Enhancing a permanent sample plot system in natural forests

Permanent sample plots (PSPs) provide the basis for growth models and thus determine the quality of inferences made from decision support systems for forest management. Existing plots may have been adequate in the past, but changing needs and possibilities may have made data suboptimal for present demands. Funds for the establishment of additional plots are generally limited, so supplementary sampling should be based on an optimal sampling strategy employing prior information. This case study in south-east Queensland used topoclimatic strata and existing inventory data to identify where additional PSPs should be established, so as to increase the geographical and silvicultural range of the growth data collected. Some existing PSPs in areas considered oversampled may be abandoned.