Biodiversity of Wielangta Forest - Wild Wielangta - Edublogs

Old Growth
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Biodiversity of Wielangta Forest
The term old growth forest is a vexed one. When considering remote and inaccessible forest, the
distinction is perhaps less contentious. But in eastern Tasmania where there may be a long history of
access the distinction is more blurred. Globally old growth forests are recognised as those that have
attained great age and maturity, thus characterised by complex structure. Typically they include
mature and over mature trees, including dead stags. In Tasmania old growth was mapped under the
Regional Forest Agreement applying the JANIS 1997 definition that:
Old growth forest is ecologically mature forest where the effects of disturbances are now
negligible.
Old growth character
The Tasmanian mapping utilised a rule set applying crown senescence and disturbance characters
which was adapted for each forest type. The limitation of this approach is that forests subject to early
harvesting methods, where the best trees were selectively removed, are not distinguished from forest
Wild Wielangta