engineered woodlands putting commercial trees back into cleared landscapes
TRANSCRIPT
Engineered Woodlands
Putting commercial trees back into
cleared landscapes
Engineered WoodlandsMuch of Northern Inland NSWhas been extensively cleared
for agriculture
Engineered WoodlandsSome landholders have embraced
environmental plantings
Engineered Woodlands
But the scale of re-vegetationis small and reliant on government
funding
Engineered WoodlandsLarge scale re-vegetation requires commercial tree growing options
Engineered Woodlands
But landholders are unwilling to replace annual agricultural
incomes with risky long-term returns from trees
Engineered Woodlands
• Integrate commercial trees into existing agricultural systems
• Minimise loss of agricultural income
• Maximise tree growth and survival
• Source income from other benefits
The Solution
Maintain agricultural incomes
Engineered WoodlandsMultiple income/benefit streams
TimberCarbon credits
Higher lambing rates from shelter
Engineered WoodlandsCritical Success Factors
• Soil preparation
• Fallow
• Weed control
•Weed control
•Weed control!
Engineered WoodlandsCritical Success Factors
• Planting the right species
• Frost hardy
• Having a market
• Fast growth
• Re-introducing agriculture quickly
Engineered WoodlandsCritical Success Factors
• Can our farmers access it?
• What is it worth?
• Are the rules too inflexible?
The carbon market
Engineered WoodlandsDoes it
pay?
-20,000
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Year
Ne
t fa
rm in
co
me
($
)
Net farm incomewithout contourshelter
Net farm incomewith contourshelter
Drought yearDrought year
Results from a typical Northern Tablelands farm using whole-farm financial modeling and
assuming:
• 11% of farm planted to contour belts over 10 yrs (15 ha per year @ $421/ha establishment cost)
• Stock shelter benefits only:
10% increase in lambing rate
50% in sheep death rate
• No timber income
Internal rate of return = 32%
Net Present Value = $87/ha
As a result of increased sales of surplus hoggets, ewes
and wethers