Resources and industry
Forestry
Wood is an important material, with many uses in the timber industry (construction and products) as well as for fuel. The world's forests are a vital renewable resource. Logging is the process of cutting down trees, dragging them out of the forest, then loading them up for transportation to a mill for cutting. But as well as being sources of wood, forests slow down soil erosion from wind and water, and are vital wildlife habitats. They are also important absorbers of carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Forestry is the practice of ensuring that trees are harvested sustainably—in a way that protects the future of forests. When a section, or “stand”, of forest is cut down, new seedlings are used to reforest the area.
Wood
Wood is a hard tissue found in the trunks, branches and roots of trees and shrubs. Wood is made up of fibres of cellulose, the substance that forms the cell walls of all plants, bound together with lignin, the substance that gives wood its rigidity. Wood is strong, long-lasting, easily cut and burnable. These properties make wood valuable as a raw material 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. Commercially important woods from these forests are teak, ebony, rosewood and mahogany, which are often used for expensive furniture. Other major hardwood forests, such as in the USA, northern Europe and northern Asia, consist of red and white oaks, sycamore and black walnut, which are often 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, western red cedar and hemlock, are commonly used for construction and paper-making.
Consultant: Lloyd Jenkins