Development of silviculture in the native State forests of Victoria

Summary An historical perspective of silviculture in the native State forests of Victoria is presented covering the impacts of European settlement, initiation of active management, the application of methods based on sound ecological principles and, since the 1970s, a stronger focus on social and environmental objectives. The development of silviculture in the major forest types is discussed, including: ash, Low Elevation Mixed Species, High Elevation Mixed Species, Box-Ironbark and river red gum forests. Organisational arrangements for implementation of silviculture are described, along with processes for development of new and improved systems. The ongoing trend to improve on-ground delivery of silviculture through the use of new technology and the development of performance monitoring and improvement systems for sustainable forest management is also discussed.