Glossary

The Glossary provides an explanation of commonly used terms, such as plantation capability and suitability.

Economic Analysis Economic analysis compares a plantation land use with the existing agricultural enterprise. While changes in land use are sometimes associated with non-economic values, the predominant driver for land use change is economics.

Land Availability Refers to the area of suitable land ultimately available for a particular use. For plantation development, land availability can be defined as the willingness of landowners to make their land available at prices and/or conditions that could attract an alternative use

Land Capability Assesses the land in terms of biophysical factors. It aims to define the intrinsic, or potential capacity of land to support sustained, defined uses, such as tree cropping with specified species and management inputs.

Land Suitability Suitability is the stage where practical limitations on plantation establishment are considered. While capability determines the inherent ability of a site to grow a given species, suitability reports on external factors that stop plantation establishment. For example, the majority of highly capable sites occur on incompatible land uses such as National Park or in areas of existing native forest. Suitability does not address economic factors,

Mean Annual Increment Is the average volume production per year of a stand of known age. Usually referred to in terms of productivity

Plantation An area of land on which the predominant number of trees forming, or expected to form, the canopy are trees that have been planted (whether by sowing seed or otherwise) for the purpose of timber production

Plantation Silviculture The development and care of forests. Usually refers to the establishment and management of plantations

Rainfall reliability Rainfall reliability provides a broad index of the relative risk of plantation failure due to low rainfall reliability

Mean Annual Increment (MAI) Is the average annual increase in volume of a stand of trees over a fixed period of time.

Ground Water Flow System (GFS) A GFS is a model developed by hydrogeologists to describe and explain the behaviour of groundwater in response to recharge. This is a conceptual model, similar to an architect's model of a building. It takes into account the geology and geomorphology of the catchment, and the hydraulic properties of the landscape and the aquifer. That part of the landscape in which a particular GFS (or several GFSs of the same type) operates, is referred to as a salinity province. Whilst the GFS is clearly influenced by catchment characteristics, the salinity province does not necessarily share a common boundary with the catchment. Surface flow systems do not necessarily match underground flow pathways. Source: Walker, G. et al. (2003). Groundwater Flow Systems Framework: essential tools for planning salinity management. Summary report. MDBC Publication 15/03. ISBN 1876830646. http://www.clw.csiro.au/publications/general2003/Groundwater_Flow_Systems_Summary.pdf

Stream Salinity Index Stream salinity in catchment systems can be managed and controlled through targeted afforestation programs in those sub-catchments contributing higher salinity water yields or tributary inflows and controlling afforestation of those sub-catchments contributing predominately fresh water to the catchment system. Inputs of saline water in catchment systems are diluted through lower inputs of saline water and higher inputs of freshwater. The index described above ranks sub-catchments on their proportional contributions of saline and fresh water. The higher the sub-catchments salinity index the higher the expected salt load being contributed to the catchment. As the index of freshwater of a sub-catchment increases the contribution to salinity dilution in stream water increases.

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