Scientists Cleared Of Misconduct After Timber Industry Attacked Paper Showing Logging Worsened Fires
Two conservation scientists have been cleared of research misconduct by the University of Tasmania after a review sparked by complaints from logging industry representatives. The Institute of Foresters of Australia and the Australian Forest Products Association wrote to the university in October and November demanding an investigation after a research paper that found logging made forests more flammable had to be retracted.
One of the researchers, Dr Jennifer Sanger, described the process as a “witch-hunt” and said the way the university had handled the process would discourage other academics from speaking out about their research. IFA had also demanded the university apologise “over the standard of the university’s review process”. The study, published in the journal Fire, examined a fire in the Huon Valley in 2019 and concluded that forests left unlogged were generally less flammable.
But the study used publicly available geographic data from the Tasmanian government to differentiate plantations from other forests, and it was found some of the data was incorrectly categorised. That led to the authors requesting the journal retract the paper. The retraction was seized upon by the forestry industry and politicians to claim there was a scientific consensus that logging did not make forests more flammable – a claim some experts said was not correct.
EDIT
At the time of the retraction, the journal’s editor said the researchers had shown integrity “of the highest standard” by requesting their own paper be withdrawn. The university had investigated four accusations levelled at Sanger in relation to the methods used to carry out the research, her contribution to it, an allegation of conflict of interest and a failure to correct the record. The university found there had been no breaches of its code or guidelines.
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/01/university-of-tasmania-clears-scientists-accused-of-research-misconduct-by-logging-industry
