Basal Area

AUS-ASC-FOR-BAS General High confidence

Benchmark Value

16 m²/ha
Thresholds: Lower: 16, Upper: —
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: MinimumOnly

Scoring Curve

This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context.

Evidence & Context

"Tablelands ash... (>= 25 metres)... 16 m²/ha"

Metric Definition:

Cross-sectional area of trees at 1.3m

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark sets a legally binding minimum basal area of 16 m²/ha for Tablelands ash stands 25 meters or taller in the Alpine and Subalpine Complex biome under production forestry.

Justification:

Taller stands require a higher basal area floor to maintain ecological stability.

Sources (1)

Preview of Private Native Forestry Code of Practice for Southern NSW - FAOLEX, accessed May 15, 2025
Private Native Forestry Code of Practice for Southern NSW - FAOLEX, accessed May 15, 2025 Journal

Natural Resources Commission (NRC) NSW. (2022). Final report: Private Native Forestry Review.

View Source

Supporting Sources (23)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Buckley, T. N., Turnbull, T. L., Pfautsch, S., Gharun, M., & Adams, M. A. (2012). Differences in water use between mature and regrowth Alpine Ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis R. Baker) in high elevation catchments.
Buckley, T. N., Turnbull, T. L., Pfautsch, S., Gharun, M., & Adams, M. A. (2012). Differences in water use between mature and regrowth Alpine Ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis R. Baker) in high elevation catchments.
Direct Evidence Journal

Buckley, T. N., Turnbull, T. L., Pfautsch, S., Gharun, M., & Adams, M. A. (2012). Differences in water use between mature and regrowth Alpine Ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis R. Baker) in high elevation catchments.

View Source
Preview of Continuous Cover Forestry in practice - ASKAFOR, accessed March 28, 2026,
Continuous Cover Forestry in practice - ASKAFOR, accessed March 28, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

Continuous Cover Forestry in practice - ASKAFOR

View Source
Preview of EARLY GROWTH OF EUCALYPTUS DELEGATENSIS PROVENANCES IN FOUR FIELD TRIALS IN SOUTH-EASTERN AUSTRALIA, accessed March 28, 2026,
EARLY GROWTH OF EUCALYPTUS DELEGATENSIS PROVENANCES IN FOUR FIELD TRIALS IN SOUTH-EASTERN AUSTRALIA, accessed March 28, 2026,
Contextual Support Government

EARLY GROWTH OF EUCALYPTUS DELEGATENSIS PROVENANCES IN FOUR FIELD TRIALS IN SOUTH-EASTERN AUSTRALIA

View Source
Preview of Forest Ecology and Management - Northwest Fire Science Consortium, accessed March 28, 2026,
Forest Ecology and Management - Northwest Fire Science Consortium, accessed March 28, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

Forest Ecology and Management - Northwest Fire Science Consortium

View Source
Preview of Forest Practices Authority (FPA) Tasmania. (2021). Technical Bulletin 2: Eucalyptus delegatensis forests.
Forest Practices Authority (FPA) Tasmania. (2021). Technical Bulletin 2: Eucalyptus delegatensis forests.
Direct Evidence Journal

Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) NSW. (2010). Silvicultural guidelines for the Code of Practice for Private Native Forestry.

View Source
Preview of Forestry Industry Action Plan, accessed March 28, 2026,
Forestry Industry Action Plan, accessed March 28, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

Impact of intense disturbance on the structure and composition of wet-eucalypt forests: A case study from the Tasmanian 2016 wildfires | PLOS One, accessed April 6, 2026

View Source
Preview of Full article: Active management: a definition and considerations for implementation in forests of temperate Australia - Taylor & Francis, accessed March 28, 2026,
Full article: Active management: a definition and considerations for implementation in forests of temperate Australia - Taylor & Francis, accessed March 28, 2026,
Contextual Support

Full article: Active management: a definition and considerations for implementation in forests of temperate Australia - Taylor & Francis

View Source
Preview of guidelines for sustainable forestry on private lands in nsw - ResearchGate, accessed August 1, 2025,
guidelines for sustainable forestry on private lands in nsw - ResearchGate, accessed August 1, 2025,
Contextual Support

Smith, A. (2019). Guidelines for Sustainable Forestry on Private Lands in NSW.

View Source
Preview of INTRODUCTION - DBCA Library, accessed March 28, 2026,
INTRODUCTION - DBCA Library, accessed March 28, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

INTRODUCTION - DBCA Library

View Source
Preview of Long-Term Empirical Studies Highlight Multiple Drivers of Temporal Change in Bird Fauna in the Wet Forests of Victoria
Long-Term Empirical Studies Highlight Multiple Drivers of Temporal Change in Bird Fauna in the Wet Forests of Victoria
Contextual Support Journal

Zhou, X., et al. (2025). Forest cover and canopy health mapping in Australian subalpine landscape: supervised machine learning models for Sentinel-2 and Landsat images.

View Source
Preview of Macroecology of Australian Tall Eucalypt Forests: Baseline Data from a Continental-Scale Permanent Plot Network - PMC
Macroecology of Australian Tall Eucalypt Forests: Baseline Data from a Continental-Scale Permanent Plot Network - PMC
Direct Evidence Journal

Macroecology of Australian Tall Eucalypt Forests: Baseline Data from a Continental-Scale Permanent Plot Network - PMC

View Source
Preview of Macroecology of Australian Tall Eucalypt Forests: Baseline Data from a Continental-Scale Permanent Plot Network - PMC, accessed March 28, 2026,
Macroecology of Australian Tall Eucalypt Forests: Baseline Data from a Continental-Scale Permanent Plot Network - PMC, accessed March 28, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

Unraveling Elevation-Driven Variations in Forest Structure and Composition in Western Nepal - MDPI

View Source
Preview of Modelling individual tree maximum basal area growth rates of five tall eucalypt species growing in even-aged forests - ResearchGate, accessed March 28, 2026,
Modelling individual tree maximum basal area growth rates of five tall eucalypt species growing in even-aged forests - ResearchGate, accessed March 28, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

Tasmania's giant eucalypts: discovery, documentation, macroecology and conservation status of the world's largest - Amazon S3

View Source
Preview of NSW Environment Protection Authority. (n.d.). Techniques for Measuring Stand Basal Area. Private Native Forestry Code of Practice Guideline No. 5.
NSW Environment Protection Authority. (n.d.). Techniques for Measuring Stand Basal Area. Private Native Forestry Code of Practice Guideline No. 5.
Contextual Support Journal

Techniques for Measuring Stand Basal Area - NSW Environment Protection Authority

View Source
Preview of Private Forests Tasmania. (2023). Native forest silvicultural systems: Fact Sheet 3.
Private Forests Tasmania. (2023). Native forest silvicultural systems: Fact Sheet 3.
Direct Evidence Journal

Private Forests Tasmania. (2023). Native forest silvicultural systems: Fact Sheet 3.

View Source
Preview of Private Native Forestry Code of Practice for Southern NSW - Local Land Services, accessed May 26, 2025
Private Native Forestry Code of Practice for Southern NSW - Local Land Services, accessed May 26, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Development of a RIS for variations to the Code of Practice for Timber Production 2014 - Victorian Government

View Source
Preview of Research program - Koala response to harvesting in NSW north coast state forests Final report (updated) December 2022 - Natural Resources Commission, accessed March 28, 2026,
Research program - Koala response to harvesting in NSW north coast state forests Final report (updated) December 2022 - Natural Resources Commission, accessed March 28, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

Research program - Koala response to harvesting in NSW north coast state forests Final report (updated) December 2022 - Natural Resources Commission

View Source
Preview of Schedule-1-Management-Standards-and-Procedures-for-timber-harvesting-operations-in-Victorias-State-forests.pdf, accessed March 28, 2026,
Schedule-1-Management-Standards-and-Procedures-for-timber-harvesting-operations-in-Victorias-State-forests.pdf, accessed March 28, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

Forestry Corporation of NSW. (2022). NSW Forestry Snapshot Report 2021–22.

View Source
Preview of Silvicultural monitoring in uneven-aged highland dry Eucalyptus delegatensis forests in Tasmania, accessed March 28, 2026,
Silvicultural monitoring in uneven-aged highland dry Eucalyptus delegatensis forests in Tasmania, accessed March 28, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

Silvicultural monitoring in uneven-aged highland dry Eucalyptus delegatensis forests in Tasmania

View Source
Preview of Technical Bulletin 2: Eucalyptus delegatensis forests
Technical Bulletin 2: Eucalyptus delegatensis forests
Regulatory Framework Journal

Forestry Tasmania. (2001). Eucalyptus delegatensis Forests. Technical Bulletin No. 2.

View Source
Preview of Thinning Regrowth Eucalypts - Sustainable Timber Tasmania
Thinning Regrowth Eucalypts - Sustainable Timber Tasmania
Direct Evidence Journal

Thinning Regrowth Eucalypts - Sustainable Timber Tasmania

View Source
Preview of Thinning Regrowth Eucalypts - Sustainable Timber Tasmania, accessed March 28, 2026,
Thinning Regrowth Eucalypts - Sustainable Timber Tasmania, accessed March 28, 2026,
Methodology Source GreyLiterature

Silvicultural systems for native eucalypt forests - Sustainable Timber Tasmania

View Source
Preview of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). (2022). TSCRA Tranche 1 Permanent Protections Report.
Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). (2022). TSCRA Tranche 1 Permanent Protections Report.
Regulatory Framework Journal

Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). (2022). TSCRA Tranche 1 Permanent Protections Report.

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Alpine and Subalpine Complex
  • Land Use Production Forestry
  • Assessment Pristine Reference
  • Evidence Type RegulatoryTrigger

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 7 Apr 2026

Notes

Legally binding minimum in Southern NSW PNF.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-ASC-FOR-BAS family.

16 m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Target Condition
MinimumOnly Active v3
10.3 m²/ha Low
Production Forestry · Target Condition
Point Active v2
— m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Target Condition
OptimalRange Active v2
23.5 m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
Point Active v2
32 m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
MinimumOnly Active v1
— m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
OptimalRange Active v1
20 m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
MinimumOnly Active v1
— m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
OptimalRange Active v1
5.2 m²/ha Low
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
Point Active v1
17.9 m²/ha Low
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
Point Active v1
66.1 m²/ha Moderate
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
UpperThreshold Active v1
51.5 m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
Point Active v1
1.6 m²/ha Low
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
MinimumOnly Active v1
21.6 m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
Point Active v1
12 m²/ha Moderate
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
UpperThreshold Active v1
16 m²/ha Moderate
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
UpperThreshold Active v1
12 m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
MinimumOnly Active v1
38 m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
Point Active v1
52 m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
Point Active v1
32.43 m²/ha Moderate
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
Point Active v1
— m²/ha Moderate
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
OptimalRange Active v1
— m²/ha Moderate
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
OptimalRange Active v1
14 m²/ha Moderate
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
MinimumOnly Proposed v2
32 m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Target Condition
MinimumOnly Superseded v2
— m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Target Condition
OptimalRange Superseded v1
12 m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Target Condition
MinimumOnly Superseded v1
3.4 m²/ha Low
Production Forestry · Target Condition
Point Superseded v1
50.6 m²/ha High
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
Point Superseded v1