Publications About trees for shelter, conservation & profit Written by Rowan Reid

This page will provide links to some of Rowan’s books, research papers, conference presentations and articles. Most are available as free downloads and you are  welcome to distribute them freely but we ask that you please acknowledge the authors and publishers. If you wish to reprint any please contact Rowan before proceeding.

Australian Agroforestry Magazine

Not for profit magazine by tree growers for tree growers. LINK TO AUSTRALIAN AGROFORESTRY PAGE

Books

Since Agroforestry In Australia and New Zealand  was first published in 1985 Rowan has co-authored another 5 books on agroforestry and farm trees. Some are available as free downloads, others can be purchased directly (see For Sale page)

Agroforestry for Natural Resource Management - Edited by Ian Nuberg, Brendon George and Rowan Reid. CSIRO Publishing.
Click on Cover for a free preview of book HOW TO PURCHASE: $80 (inc GST) Plus P&H ($5) (From Australian Master TreeGrower Inc. - Not for profit community group) Contact Rowan

Log-Grown Shiitake Mushrooms - An Australian Growers’ Manual
by Parsuram Sharma-Luital and Rowan Reid
Published by The Otway Agroforestry Network, 2010 - 60 Pages, Full Colour
Available NOW for Christmas ($30 includes postage) Cheques made out to the Otway Agroforestry Network. Post to Otway Agroforestry Network c/- Post Office, BIRREGURRA, 3242. Do it now to be sure of getting your copy before Christmas

To pay for your copy using Electronic Funds Transfer contact Rowan for the Otway Network's Banking details (we'll post as soon as the money arrives)

Growers Manual which draws on the international literature and our own research to provide a practical guide for would-be Australian Shiitake growers. Strong emphasis on the use of Eucalypt logs.

Conference papers

My academic research has focused on the development and application of agroforestry extension programs, the silvicultural management of trees for high quality sawlogs and the economics of farm trees. A selection of his papers are available free.

Farmer Forestry – Liking the Time and Realising the Opportunity

 Keynote Presentation at the Australian Forest Growers Conference in Albury, 2008

I was asked to speak about farm forestry and why it I was still committed to it despite the slow rate of planting relative to the 'success' of the investment forestry industry. The invitation got me thinking about what type of forestry we want in this country and whether farmers really had much to offer. CLICK

Rowan's Welcome to the IUFRO Extension Working Group Conference: Lorne, 2001

In this paper I welcome delegates from around the world to our extension conference in Victoria. What is agroforestry and farm forestry and why is it important to involve farmers? CLICK

Peer Group Mentors contribute to diversified, sustainable and innovative farming communities: APEN 2009

In 2005 the Otway Agroforestry Network (OAN) teamed up with the Australian Master Treegrower Program (MTG) to explore the concept of facilitating farmer-to-farmer extension. The proposal was to train, then pay, experienced local tree growers to act as peer group mentors (PGMs) who would support and assist other landholders thinking about investing in agroforestry, Landcare or forest management projects. To date, twenty landholders have acted as PGMs providing one-on-one support to more than 90 others. They have also been involved in running regional farm walks, representing the network at local meetings and contributing to regional newsletters. Paper by David Curry and Rowan Reid

Otway Agroforestry Network and the Australian Master TreeGrower Program: Writing our own history on our landscape - with trees

by Andrew Stewart and Rowan Reid

Andrew presented this paper on our behalf at the Veg Futures Conference in Toowomba in October 2008. It looks at our work at three scales: Andrew's own farm, the Otway Agroforestry Network and the Australian Master TreeGrower Program.

Ten per cent Multipurpose tree cover for every farm: a low risk, high opportunity first step

by Andrew Stewart and Rowan Reid

Andrew and I presented this paper at the Victorian Farmers Federation conference and as a poster at the International Landcare Conference in Melbourne. It looks at the agricultural basis for revegetation and argues that most farmers could, if well planned, plant out up to ten percent of their land to trees without any loss of production. If effect, the trees, and any products they produce, would be a bonus.

Research Papers

A practical guide to thinning plantations: The Diameter:Basal Area Ratio

Reid, R. (2006) Diameter-basal area ratio as a practical stand density measure for pruned plantations. Forest Ecology and Management 233: 375-382

 I cannot give readers the whole paper but if you have access to the journal then you might like to look it up. If you don't email, then me and I will send you a copy. I've found that the ratio of the mean tree diameter to the stand basal area is a simple, practical and sivliculturally valid guide to thinning forests especially if they are being grown for sawlogs.

Tree Change - The Australian Master TreeGrower Phenomenon

Reid (2008) RIRDC Publication No. 08/129. Available as a free download CLICK Picture

24 page, full colour, booklet outlining the development, delivery and the impact of the Eureka Award winning Australian Master TreeGrower Program. A useful guide to those working in agricultural extension of community development.

Magazine articles

I've written hundreds of articles in farmer magazines including Australian Agroforestry, Town and Country Farmer, Australian Forest Grower and The Australian Farm Journal. Most are very practical covering aspects of species selection,  plantation design, establish, management and harvesting. Others are reflective pieces exploring what it means to grow trees. A selection are available as free downloads and will be added to this site.

 
The Principles and Practice of Pruning, Published in Australian Forest Grower Winter 2001 (12 pages)

In this paper I review the biology and practice of pruning trees for high quality timber production. There is an empahsis on pruning eucalypts but the paper also refers to many other tree species.