Have significant biodiversity values been protected from industrial logging across Australia?

Abstract

Much of the planet's forest biodiversity is at risk from a range of threats. Threats include gaps in the protected area network and instances where these gaps are subject to intensive industrial logging. These gaps are referred to as optimal areas for protection and we sought to determine if certification schemes maintained the environmental values of these areas across Australia. To do this, we identified gaps within the existing protected area network across Australia that were optimal areas for protecting forest- and woodland-dependent species of national environmental significance. We intersected our results with spatial records of logging between 2007 and 2023 in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales that have been awarded certification under the Responsible Wood scheme. We found a large proportion of logging in Victoria and New South Wales occurred within high scoring optimal areas for protecting species of national environmental significance. We conclude that certification schemes are likely failing to meet their stated objectives to adequately maintain the environmental values of optimal areas for protection from the most intensive forms of logging. Reform of Australia's certification schemes and a significant expansion of protected forest areas is urgently needed.