrates the resilience of the forest ecosystem and its ability to respond to, and cope with, change. It also demonstrates that if forest management is based on sound scientific principles it results in minimal lasting changes to the forest ecosystem. There is, however, a need for ongoing research, which should be focused on the small minority of species that are exceptions. These are species which fall outside the ambit of fundamental concepts on which management is based or which occur in areas where forest management practices impinge on the principles. Included are species with low reproductive rate, species sensitive to frequent fire, species highly susceptible to the introduced fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi and occurring mainly on susceptible sites, archaic species, species with limited powers of dispersal, species dependent on a circumscribed set of essential habitat factors provided by certain individual trees, large vertebrate predator species, and native species subject to predation or competition from introduced species. Special management is required for all of these.

Natural Philosophy consists in discovering the frame and operations of nature, and reducing them, as far as may be, to general rules or laws—establishing these rules by observations and experiments, and thence deducing the causes and effects of things…Newton

The wildest and most improbable conjectures may be advanced with as much certainty as the most just and sublime theories, founded on careful and reiterated experiments. We may return to the old mode of philosophising and make facts bend to systems, instead of establishing systems uponfacts…Malthus