SIMILARITIES BETWEEN PNG FORESTRY AND AUSTRALIAN FORESTRY 8

from PNGAF MAG ISSUE # 9Q1 of 24th March 2023. Queensland's contribution to PNG's SFM

Similar Forest Management Standards

Similar Forest Types

Queensland Png

FAO described9 the climate of the Pacific Islands as dominated by the trade winds and most of islands having ample precipitation. The average annual precipitation generally varies between 1 500 and 4 000 mm and the dry season is seldom severe. Locally, rainfall depends on the relief and the leeward side may be dry. Mean temperature at sea level is about 23°C near the Tropics and 27°C at the Equator, with little difference between the hottest and coolest months. Cyclonic disturbances mainly affect the Western Pacific archipelagos (Melanesia and western Micronesia).

The coastal area of north-eastern Australia has a tropical wet climate and receives the highest annual rainfall in Australia. It has a mean annual precipitation of 1 500 to 2 500

8 McCarthy RB 2003 “A partnership for economic renewal and growth”. Presentation to 20th Australian PNG Business Forum Cairns Qld 2003.

9 Tropical Forest Resource Assessment Project – Forest Resources of Tropical Asia UN 32/6.1301-78-04 technical report 3 of 1981. M-35 ISBN 92-5-101105-2 mm with some areas exceeding 4 500 mm. There is a marked summer maximum (January to March). The mean annual temperature is around 23°C.

The rain forests of the tropical Pacific Islands are generally evergreen. Their structure is comparable to that of the Indo-Malayan forests, but the flora of the dominant strata is often relatively poor. The tallest hardwood forests, with heights ranging from 30 to 45 m, are found on deep volcanic soils. About a dozen species (in the genera Calophyllum, Campnosperma, Dillenia, Elaeocarpus, Endospermum, Gmelina, Maranthes, Parinari, Schizomeria and Terminalia) are the main constituents of the canopy, overtopped occasionally by banyan figs (Ficus spp.) and Terminalia calamansanai. A poorer forest grows on the limestone atolls. In certain special environments a single species dominates theupper stratum. Examplesarethe Nothofagus spp forests in New Caledonia Coniferous forests belonging to the Araucariaceae, Cupressaceae, Podocarpaceae and Taxaceae families have a limited distribution throughout the Pacific.

Mangroves cover rather large areas in the Melanesian archipelagos and in the Caroline Islands. They can reach a height of 25 m and the main constituents are Rhizophoraceae together with species of the genera Avicennia, Lumnitzera, Sonneratia and Xylocarpus.

Papua New Guinea lies in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean and covers a land area of 461 700 km2 between latitudes 0° and 12°S and longitudes 141° and 156°E. The country consists of the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, the Trobriand, Woodlark, d'Entrecasteaux and Louisiade groups of islands, the Bismarck Archipelago with New Britain, New Ireland, and Manus and the Buka and Bougainville islands of the Solomons. The central core of New Guinea is a massive mountain chain with peaks up to 4 500 m (Mount Wilhelm 4 508 m) and forming a natural east-west barrier. The mountain chain is made of a series of ranges divided by large fertile valleys at altitudes between 1 500 and 1 800 m. High rainfall is responsible for the existence of many rivers, which are only navigable in their lower parts. Exceptions however are the Sepik River in the north and the Fly River in the southwest, both with extensive herbaceous grass swamps. Southwestern New Guinea is a flat land covered with dry evergreen forests.

Theisland regions also haveprominent mountains, howeverofmuch lower elevations The highest peaks on New Britain are up to 2 438 m, on Bougainville up to 2 743 m and New Ireland up to 1 871 m. These islands, with recently latent but still active volcanic phenomena, have highly fertile soils and they concentrate most of the agricultural activity and production of the country.

The climate is moist and tropical except in the southwestern and central southern areas. The southwestern monsoon, which is hot and humid and brings most of the rain, occurs from December to May. High mountains and insular nature of part of the country have a strong effect on the local climates. The central mountain chain is a rain shelter for the southwestern part during the northwest monsoon and so this part is much drier and covered with savannas. There is a considerable variation in annual rainfall which ranges from 980 mm in Port Moresby to more than 5 000 mm on places in the central mountains, where rainfall is distributed all over the year. Temperatures are about 30°C on average along the coasts in the north and show a marked seasonal tendency southward. In the Highlands they rangebetween9°and32° C (withfrost andhigher elevations)andat PortMoresby between 23° and 32°C.

Papua New Guinea forest resources were described as of 1973 in the Dept of Forests PNG publication NEW HORIZONS10 Details include the forest resources, selected timber species, marketing, forest management activities, forest tree plantation development, extension activities, forest product research, and forester training initiatives.

Queenslandrainforests and forest management weredescribedin thefollowing documents.

Details include forest resource management, timber utilization research, extension activities and field management practices developed through research for native forest silviculture and softwood plantation silviculture.

Similar Forest Product Markets

The uses of wood and wood fibre products are similar in both Queensland and PNG.

Wood in both Queensland and PNG is renewable, has a variety of species and colours, workability, highly versatile, relatively light in weight, yet has good strength in both tension and compression; and provides rigidity, toughness, buoyancy and insulating properties. It can be bent or twisted into special shapes, and it is readily worked, fastened, and finished. The finished surface is pleasant to the touch and the visual patterns provided can be of great beauty.

Source Qld Forestry ForEd Project 1982-1985.

Similar Forest Plantation Species

Conifer plantation silviculture for native conifers as hoop pine Araucaria cunninghamii, and tropical pines e.g., Pinus caribaea var hondurensis, follow complementary pathways.

Much of the early pioneering research work by K J White, Alan Cameron, John Davidson, and John Smith is detailed in the first silvicultural publication Silvicultural Techniques in Papua New Guinea Plantations. 1966. Division of Silviculture Bulletin No 1. This publication detailed the development of silvicultural techniques (in many instances based on Queensland experiences) to grow PNG species in plantation format both for industrial plantations as well as individual landowners through extensive extension programs. This publication detailed silvicultural techniques for Araucaria cunninghamii – Hoop pine, Araucaria hunsteinii – Klinkii pine, Tectonia grandis – Teak., Eucalyptus deglupta – Kamarere, Ochroma lagopus – Balsa.