TAG
jarrah forest
Philip Zylstra continues the debate – self-thinning forest understoreys and wildfire risk
Our paper published in 2022 shows that, according to DBCA records, bushfires have been seven times more likely on land previously burned by them than on land that they have not burned. Mr Jack Bradshaw’s educated guesses about the causes of karri regeneration prior to 1850 do not change this, they use speculation to distract from the hard evidence we are discussing.
Self-thinning forest understoreys and wildfire risk debate – Jack Bradshaw responds to Philip Zylstra
In his response to my critique of his paper, Zylstra agrees that the proportion of an area burnt is influenced by the likelihood of a fire starting and the effect of the fire suppression effort. He also agrees that these factors were not taken into account. The degree and direction of bias in their results in therefore unknown, invalidating the results. This is exacerbated by the fact that they have treated the dry north-eastern jarrah forest and the wet karri and tingle forests, with their very different fire behaviour, as one type.
Failure of peer review: Jack Bradshaw
Frank Batini’s article (The role of academics in influencing the perceived threat from climate change) highlights how data can be misused to achieve an end. The ‘peer review’ process is intended to ensure that scientific findings are credible and justifiable. But with the frenzy to publish for academic standing and the proliferation of journals wanting to accommodate them, the peer review process often fails under the pressure ...ARR.News asked a few questions of Jack.
The role of academics in influencing the perceived threat from climate change: Frank Batini
Some academics are happy to comment in areas where they have no expertise or local knowledge. In contrast, the views of locals with years of practical management experience are mostly ignored.
The destruction of the Marradong Timber Reserve 145/25 (MTR): Frank Batini
This timber reserve is located just west of the Boddington townsite , on the eastern fringe of the jarrah forest in Western Australia ... The infertile, lateritic soils that initially spared the MTR from clearing by farmers were its ultimate downfall ... An important question to ask is “How much bauxite mining is enough?”
The McGowan logic – sustainable native forest logging not environmentally acceptable, but widespread clearing of the jarrah for bauxite is: Robert Onfray
Robert Onfray gives an in depth examination of bauxite mining in Western Australia, its impacts on the jarrah forests, ineffective anti- mining protests and questions the McGowan government's decision to end native forest logging but support bauxite mining.
Selecting an appropriate baseline: Frank Batini
If we wish to compare current observations with past performance, we need to establish a set of relevant data, or baseline ... Water Corporation’s advertisements claim that “Perth’s rainfall is declining due to Climate change” showing a graph of reduced stream-flows into the reservoirs as convincing proof that “Climate change is real”. Such claims deserve scrutiny.
Jarrahdale dodged wildfire destruction in 2007: Frank Batini
In summer 2007, I planned and supervised the establishment of a research thinning trial in regrowth jarrah (E.marginata) forest about 15 km east of the Western Australian town of Jarrahdale ... The trial consisted of eight plots, each one hectare in size, thinned to various densities of trees ... Some six months after thinning, in November 2007, the whole area was treated with a prescribed burn ...
What’s happening to the jarrah forest?
Jack Bradshaw. Exposing the hypocrisy of the WA government in banning sustainable timber harvesting in native forest but supporting the strip mining of the same forest.
