In Australia the long-term ecolgical consequences of forest practices which lead to nutrient depletion may be very serious. In the absence of fertilization, cumulative nutrient depletion associated with intensive management (involving clear-felling, slash burning, and short rotations) may lead to serious declines in productivity. As a mechanism for loss of some important nutrients from a forest site, intense slash fire is likely to be much more significant than harvest of biomass. Until more is known of the full consequences of slash burning, alternatives to its use should be considered wherever possible. Integrative studies on nutrient cycling and other processes controlling sustained forest productivity under management shoud be given a higher research priority than at present.