|
Coniferous forests produce the most timber per
hectare, and these trees are preferred for making pulp because of the long fibers in the wood. Tropical hardwoods are used to make
everything from toilet seats to bagpipes. And of course wood is used in construction.
The early stages of construction of a log house. Photo courtesy Al Walters. Wood is one of the oldest building materials. It is still used extensively in construction, despite more and more products made from steel and concrete. Increasingly, solid wood materials are being replaced by products such as chipboard, laminated board and plywood. These are made by glueing together several thin strips of wood, known as veneer. Huge amounts of plywood, manufactured mostly from softwoods (coniferous trees), are used in housing construction. |
wood & forest products -- page 2 of 4
[1] [2] [3] [4]
related topics
[coniferous forests] [boreal forests] [forests through time]
view the condensed version of the wood & forest products article for faster printing/reading
return to the forest importance article