Brown Mountain forest
Encyclopedia
East Gippsland
East Gippsland is the eastern region of Gippsland, Australia covering 31,740 square kilometres of Victoria. It has a population of 80,114....
, Victoria (Australia)
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, and is notable for containing large tracts of old growth forest
Old growth forest
An old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
, including over fifty Shining Gum
Eucalyptus nitens
Eucalyptus nitens, commonly known as Shining Gum, is a Eucalypt species native to Victoria and eastern New South Wales, Australia. It grows in wet forests and rainforest margins on fertile soils in cool high-rainfall areas.-Description:...
trees estimated to be over 300 years old.
Fauna
The eucalypt forest provides key habitat for rare and threatened species such as the Powerful OwlPowerful Owl
The Powerful Owl , also known as the Powerful Boobok, is a species of owl native to south-eastern and eastern Australia, the largest owl on that continent...
, the Spotted Quoll, mainland Australia's largest marsupial carnivore, and the Long-footed Potoroo
Long-footed Potoroo
The Long-footed Potoroo is a species of potoroo found in southeastern Australia, in a small area around the coastal border between New South Wales and Victoria. It was discovered in 1967 when an adult male was caught in a dog trap in the forest southwest of Bonang, Victoria...
. Other animals of note that inhabit the area include: Yellow-bellied Glider
Yellow-bellied Glider
The Yellow-bellied Glider is an arboreal and nocturnal gliding possum that lives in a narrow range of native eucalypt forests down eastern Australia, reaching from northern Queensland to Victoria.-Habitat:...
, Southern Boobook
Southern Boobook
The Southern Boobook , also called the Mopoke, Morepork, Ruru or Tasmanian Spotted Owl, is a small brown owl found throughout New Zealand, Tasmania, across most of mainland Australia and in Timor, southern New Guinea and nearby islands.The bird has almost 20 alternative common names, most of which...
, Mountain Brushtail Possum
Mountain Brushtail Possum
The Mountain Brushtail Possum, or Southern Bobuck , is a nocturnal, semi-arboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae native to southeastern Australia...
, Sambar deer (introduced), Greater Glider
Greater Glider
The Greater Glider is a small gliding marsupial found in Australia. It is not closely related to the Petaurus group of gliding marsupials but instead to the Lemur-like Ringtail Possum , with which it shares the subfamily Hemibelideinae.The Greater Glider is nocturnal and is a solitary herbivore...
and Sugar Glider
Sugar Glider
The sugar glider is a small gliding possum originating from the marsupial family.The sugar glider is native to eastern and northern mainland Australia and is also native to New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago.- Habitat :Sugar gliders can be found all throughout the northern and eastern parts of...
.
Flora and logging activity
Trees in Brown Mountain are at least 500 years old, according to a radiocarbon datingRadiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
carried out by University of Waikato
University of Waikato
The University of Waikato is located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand, and was established in 1964. It has strengths across a broad range of subject areas, particularly its degrees in Computer Science and in Management...
. The test was done on a tree felled in 2009, and is possibly the first test of its kind on an Australian tree. The test results said there was an 84% chance the tree was between 500 and 600 years old. Previously no definitive ages could be placed on the old growth trees of the area. The results may have impacts on the management of the area.
Some parts of Brown Mountain are already protected within the Errinundra National Park
Errinundra National Park
Errinundra is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 352 km east of Melbourne. Errinundra National Park is centred on the Errinundra Plateau, a southwards extension of the Monaro Tablelands of New South Wales...
, other sections of forest designated as old growth by the Department of Sustainability and Environment between Legges Road and the Errinundra Road are under the control of VicForests, with logging being allowed.
The logging of the forest has been contentious due to the impact on rare and threatened species, the impact on water supplies, the associated carbon emissions. Environmentalists have called for the unprotected Brown Mountain forest area to be incorporated into the National Park reserve system planned to link the Errinundra National Park
Errinundra National Park
Errinundra is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 352 km east of Melbourne. Errinundra National Park is centred on the Errinundra Plateau, a southwards extension of the Monaro Tablelands of New South Wales...
with the Snowy River National Park
Snowy River National Park
Snowy River is a national park in Victoria , 323 km east of Melbourne.Much of the park is classified as wilderness area, where vehicles are unable to visit. The park provides one of the last natural habitats at the Little River Gorge for the endangered brush-tailed rock wallaby...
.
In 2008, logging recommenced in the Brown Mountain forest, despite Labor Party policy statements during the 2006 Victorian election campaign
Victorian state election, 2006
An election for the 56th Parliament of Victoria took place on Saturday, 25 November 2006. Just over 3 million Victorians registered to vote elected 88 members to the Legislative Assembly and, for the first time, 40 members to the Legislative Council under a proportional representation system...
that they would protect Victoria's last remaining stands of old growth forest available for logging.
Environment Minister Gavin Jennings
Gavin Jennings
Gavin Jennings is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council since 1999, representing Melbourne Province and then the South Eastern Metropolitan Region...
confirmed that logging the Brown Mountain forest was contentious in his answer to questions in parliament from Greens MP Sue Pennicuik
Sue Pennicuik
Susan Margaret "Sue" Pennicuik is an Australian politician, and Greens member of the Victorian Legislative Council.-Early career:...
about the logging in progress.
- "Is there activity currently being undertaken in East Gippsland that is a source of contention in relation to the appropriateness of it being allocated for harvesting activity and being subject to protest activity?’, I can confirm that that is absolutely happening."
East Gippsland's Eucalyptus nitens
Eucalyptus nitens
Eucalyptus nitens, commonly known as Shining Gum, is a Eucalypt species native to Victoria and eastern New South Wales, Australia. It grows in wet forests and rainforest margins on fertile soils in cool high-rainfall areas.-Description:...
forest biomass contains at least 700 (and possibly up to 2000) tonnes carbon per hectare ("green carbon") above ground. Recovery of the carbon debt from clearing intact natural eucalypt forests through afforestation or reforestation takes more than 100 years. Research into the age class structure of Brown Mountain's trees and the forest's carbon capacity is ongoing. 85% of the wood harvested in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
's forests is converted to woodchip (mostly for use in paper), sawdust and waste.
A temporary injunction on logging was ordered on September 14, 2009 by Justice Jack Forrest, after the environmental group Environment East Gippsland sued state-owned timber agency VicForests in the Supreme Court, arguing it would be failing its duty to protect native animals if it logged the two remaining coups as planned.
External links
- Brown Mountain old growth forest, greenlivingpedia.org
- Errinundra National Park, Parks Victoria
- What to see and do in East Gippsland
- The GECO website, with recent photos of Brown Mountain logging