Danielle Woodhams of Eco Logical Australia attaches a camera as part of the fauna survey in plantations
Forico has completed a fauna survey in partnership with leading ecologists from Eco Logical Australia, a multi-disciplinary environmental consultancy conducting projects worldwide. The purpose of the survey is to record, document and understand the biodiversity values of the Forico estate. Source: Timberbiz
Conducted over 12 days in September, the survey covered a sampling of over 100 ha across 36 sites in plantation and native forest.
The findings of this study will contribute to Forico’s natural capital reporting which details water, carbon and biodiversity values across the estate.
“The survey has been designed to explore the relationships of fauna abundance and diversity with plantation age and proximity to native vegetation of differing patch sizes,” Dr Ernst Kemmerer, Forico’s Resource Information Manager, said.
“This will enable Forico to implement leading edge landscape management principles for biodiversity values.”
Eight ecologists from Eco Logical Australia have been conducting the survey using a variety of techniques including habitat assessments, bird and camera surveys, bat recordings and scat searches.
Elise Keane of Eco Logical Australia completing a bird census in cool temperate rainforest
The study has focused on mid-elevation plantations and adjacent wet-sclerophyll forests, rainforests and acacia melanoxylon vegetation types, recording the numbers and diversity of wildlife using the estate as habitat.
This information will underpin Forico’s work in valuing nature in their Natural Capital Reports.
Forico manages sustainable plantation for sustainable harvesting, and native forests for conservation on behalf of New Forests, a global investment manager of nature-based real assets and natural capital strategies.
The survey methods are consistent with New Forest’s approach to whole of landscape management and nature-based investment.
