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Forest Facts

There is evidence in pollen, charcoal and stratigraphic records from a swamp in East Gippsland, that lower rates of burning occurred in the East Gippsland forest before European arrival. At this time forest understorey were dominated by shrubs and grasses. After European arrival burning and clearing by lease hold settlers, miners and timber cutters significantly increased the frequency of fire, reduced shrub cover and increased the dominance of grasses. There is evidence that since the introduction of fire suppression measures that there has been a recover of the shrub vegetation and a corresponding decline in grasses. There is some evidence that an increase in either Spagnun or Myriophyllum pollen due to hydrologic changes brought about by recent intensive forestry (clearfelling).

Reference: Gell, P.A., Stuart, I., and Smith, J.D., (1993) "The response of vegetation to changing fire regimes and human activity in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.", The Holocene, 3.2 pp 150-160.

Jacob's makes reference to a number of historical systems of trees classification. He make reference to a system developed by Schadelin and Wight and the British Forestry system which use a series of characteristics to describe a tree, These characteristics include, Age (4 classes), Degree of Dominance, Crown Development, and an Estimate of Vigour for the British System, and the Decimal system (Schadelin and Wight) which can use a variety of characters, but an example was included using Height Class (20ft increments), Stem Quality (3 classes), Crown Quality (4 classes). Both these systems make reference to crown quality as a measure, it is this reference to crown quality which I assume defines "Jacobian Classification". However I wounder if there is another reference where Jocob defines his own system of classification. I have not chased this up and only used the reference given to us by Richard (also from Monash & VNPA).

Reference: Jacobs, M. R. (1958) "Growth Habits of the Eucalypts".