This is a sample farm plan...all you have to do is make another agroforestry farm plan including the things...as in sampleYou can choose any farm as per your choice and any agroforestry type...
1 SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET For use with online submission of assignments Please complete all of the following details and then make this sheet the first page of each file of your assignment – do not send it as a separate document. Your assignments must be submitted as either Word documents, text documents with .rtf extension or as .pdf documents. If you wish to submit in any other file format please discuss this with your lecturer well before the assignment submission date. Student Name: MA. CHARMAINE MICIANO Student ID No.: 23365339 Unit Name: AGROFORESTRY AND FARM FORESTRY Unit Code: FOR03110 Tutor’s name: J DOLAND NICHOLS Assignment No.: 3 Assignment Title: REPORT Due date: OCTOBER 18, 2019 Date submitted: OCTOBER 20, 2019 Declaration: I have read and understand the Rules Relating to Awards (Rule 3 Section 18 – Academic Misconduct Including Plagiarism) as contained in the SCU Policy Library. I understand the penalties that apply for plagiarism and agree to be bound by these rules. The work I am submitting electronically is entirely my own work. Signed: MA. CHARMAINE MICIANO (please type your name) Date: OCTOBER 18, 2019 http://policies.scu.edu.au/view.current.php?id=00140#s18 http://policies.scu.edu.au/view.current.php?id=00140#s18 2 FRIDA’S FIELD PROPERTY AGROFORESTRY FARM PLAN 3 Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………….…...1 A. Benefits of Farm Forestry…………………………………………….….4 II. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION……………………………………………. .4 A. Site Description………………………………………………………..…5 1. Soil Landscapes……………………………………………………....5 2. Climate, Rainfall and Temperature………………………………..…6 3. Vegetation Communities………………………………………….…8 4. Bushfire Hazard……………………………………………………...9 5. Flooding………………………………………………………….….10 B. Site Analysis………………………………………………………….…10 1. Weeds………………………………………………………………..11 2. Erosion………………………………………………………………12 3. Current Vegetation…………………………………………………..13 4. Soils………………………………………………………………….14 III. FARM FOREST OBJECTIVES…………………………………………..16 A. Silvipastoral System……………………………………………………..16 IV. REGULATION AND FARM OBJECTIVES………………………………………………………………16 A. Plantation Establishment………………………………………....……....16 B. Regulation and the Farm Plan………………………………………....…17 V. IMPLEMENTATION OF FARM PLAN…………………………………17 A. Planning a Farm Forest……………………………………………….….17 1. Farm Forest Timeline………………………………………..………17 2. Infrastructure and Earthworks……………………………………….18 B. Site Selection…………………………………………………………….19 C. Species Selection………………………………………………………...19 1. Silvipastoral System…………...…………………………………….19 D. Establishment Procedure…………………………………………………24 E. Silvicultural Treatments………………………………………………….25 F. Ground and Preparation and Treatment………………………………….25 G. Tree Sourcing and Stocking……………………………………………...25 H. Maintenance Schedule………………………………………………...…26 I. Thinning and Pruning…………………………………………………….27 J. Farm Forest Map…………………………………………………………28 K. Grazing Cattle……………………………………………………………29 VI. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND TAXATION……………………...…………………………………………..29 A. Tax………………………………………………………………………..29 B. Financial Models…………………………………………………………31 1. Cost Analysis…………………………………………………………32 2. Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return……………………….33 3. Structural Impediments……………………………………………….33 4. Carbon Sequestration…………………………………………………34 5. Summary……………………………………………………………...34 Appendix 1. ……………………………………………………………….35 REFERENCES………………………………………………………….....36 4 I. INTRODUCTION The Frida’s Field property is a 48.56 hectares (ha) of farm located at the suburb of Nashua, north-east of New South Wales. Historically, before the owner purchased the farm it was named as Glenbrook by the previous landholder. As of to date, the farm is a blank canvas but the owner is raising seventy (70) breeders of Angus- Wagyu and has an Airbnb holiday rental. In addition, there are an on-going construction of restaurant and vegetable garden in the farm. Whereas, in terms of the vegetation in the farm a range of exotic and native tree species are found on its riparian zone. Apart from these, the owner has a vision of building a productive, diversified, sustainable farm that integrates plants and animals which can help to regenerate the land. Another is, planting various beneficial tree species that can produce timber, fodder, edible fruits as well as environmental services including nitrogen fixing and carbon sink. Moreover, in terms of animals the owner is also planning to raise pasture chickens along with cattle and other animals like rabbits, sheep, and pigs. Considering the owner’s vision, this agroforestry farm plan aims to introduce the silvipastoral system to integrate tree species and animals. In addition, this will explore different tree species that can provide fodder for the livestock, fix nitrogen in the soil, and produce timber. A. Benefits of Farm Forestry Farm forestry have several benefits. One of these is having different income resources while having the main source of earning. Aside from this, the trees that are cultivated as timber can also provide shade, shelter, land rehabilitation and environmental benefits without requiring an extra cost. Other uses are protection for crops and pasture, control of noxious weeds, farm beautification and restoration and enhancement of conservation biodiversity (Cole-Clark, 1999). II. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION The Frida’s Field property consists of two residential houses, one garage, two storage sheds, one timber cottage with saltbox roof design (Figure 1a), one timber cottage near the vegetable garden (Figure 1b), on-going construction of restaurant (Figure 1c), one Airbnb holiday rental 5 (Figure 1d), and on-going establishment of vegetable garden. It is surrounded by the Wilson River and Byron Creek. Figure 1. Frida’s Field Property Establishment. A. Site Description Physical Address: 76 Booyong Road, Nashua, 2479 Property ID: Lot157 DP755695 Size: 48.56 ha (120 acres) Elevation: 26 m Local Council: Byron Shire Council 1. Soil Landscapes There are two soil landscapes identified by Morand (1994) in the Frida’s Field Property which are the Ewingsdale (Residual Landscape) and Eltham (Alluvial Landscape). Based on the generated map (Figure 2), the Ewingsdale is located in the area of the property wherein most of the buildings were constructed. Ewingsdale soil landscape develops in the Lismore Basalts with very low to low undulating hills. It has a relief of 10-30 meters (m) and a slope of 3-10 %. Formerly, it was a closed forest but was cleared resulting to a sod grassland. Aside from these, the depth of it is 100-300 cm and have a well-drained Krasnozems (red basaltic soil). The disadvantage of this soil landscape is having a low available water-holding capacity and 6 an extreme level of toxicity potential with localised stoniness. Whereas, for the Eltham, it composed the pastureland of the property. This soil landscape covers a large area of floodplains of highly low relief, has a level to gently undulating hills, and draining a highly basalt area formed by weathering. It has a slope of 0-2% and relief of less than 5 m. Similar to Ewingsdale, it was a previously closed forest but was cleared for agricultural purposes and was part of the Big Scrub. The depth of it is greater than 200 cm and completely well-drained alluvial Krasnozems. Moreover, this kind of soil landscape has a strongly acid soil with low water holding capacity and a risk for flooding. Figure 2. Soil Landscapes of the Frida’s Field Property. 2. Climate, Rainfall, and Temperature The property is located in the north-east New South Wales. According to the Subtropical Farm Forestry Association (2001), the climate in the north-east New South Wales along with the south-east Queensland is extremely good for growing a tree due to the usable amount of soil moisture for most of the year, moderate winters and very warm to hot summers. As illustrated in figure 3, the average rainfall pattern in a year for this region has a range of 1000 – 1500 millimeters (mm) (Bureau of Meteorology, n.d.). 7 Figure 3. Average Annual Rainfall of Australia (Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology, 2010). The average amount of rainfall, and the average maximum and minimum temperature data were obtained in the nearest automatic weather station (AWS) which is the Ballina Airport AWS. In terms of the average rainfall (Figure 4), the months from January to June were documented to have the heaviest rainfall. Whereas, for the average temperature, the hottest months were from November to March (Figure 5) and the coldest months were from June to August (Figure 6). Figure 4. Mean Rainfall recorded at the Ballina Airport AWS from 1992 to 2019 (Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology, n.d.). 8 Figure 5. Mean maximum temperature in degree Celsius recorded at the Ballina Airport AWS from 1992 to 2019 (Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology, n.d.) Figure 6. Mean Maximum Temperature in Degree Celsius recorded at the Ballina Airport AWS from 1992 to 2019 (Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology, n.d.). 3. Vegetation Communities Based on the Transitional Native Vegetation Regulatory Map of New South Wales, the vegetation that can be found in the riparian zones of the farm are classified under the ‘Category 2’ (vulnerable regulated map) (Figure 7). This means that the land is ‘steep or highly erodible lands, protected riparian land or special category land’ and the ‘native 9 vegetation as dead and non-native’ based on the section 60F(2)(c) and 60B(3) of the Local Land Services Act of 2013 (New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, n.d.). Figure 7. Vegetation in the riparian zone categorized by Vulnerable Regulated Land (Native Vegetation Regulatory Map, 2019) 4. Bushfire Hazard As shown in figure 8, some portion of the sites are included in the Vegetation Category 2 which are depicted by the light orange colour. This category implies that the site has a lower bush fire risk and need a 30-metre buffer. Furthermore, this vegetation category is less flammable because of the vegetation area shape and size, land geography and management practices (New South Wales Rural Fire Service,