Basal Area
Benchmark Value
Scoring Curve
This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context. The scoring engine uses 7 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 6 guard(s) constrain the result.
Contributing Benchmarks
Evidence & Context
The reference value of 38 m²/ha represents a target residual stand basal area following a best-practice, low-intensity selective harvest in a subtropical rainforest.
Basal Area (BA) is a standard forestry metric that quantifies the density of a forest stand. It is defined as the sum of the cross-sectional area of all tree stems, measured at a standard height of 1.3 meters above the ground (diameter at breast height, or DBH), within a given unit of land.
This benchmark represents the target residual basal area in a subtropical rainforest after a low-intensity selective harvest, indicating a sustainable forest structure for ecological recovery.
This value is derived from a 35-year study where less intense logging treatments (e.g., a 26% BA reduction from a mature stand of 51.5 m²/ha) allowed the forest to recover to a structural state similar to unlogged controls, demonstrating ecological sustainability.
Sources (1)
Patterns of basal area increment, mortality and recruitment were related to logging intensity in subtropical rainforest in Australia over 35 years | Request PDF - ResearchGate
View SourceSupporting Sources (56)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
Ecology | Environment, land and water | Queensland Government, accessed July 20, 2025
View Source(PDF) Reduced-impact logging: Challenges and opportunities, accessed July 20, 2025
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Australia's forests and forestry glossary - DAFF, accessed July 20, 2025,
View SourceCSIRO Permanent Rainforest Plots of North Queensland
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Sustainable native forest management, accessed July 20, 2025
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Ecology | Environment
Ecology | Environment, land and water | Queensland Government, accessed July 20, 2025,
View Source
A review of forest practice codes in Australia, accessed July 20, 2025,
View Source
EJ Rudder
G - UQ eSpace
Biodiversity | Australia state of the environment 2021
View SourceLowland Rainforest of Subtropical Australia ecological community - listing advice, accessed July 20, 2025
View SourceQuantifying the biodiversity values of reforestation: perspectives, design issues and outcomes in Australian rainforest landscapes | Conservation of Australia's Forest Fauna - Allen Press, accessed July 20, 2025
View Source
Quantifying the biodiversity values of reforestation: perspectives, design issues and outcomes in Australian rainforest landscapes | Conservation of Australia's Forest Fauna - Allen Press, accessed July 20, 2025,
View Source
Sustainable timber harvesting in the rainforests of ... - UQ eSpace, accessed July 20, 2025
View Source(PDF) Sustainable harvesting of tropical rainforests: Reply to Keto ..., accessed July 20, 2025
View Source
Native Forest Stand Management Guide - No 1 - Private Forestry Service Queensland, accessed July 20, 2025
View SourceThinning - Agroforestry in Australia, accessed July 20, 2025
View SourceVegetation and floristics of a lowland tropical rainforest in northeast Australia, accessed July 20, 2025
View SourceVegetation and floristics of a lowland tropical rainforest in northeast Australia, accessed July 20, 2025,
View Source