Forest-type mapping by photo- interpretation: A multi-purpose base for Tasmania’s forest management

Techniques to classify and map Tasmania’s native forests by stereoscopic interpretation of aerial photographs were developed in the late 1940s to facilitate systematic forest management. Completion of statewide map coverage was achieved in 1996 after considerable evolution of interpretation and mapping methods. Current photointerpretation (PI) typing procedures and coding standards are described. Because of its structural focus, with comprehensive and consistent coverage of all forests and tenures, PI-typing has become a fundamental information source for Tasmania’s forest management. Typing has been widely used to assist wood inventory stratification, operational planning, vegetation and disturbance mapping, and site productivity assessment.