In the late 1960s and early 1970s strong opposition arose to the establishment of exotic pine plantations, largely because many had been established on land that had first to be cleared of native forest or scrub and the resultant loss of flora and fauna habitat and natural amenity was judged by some to far outweigh any economic and social benefits that might result. As a result greater use is now being made of former farmland and where some native vegetation might still be involved more of it is now preserved to retain some visual harmony and to provide corridors for fauna movement.

The question of the ability of plantations to sustain their productivity over successive rotations arose first in the 1950s, when measurements on second rotation in South Australia suggested decreases of up to 25 per cent. This caused concern for a time, but subsequent investigation, particularly that by Woods,[22] showed that it could be largely prevented by appropriate weed control and fertilization and moreover, that continuing programs for genetic improvement could assist to maintain or even increase productivity. The importance of soil structure has also been emphasized, as has the conservation of organic matter and nutrients by the maceration and retention of litter and logging residues.

Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering