Timber Production in NSW State Forests

The pine plantation rotation

Radiata pine

• Radiata pine is a native tree of North America

• It is grown commercially in Australia and supplies timber for 1 in 4 houses built in NSW

Where is it grown?

• Radiata pine plantations are located near Bathurst, Tumut, Bombala and Walcha

• It is also grown commercially in New Zealand, Chile and Spain

What is a plantation?

• Plantations are like farms for trees

• Plantations have a cycle of about 32 years

Age 0 - Growing the seeds or cuttings and preparing the site

• Germinate the seeds or establish cuttings

• Seed is sown during September and October ready for planting from June to August the following year

• The containerised nursery at Tumut produces 10 million seedlings each year

Age 0

• The site needs to be prepared for planting• Plantations are grown on cleared land• Site preparation involves ripping (breaking

up compacted soil with a bulldozer) and mounding (creating rows of soil mounds to allow young seedlings to establish their roots quickly)

Age 1 – Planting the Seedlings

• Planting takes place in winter when the seedlings are dormant (not growing)

• One seedling is planted every 2.5 metres along the rows of mounds

• About 1000 plants / hectare

Age 2 – Seedlings grow into small trees

• After two years the seedlings reach about 2 metres in height

• Competing vegetation is suppressed

• Fertiliser is used to give plants a boost

Ages 13, 21, 28 - Thinning• Thinning is where the smaller

and weaker trees are removed allowing the remaining trees more space, light, water and food to help them grow

• Timber removed during thinning is mostly used for pulpwood and processed into woodchips for newspaper, particle board and kitchen cupboards

Age 32 – Final Harvest

• Plantation pine trees are harvested between age 30 and 35

• The logs from this harvest produce timber for houses and furniture

What machine is that?

• A feller buncher is used to cut the trees down.

• It is a vehicle with tracks which rotate like an excavator and moves through the forest felling and bunching trees into a clear area.

What machine is that?

• A processor looks like an excavator or feller buncher.

• It picks up the trees, removes the branches and cuts the log into different lengths.

What machine is that?

• A forwarder is a large vehicle with rubber tyres.

• It has a cabin at the front and an arm with a grapple in the centre for loading logs into the tray at the back.

• The forwarder picks up the logs and takes them to the log dump

What machine is that?• Cable logging equipment is often used

in steep country because it is the most efficient option and it minimises erosion

• A yarder with a vertical pole has a skyline cable extends down into the forest to where the trees are being logged

• The trees are felled by a person with a chainsaw and are attached to the cable.

• They are then pulled up to the yarder where the logs are processed and loaded onto a truck

What happens next?

• Logs are carried by trucks to sawmills where they are sawn and dried to produce timber

What products are made?

• Pulpwood is used to make paper, particle board and kitchen cupboards

• Small logs become treated posts for landscaping

• Sawlogs are used for furniture and house frames

After harvesting, what’s next for the plantation?

• Back to Age 0 – a new plantation • After harvesting the trees, the land is

prepared for a new pine plantation and the cycle continues

What are growth rings?• A radiata pine tree adds

a growth ring on the outside of its trunk under the bark each year.

• The colour and thickness of the rings are affected by the season – spring produces a lighter coloured ring and summer, a darker ring

Where can I find out more?

• www.landlearnnsw.org.au• www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/forests• www.australianforests.org.au