Milnthorpe Model

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The Milnthorpe Model describes a situation where fast-growing non-indigenous trees such as eucalypts, are used to colonise ex-pasture in order to establish a forested environment where indigenous canopy species can thrive.

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The expression was coined in 2010 during a nationwide MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) roadshow on carbon forestry and derives from a 162-hectare (400-acre) property [1] near Parapara Inlet in Golden Bay, New Zealand. This marginal land was progressively planted from 1973 to create what is now a scenic reserve and an arboretum. It has an abundance of understorey species, predominantly natives, and is a popular location for recreational walks. [2]

Importance of the Milnthorpe Model

Recent years have been particularly tough for sheep and beef farmers in New Zealand. A report from Beef + Lamb New Zealand in 2023 forecast farm profitability to fall by 31% for the 2023–24 year, following a decline of 32% in 2022. [3] This means profits for farmers have more than halved in two years. For example, it is now common for sheep farmers to spend more money on shearing their sheep than the return from their wool-clip.

There are several motives for seeking to afforest marginal farmland. First, it is often profitable to do so. The returns from wood can exceed the returns from livestock. In addition, there are payments from the sale of carbon offsetting. Lastly, there can be environmental benefits compared to pastoral farmland, in terms of reduced soil erosion, water quality, and buffering of flood peaks. [4]

Benefit of eucalyptus trees

Carbon sequestration is about the conversion of a low-carbon ground cover such as pasture of short scrub to a forest with more biomass, and therefore carbon. [5] Eucalypts, in particular, can create a huge volume of wood and in a short time, although this will depend on the exact species of eucalyptus and the growing conditions of the site.

Importance of native trees

There is a widespread backlash, particularly from the farming community, against large conversions of farmland to forestry. In New Zealand, pine trees receive the most opprobrium, but in several other countries the target is eucalyptus plantations. Natives, on the other hand, have a favourable image everywhere. In New Zealand, this is accentuated because indigenous forest occupied nearly all suitable land in the fairly recent past, [6] and because New Zealanders have a great love for their own flora, much of which is endemic.

Desirability of fast-growing introduced species

It is desirable to plant eucalypts or other fast growing introduced species in New Zealand, in order to create a native forest. It is prohibitively expensive, in most cases, to directly plant natives (particularly with some of the preferred canopy species, such as podocarps). These expensive seedlings do not readily tolerate competition from grass or introduced woody weeds, and have a high mortality rate. The natural succession of native forest growth from a cleared area, such as a slip, would involve several stages, taking several hundred years altogether to reach their climax cover. On the other hand, planting eucalypts is relatively cheap, and the grass and other problematic weeds are soon shaded out. Seeds of a range of native species are brought in by birds and grow readily on the forest floor. It is thus usually quicker and cheaper to use non-indigenous trees as a nurse crop rather than directly establishing natives. [7] [8]

Lessons from Milnthorpe Arboretum for native establishment

There is a pleasant mix of native understory species in the at Milnthorpe, such as tree ferns, māhoe (whiteywood) and coprosma. Occasionally, there are examples of self-sown kahikatea or tōtara, but most other canopy species such as rimu needed to be planted by humans. In the light shade that eucalypts provide, and in the weed-free forest floor, their rate of survival and growth is excellent. [7] [8]

Nationwide applicability

In Milnthorpe, prior to planting there were large areas of gorse, blackberry (on better soils), prickly hakea, post-fire kanuka, and a few five finger. In the wetland areas, there were masses of stunted mānuka.

Milnthorpe Arboretum lies at sea-level in a warm, wet, fairly wind-free microclimate. Examples of similar plantings from other regions and microclimates must be examined before a useful generalisation could be made. A study of three such situations – including Milnthorpe – was undertaken by Forbes in 2021. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest</span> Dense collection of trees covering a relatively large area

A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines a forest as, "Land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban use." Using this definition, Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 found that forests covered 4.06 billion hectares, or approximately 31 percent of the world's land area in 2020.

<i>Eucalyptus</i> Genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family

Eucalyptus is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of Eucalyptus are trees, often mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including Corymbia and Angophora, they are commonly known as eucalypts or "gum trees". Plants in the genus Eucalyptus have bark that is either smooth, fibrous, hard, or stringy, the leaves have oil glands, and the sepals and petals are fused to form a "cap" or operculum over the stamens. The fruit is a woody capsule commonly referred to as a "gumnut".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Understory</span> Layer of plant life growing above the shrub layer and below the canopy

In forestry and ecology, understory, or understorey, also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the forest canopy without penetrating it to any great extent, but above the forest floor. Only a small percentage of light penetrates the canopy so understory vegetation is generally shade-tolerant. The understory typically consists of trees stunted through lack of light, other small trees with low light requirements, saplings, shrubs, vines and undergrowth. Small trees such as holly and dogwood are understory specialists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old-growth forest</span> Forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance

An old-growth forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines primary forests as naturally regenerated forests of native tree species where there are no clearly visible indications of human activity and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed. One-third of the world's forests are primary forests. Old-growth features include diverse tree-related structures that provide diverse wildlife habitats that increases the biodiversity of the forested ecosystem. Virgin or first-growth forests are old-growth forests that have never been logged. The concept of diverse tree structure includes multi-layered canopies and canopy gaps, greatly varying tree heights and diameters, and diverse tree species and classes and sizes of woody debris.

<i>Eucalyptus gomphocephala</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus gomphocephala, known as tuart, is a species of tree and is one of the six forest giants of Southwest Australia.

<i>Armillaria luteobubalina</i> Species of fungus in the family Physalacriaceae.

Armillaria luteobubalina, commonly known as the Australian honey fungus, is a species of mushroom in the family Physalacriaceae. Widely distributed in southern Australia, the fungus is responsible for a disease known as Armillaria root rot, a primary cause of Eucalyptus tree death and forest dieback. It is the most pathogenic and widespread of the six Armillaria species found in Australia. The fungus has also been collected in Argentina and Chile. Fruit bodies have cream- to tan-coloured caps that grow up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter and stems that measure up to 20 cm (8 in) long by 1.5 cm (1 in) thick. The fruit bodies, which appear at the base of infected trees and other woody plants in autumn (March–April), are edible, but require cooking to remove the bitter taste. The fungus is dispersed through spores produced on gills on the underside of the caps, and also by growing vegetatively through the root systems of host trees. The ability of the fungus to spread vegetatively is facilitated by an aerating system that allows it to efficiently diffuse oxygen through rhizomorphs—rootlike structures made of dense masses of hyphae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flora of Australia</span> Plant species of Australia

The flora of Australia comprises a vast assemblage of plant species estimated to over 21,000 vascular and 14,000 non-vascular plants, 250,000 species of fungi and over 3,000 lichens. The flora has strong affinities with the flora of Gondwana, and below the family level has a highly endemic angiosperm flora whose diversity was shaped by the effects of continental drift and climate change since the Cretaceous. Prominent features of the Australian flora are adaptations to aridity and fire which include scleromorphy and serotiny. These adaptations are common in species from the large and well-known families Proteaceae (Banksia), Myrtaceae, and Fabaceae.

<i>Eucalyptus salmonophloia</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus salmonophloia, commonly known as salmon gum, wurak or weerluk or woonert or marrlinja. is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between nine and thirteen, creamy white flowers and hemispherical fruit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Banda Banda</span> Mountain in New South Wales, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Currency Creek Arboretum</span>

The Currency Creek Arboretum is located in the Australian state of South Australia near the small town of Currency Creek and south of the state capital of Adelaide. CCA is a 32-hectare (79-acre) specialist Eucalypt arboretum and research centre, composed solely of Australian native plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimberley tropical savanna</span> Terrestrial ecoregion in Western Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tasmanian dry sclerophyll forests</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monvert Nature Park</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farm Forestry Toolbox</span>

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<i>Eucalyptus socialis</i> Species of plant

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<i>Eucalyptus argophloia</i> Species of eucalyptus

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tree plantation</span>

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References

  1. "Property Details". Tasman District Council . Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  2. Gaffney, Sally (2020). Man, slasher, wheelbarrow: The story of Milnthorpe Park Arboretum. Sally Gaffney. ISBN   9780473526290.
  3. "New Season Outlook 2023–24" (PDF). Beef + Lamb New Zealand. October 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  4. Maclaren, J. Piers (1996). Environmental Effects of Planted Forests in New Zealand. New Zealand Forest Research Institute.
  5. Maclaren, J. Piers (2000). Trees in the Greenhouse: Forest Research Bulletin No. 219. Rotorua: New Zealand Forest Research Institute.
  6. McGlone, Matt S.; Bellingham, Peter J.; Richardson, Sarah J. (2022). "Science, policy, and sustainable indigenous forestry in New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science. 52 (8). doi: 10.33494/nzjfs522022x182x .
  7. 1 2 Forbes, Adam S.; Norton, David A.; Carswell, Fiona E. (6 July 2019). "Opportunities and limitations of exotic Pinus radiata as a facilitative nurse for New Zealand indigenous forest restoration". New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science. 49 (6). doi: 10.33494/nzjfs492019x45x . ISSN   1179-5395.
  8. 1 2 Forbes, Adam S.; Wallace, Kiri J.; Buckley, Hannah L.; Case, Brad S.; Clarkson, Bruce D.; Norton, David A. (2020). "Restoring mature-phase forest tree species through enrichment planting in New Zealand's lowland landscapes". New Zealand Journal of Ecology . 44 (1). doi: 10.20417/nzjecol.44.10 .
  9. Te Uru Rākau; Forbes, Adam S. (August 2021). Transitioning Exotic Plantations to Native Forest: A Report on the State of Knowledge (Report). Ministry for Primary Industries.