
This is the landuse of forestry in action. Many Australians are unenthusiastic
about the sight of trees being felled, logs being carted away (often to
another country), and of native forests full of interesting animals and
plants being totally replaced by boring monocultures of exotic softwoods.
There is active and intense debate about the state and future of Australian
forests. There is good reason to hold that debate. Of all the renewable
resources of this nation, the forests appear to have been the most irresponsibly
managed. The future? With a landcover that takes as long to grow as do forests,
the future starts now.