Implications of globalization on forest health: policy directions
With continuing globalization, rapid travel and a changing climate, threats to forests will increase in the future and could lead to significant changes to forest ecosystems. Both trees planted as non-natives and native forests are increasingly threatened by insect pests and pathogens. These include those that are introduced accidentally, as well as ‘new encounter’ pests and pathogens that are undergoing host shifts to infect the non-native trees. Science is only part of the answer in mitigating negative changes to the health of a forested landscape. Initiatives in Australia seek to ensure that government policy makers, RD&E investors and providers and primary industries stakeholders work together to focus effort and maximise outcomes through strategic partnerships including resource, infrastructure and expertise-sharing within the current scope of industry RD&E expenditure in plant biosecurity. Although the benefit of such initiatives is recognised, the challenges for forestry are huge in Australia given an industry wrought with financial and political problems and an ever-declining population of forest health experts. What are the lessons that can be taken from policy directions for forest health from other countries around the world facing the impacts of increasing globalisation?
Biography
Caroline is a Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer with the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania. Part of her time is allocated to being Program Convenor for Future Farming. This program is about identifying and extending management options for more reliable and sustainable systems of agricultural and forest production to maximize their economic, environmental and social value. The rest of her time is spent as an active researcher in issues around climate change, plant pathology and biosecurity; she also currently supervises five doctoral students. She has authored/co-authored over 80 scientific papers, and has been an editor for scientific journals.