EASY READ Our world
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What is forestry?
Wood has many uses in the timber industry as well as for fuel. The world's forests are a vital resource. Logging is the process of cutting down trees and transporting them to a mill for cutting. Forestry is the practice of ensuring that trees are harvested sustainably—in a way that protects the future of forests. When part of a forest is cut down, new seedlings are used to reforest the area.
The importance of forests
As well as being sources of wood, forests slow down soil erosion. This is because the trees' roots hold the soil in place and prevent it being washed or blown away. Forests are home to wildlife. If forests are cut down and not replaced, the animals would lose their homes and die out. Forests also absorb carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
Wood
Wood is the hard substance found in the trunks, branches and roots of trees and shrubs. It is strong, long-lasting, easily cut and burnable. This makes wood valuable both for timber and as a fuel.
Hardwoods
There are two types of trees: hardwoods and softwoods. Hardwoods have broad leaves and bear their seeds in fruits. A major type of hardwood forest is tropical rainforest, which grows in Central and South America, Central Africa and Southeast Asia. Woods from these forests include teak, ebony, rosewood and mahogany. Other major hardwood forests are found in USA, northern Europe and northern Asia. Hardwoods from these forests, such as oak, beech and maple, are used for furniture and flooring.
Softwoods
Softwoods (conifers) have needle-shaped leaves and bear their seeds in cones. Coniferous forest covers Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, Russia and northern Asia, as well as mountainous regions of the USA and central Europe. Softwood trees such as pine, fir, spruce, cedar and hemlock, are commonly used as timber for construction (frames, walls, floors and roofs). Softwood is also used in paper-making.
Fuel
Fuelwood is still used for cooking, heating and sometimes for running power stations to generate electricity. More than 2 billion people, mostly in developing nations, depend on wood for cooking and heating. Unlike coal or oil, wood is a “renewable” energy source—so long as more trees are planted to replace those cut down.
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