Forest management and biodiversity conservation: assessing and managing impacts with emphasis on birds and their habitats in Victoria, south-eastern Australia

Abstract

This thesis includes publications dealing with issues related to conserving wildlife (and especially native birds) in landscapes where people impose multiple demands. The main focus is on forests, and the goal is to help achieve ecologically sustainable forest management (ESFM). The policy challenge is to satisfy the needs for biodiversity conservation while facilitating economic activities (e.g. logging) and other land uses (including fire management to maintain ecological integrity and protect human life, assets and property). The research challenge is to provide information about the habitat needs of wildlife, and their likely responses to different forms of management over long periods of time. The need to consider long periods of time (decades or centuries) is greater in forests than in many other ecosystems, as trees and forests take many decades to mature and develop the full range of habitat features used by wildlife (notably large hollows and other structural features).