Management Prescriptions

Regeneration

The forest will be regenerated naturally. Regeneration will be from recruitment of the ample existing advance growth and canopy manipulation to encourage seed germination and survival. Retention of the autochthonous gene pool is thereby encouraged and planting of nursery stock is to be only a last resort in the unlikely event of natural regeneration failure.

Tending

Tending will largely be confined to light thinning with no pruning. Maximum advantage will be made of the self-tending principle of selection-type silvicultural systems. Silvicultural prescription aims for near-natural uneven-age stands where size, health and quality determine utilization with no fixed rotation age. Large old trees ( and dead spars ) will continue to be part of stand structure at all times. The aim is to thereby maintain healthy diverse stands that provide ecological sustainability to a high degree while at the same time producing high quality logs for harvest.

Some thinning in groups of young poles regenerated after felling will be done only as required to maintain the desired structural composition and to favour good-form tree destined to become canopy emergent for future harvest.

Monitoring

Regeneration of felling areas will be monitored carefully during the first 5 years after felling. Regular walk-through assessment of regenerating small-coupe fellings and general surrounding stand health will be carried out and recorded at least annually or additionally after an major climatic or physical event.

All basal area/RECCE inventory plots have been permanently marked with wooden pegs and will act as sites for monitoring through re-measurement of any major changes in tree survival and growth and floristic composition of the stand.

A more detailed sustainable management plan is to be prepared for Stainart Forest within the next 5 years and will include permanent bounded sample plot prescriptions for accurate long term monitoring of stand growth, increment and structural composition.

Pest Control

It is intended to keep a check on animal numbers through their tell-tale signs of hoof tracks, trail use and ground disturbance, as well as browsing on forest plants. At present the conditions of the forest indicates there is no major problem with introduced animals in respect to healthy regeneration of the forest.

Of more immediate concern is their effect on native fauna, but again the presence of ample native bird life, including parakeets and kaka, imply Stainart Forest and surrounding Conservation Forest remain good habitat. The owners of Stainart forest are also concerned that there should always be sufficient safe nesting sites for birds, especially those breeding in tree hollows. Any new knowledge on provision and protection of nesting sites will readily be incorporated for implementation in the Stainart Forest management prescriptions.

Some concerns occurs outside the beech forest in an adjoining plantation where a small number of possums are damaging blackwood crowns in mixed blackwood/radiata stand.

Stainart Forest owners will pursue active animal control through shooting, trapping and any other approved method as and when required and in cooperation with adjoining landowners.

Other Pertinent Detail

Record will be kept on a compartment record form and an action record form. An example for a 5.8 ha compartment is attached. This sub-compartment forms part of the forested area in beech ( 74.83 ha ) to be sourced for the 500 m3 of allowable cut available under the sustainable management permit.

All action, including inventory, harvest, plot re-measurement, annual walk-through assessments etc., and effects of any significant natural event will be recorded on an Action Record form.

The current owner gratefully acknowledges the work and permission to reuse the work of Gordon Baker and Udo Benecke, noted Forest Consultants and researchers, in the current plan. Most of the current plan, though many parts are identical to the permit application for the previous 10 year period, has nevertheless been carefully reviewed and updated where required. The resulting permit application is a conscious effort to continue their work and expand upon their desire for conservation and sustainability.