Thinning forests no defence against fires

Photo: Elizabeth Donoghue/ Flickr - Having logging machines "thin" forest for fire reduction is largely ineffective, a new peer-reviewed, scientific study has found. The study, led by researchers at The Australian National University and published in the journal Conservation Letters , compared fire severity in unthinned versus thinned forest burned in the 2009 wildfires. It covered two forest types - mixed species forest and ash forest. The scientific evidence showed that across almost every forest age and type, thinning made little difference. It actually increased the likelihood of a crown burn in older, mixed species forests, and slightly reduced the chance of crown burn in younger aged, mixed species forest. Lead author Dr Chris Taylor, from the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society, said thinning made very little difference to fire severity. "The impact of thinning varied with forest type, the age of the forest and fire conditions," Dr Taylor said.