1384.6 - Statistics - Tasmania, 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 10/05/2004   
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Contents >> Forestry >> Forested land

As at 30 June 2003, Tasmania had 3.4 million hectares of forested land, including 79,000 hectares of softwood plantation and 129,000 hectares of hardwood plantation. Approximately 30% (1.0 million hectares) of Tasmania's forested land is 'other private land'. Of the 2.3 million hectares of public land that is forested, 49% is State forest.

PLANTATIONS

In the past 50 years, a large plantation base has been established and is still rapidly expanding. The main species are the eucalypts Tasmanian Blue Gum and Shining Gum (E. nitens), Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon), and Pinus radiata.

At 30 June 2003 in Tasmania, there were approximately 208 thousand hectares of plantations located on private and State lands. An increase in the area of plantations, particularly eucalypt plantations has been a feature of recent years. While the majority of softwood plantations are grown on State lands (55 thousand hectares or 69.6% of all softwood plantations), the majority of hardwood plantations are grown on privately owned land (96 thousand hectares or 74.4% of all hardwood plantations).


FOREST TYPES BY LAND CLASSIFICATION, Tasmania - 30 June 2003

State
forest
Forest
Reserves
Conservation
reserves
Public
reserves
Other
publicly
managed
land(a)
Other
private
land(b)
Total
area


Forest type

'000

ha

'000

ha

'000

ha

'000

ha

'000

ha

'000

ha

'000

ha

Forest
Tall native eucalypt forest(c)
493
42
175
6
12
150
878
Low native eucalypt forest(d)
337
67
394
14
51
685
1,548
Subtemperate (myrtle) rainforest(e)
176
38
326
-
4
22
567
Other native forest(f)
56
10
47
1
4
34
152
Softwood plantation
54
-
-
1
-
23
79
Hardwood plantation
33
-
-
-
-
96
129
Total forest(g)
1,149
157
942
22
71
1,010
3,353

Non-forest(h)

177

19

1,379

24

208

1,653

3,459

Total area

1,326

175

2,322

46

279

2,664

6,812

(a) Includes land owned by, or vested in, the Hydro Electric Commission and Commonwealth; municipal reserves; and private and municipal lands managed by the Welllington Park Management Trust.
(b) Private property areas are as advised by Private Forests Tasmania, and generally reflect forest mapping as at early 2000.
(c) Eucalypt forest with current or potential height of 34 m or more.
(d) Eucalypt forest with current or potential height of less than 34 m.
(e) With no significant eucalypt or acacia.
(f) Including acacia spp, melaleuca etc.
(g) Estimates have been rounded and minor discrepancies may occur between sums of component items and totals.
(h) Including scrub, moorland, farmland, rocks and lakes.

Source: Forestry Tasmania, Annual Report 2002-03.



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