Coastal IFOA monitoring - Forest health

Forest health	Biodiversity	Water quality
Research and evaluation	Wood supply	Reporting
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This program area will investigate how harvesting is distributed through space and time. In addition, it will investigate how habitat features are retained across the landscape to support ongoing ecological function and habitat connectivity through a state forest.

Monitoring forest structure, health and regeneration

In order to cost effectively evaluate the effectiveness of the multi-scale landscape protections, two streams of monitoring will be implemented:

• Operational monitoring: using existing harvest operations data collected by Forestry Corporation of NSW and a heterogeneity index derived from plot validation monitoring to give a real-time picture of forest heterogeneity and connectivity across the Coastal IFOA estate.
• Validation monitoring: using remotely sensed data products supplemented by a ground-based forest and stocking plot network that validates the heterogeneity index used and provides ecological condition and regeneration response in post-harvest areas.

Monitoring plan - Forest structure, health and regeneration

Monitoring key habitat features

This strategy investigates whether there is sufficient habitat features, in an appropriate configuration to ensure persistence of key fauna species. In addition, it will determine whether the Coastal IFOA conditions and protocols maintain sufficient resources through time to support ongoing viability of species. This will include three tasks:

• a review of hollow use by key dependent fauna
• hollow mortality and recruitment modelling
• occupancy analysis of key habitat-dependent species.

Monitoring plan - Key habitat features

Monitoring landscape-scale trends

Spatial Vision and the NSW Department of Primary Industries Forest Science Unit will lead a consortium including RMIT University, University of New England, PF Olsen, University of NSW, NSW Forestry Corporation and the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment to deliver baselines, drivers and trends for forest health across all tenures, including Coastal IFOA state forests. Stephen Farrell and Dr Christine Stone will lead a team of over twenty eminent scientists.

Monitoring plan - Landscape-scale trends in environmental values