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Distribution of Forest Lands FORESTS OF NORTH AMERICA FOREST TYPES IN NORTH AMERICA Northern
Coniferous Forest
Eastern
Deciduous Forest Southeastern Coniferous Forest Rocky
Mountain Forest Pacific Coast Forests Tropical Forest
WOODS OF TEMPERATE NORTH AMERICA SOFTWOODS Cedar Cypress Douglas Fir Fir Hemlock Larch
Pine White Pines Yellow Pines Redwood Spruce HARDWOODS Ash Basswood Beech Birch Cherry
Chestnut Elm Hickory Locust Maple Oaks White Oak Red Oak Live Oak Osage Orange Poplar Red Gum Sycamore
Tulip Tupelo Walnut & Butternut Misc. Minor
Hardwoods Apple Red Alder Blue Beech Buckeye Cucumber Tree
Dogwood Catalpa Coffee Tree Hackberry Holly Hornbeam Persimmon Sassafras Willow FORESTS OF SOUTH AMERICA
SOUTH
AMERICAN WOODS Balsa Wood Venezuelan Boxwood Spanish Cedar Cocus Wood Cocobolo Lancewood
Letterwood Lignum Vitae West Indian Locust Mahogany Majagua Mora
Prima Vera
Purpleheart Rosewood S. Am. Satinwood
EUROPEAN
FORESTS European Conifers European Hardwoods ASIAN FORESTS Conifers Hardwoods Ebony Padouk
Asian Satinwood
Teak AFRICAN FORESTS AUSTRALIAN & OCEANIA FORESTS
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Forests occur in some parts at least on all continents. Although knowledge concerning the exact
nature and distribution of these forests is still incomplete, it is possible
to estimate the amount of forest land in the world in 2000 as about six
billion acres, or 18 percent of the earth’s surface. This area is progressively decreasing as
the human population soars. These
forests are distributed on the different continents as 25% in Asia, 24% in
South America, 18% in North America, 8 percent in Africa, 9% in Europe and
only 3% in Australia and Oceania.
Forests were, of course, originally much more abundant than they are
at the present time. The softwoods or conifers comprise 34
percent of the total forest area occurring in pure stands or mixed with
hardwoods. They are especially
abundant in the colder climates, about 90% occurring in the north temperate
zone. When they are found in warmer
regions, conifers are restricted to the higher altitudes unless they have
been imported as exotic species (e.g., Monterrey Pine). For hardwoods a distinction is usually
made between temperate and tropical species.
The former occur 16% and the latter 35% of the total forest area. As in the case of conifers, most of the
temperate hardwoods (ca. 85%) are located in the north temperate zone. It is interesting that three-quarters of
the world’s population lives in this area and consumes nearly 90% of all the
wood used. It is of great economic
importance that both softwoods necessary for general construction and
hardwoods have been readily available throughout this area. As a result of the depletion of native
forests, attention has been turned to the tropical forests, which continue to
be decimated by clear cutting. FORESTS OF NORTH
& CENTRAL AMERICA The forests of North America occupied about 25 percent of
the land area by the beginning of the 21st Century. Conifers comprised about 72 percent,
temperate hardwoods about 20 percent and tropical hardwoods about 8 percent
of the forests. The northern portion
of North America (Alaska, Canada and Newfoundland) is primarily coniferous,
with 90 percent of the softwoods and 7 percent of temperature hardwoods. The United States had about 62 percent
conifers and 38 percent temperate hardwoods.
Mexico had about 47 percent conifers, 34 percent temperate hardwoods and
19 percent tropical hardwoods. In
Central America tropical hardwoods accounted for 75 percent and conifers 25
percent of the forests. The West
Indies had an even higher percentage of tropical hardwoods (ca. 85 percent),
with the remainder in conifers. The
forest area present by the 21st Century was only about half that
of the original forests that existed at the time of the first European
settlements that began in the 16th Century. TYPES OF FORESTS
IN NORTH AMERICA Forests in North America are found
in about six well-defined areas: (1)
northern coniferous forest, (2) eastern deciduous forest, (3) southeastern
coniferous forest, (4) Rocky Mountain forests, (5) Pacific Coast forests and
(6) tropical and subtropical forests. This is a predominantly evergreen forest that extends
across the continent from Newfoundland and Labrador to the lower Hudson Bay
region and Alaska, south of the treeless arctic tundra. The principal trees are white and black
spruce, balsam fir and larch, with some paper birch, aspen and balsam
poplar. From Nova Scotia and northern
new England to Minnesota and southward along the summits of the Appalachians,
there is a transitional region between the coniferous forest and the eastern
deciduous forest, with species of both these areas mixed. The prominent trees of this Northern
Hardwood Region, include white pine, red spruce, white cedar, beech,
sugar maple, hemlock, yellow birch and some red pine and jack pine. This is one of the oldest forests on the North American
continent that covers most of the eastern and central portions of the United
States. It flourishes in the lower
Ohio valley and on the slopes of the southern Appalachians, and it extends as
far north as Ontario and southern Quebec.
Prominent trees are oaks, hickories, tulip, chestnut, black walnut,
ash, basswood and formerly American elm.
At the northern limits the beech and maple become prominent mixed with
different conifers. Toward its
southern and southwestern limits the oaks and hickories occur with many of
the pines that are typically found in the southeastern coniferous
forest. Westward the deciduous forest
gradually is confined to the river valleys of the prairie region. Southeastern Coniferous Forest This forest occurs along the sandy
Atlantic coastal plain from Texas to Virginia. Different species of pines, mainly shortleaf, longleaf,
loblolly and slash pines, occur on the uplands; in lower ground there occurs
the tupelo, live oak, red gum and magnolia.
Southern white cedar and cypress are found in swamps. This forest consists mainly of
coniferous species. The area extends
from northern British Columbia southward across the United States and Mexico
and on into Central America. There
are many differences in the nature of the forest as influenced by latitude
and altitude. Western yellow pine is
the most typical species. Others
include lodgepole pine, white fir, Douglas fir, and western larch. Engelmann spruce and alpine fir are at the
higher elevations. In northern Idaho
and Montana a forest occurs that is similar to some of those found on the
Pacific Coast, with western red cedar, western hemlock and western white pine
being the main species. There are several distinct forest areas located within the
Pacific Coast region. Along the coast
from Alaska south to Washington, Sitka spruce is the main species. In southern British Columbia, the Puget
Sound region and eastern Oregon and Washington as far west as the summits of
the Cascade Range there is situated one of the most magnificent conifer
forests in the world. It can hardly
be surpassed in its density and the size of the trees, which reach heights of
200-250 ft. and diameters of 8-15 ft.
Mild winters are created by the nearness of the Pacific Ocean and
there is a very high precipitation that can exceed 100 in. per year. Douglas fir is the dominant species and
associated with it are western hemlock, western cedar, Sitka spruce and
several species of fir. Beginning in southwestern Oregon and extending past the
San Francisco Bay area the forests along the Coast Range are dominated by
redwoods. Much of the original
redwood forest had been cut by the end of the 20th Century and
farmland was substituted. East of the Cascade Range the forests merge with those
of the Rocky Mountains. The main
trees are western yellow pine, western larch, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine and
some western white pine, Engelmann spruce and alpine fir. This forest also extends southward along
the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California.
There western yellow pine, sugar pine, incense cedar, Douglas fir and
white fir are common with red fir at the higher elevations. The Big Trees are found in isolated stands
along the lower slopes of the Sierra Nevada. Although subtropical conditions are found in south
Florida, none of the trees are of commercial importance. The true tropical forests begin in the
lowlands of Mexico (south of El Mante in the east and Mazatlán in the west),
on the eastern slopes of Central America and in the West Indies. Most of the original forest in the latter
two areas has been destroyed as a result of migratory agriculture and has
been replaced by the dense, almost impenetrable tropical jungle. The more important tropical species of
North America will be discussed along with those of South America. MAJOR WOODS OF TEMPERATE NORTH AMERICA There are more than 500 species of temperate woody
plants in North America, with about 100 being of commercial importance. The principal species are discussed as follows: These trees all have a fragrant,
light, soft wood that is even grained and decay resistant. The wood is used mainly in millwork and in
the manufacture of woodenware, instruments, caskets, boats and various
appliances. Commercial cedar includes
seven different species. Port
Orford Cedar, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, is found in Oregon
and California. It is the hardest of
all the cedars and has some exceptionally good technical properties. It yields a strong, durable, heavy, stiff timber
that takes a good polish. The wood is
used for furniture, boats, millwork, matches, floors, interior finish and
posts. Alaska
Cedar, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, occurs from Alaska to
Oregon along the Pacific Coast. The
wood is light, stiff, hard and strong and is easy to work and durable. It is used for boats, shingles, fences and
interior finish. Southern
White Cedar, Chamaecyparis thyoides, is a smaller tree found
in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states.
The wood is useful for boats, poles, shingles, ties, posts and
cooperage. During colonial times it
was used to build single-story houses. Incense
Cedar, Libocedrus decurrens, of California, western Nevada and
Oregon has a close-grained reddish wood of high value. It is used in building, for posts and
piling and to a great extent for lead pencils. Eastern
Red Cedar, Juniperus virginiana, is one of the most common
trees of the eastern United States.
The wood is very durable and is particularly resistant to
weathering. It is used primarily for
fence posts, poles, crosstrees and railroad ties. The sapwood is white and the heartwood is rich red and very
fragrant due to the presence of an essential oil. The wood is soft with an even, fine grain; and it can be
whittled easily. Panels, veneers
chests and interior finish are made from eastern red cedar. Northern White Cedar
or Arbor Vitae, Thuja occidentalis, is a common tree in New
England and the Great lakes area and adjacent Canada It is soft and easily worked and has been
used mainly for canoe and boat building, woodenware, shingles, fence posts,
railroad ties, poles, tanks and silos. Western Red Cedar, Thuja
plicata, occurs in the northern Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwestern
United States. It is the largest of
the cedars that may reach a height of 150 ft. and a girth of 30 ft. The brownish-red, close, even-grained wood
is soft but very durable. Most of
this wood has been used for shingles.
Other uses include poles, fences, cabinetwork, interior finish and
cooperage. The coastal Amerindians
used this species for their totem poles and war canoes, and also fabricated
ropes and textiles from the bast fibers of the inner bark. The Bald Cypress, Taxodium
distichum, is a tree of the swamps along the Atlantic Coast from Delaware
to Texas and northeastern Mexico, and in the lower Mississippi valley. It is one of the strongest and heaviest of
the softwoods. It may reach a height
of 80-140 ft. and a girth of 5-12 ft.
The “cypress knees” are a typical
feature, which are conical outgrowths from the roots for the purpose of
aeration. The tree is deciduous and
the wood is a rich red color with a distinct grain. It is soft and coarse and is easy to work with. It has been used primarily in millwork for
cabinet and interior finishes. It is
also used for shingles, ties, posts, tanks, cisterns and other structures
that are prone to decay, because the wood is very durable. Other products that have been manufactured
from bald cypress are boats, cooperage and boxes. Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga taxifolia, is one of
the most economically valuable woods in North America. The tree covers a wide range in
northwestern United States and western Canada. It attains its best development on the Pacific Coast from
central California to British Columbia.
The trees may reach a height of 200 ft. and a diameter at the base of
8-10 ft. The lowest branches are high
on the trunk so that the trees have been used frequently for masts, flagpoles
and spars. The size of the trunk also
makes possible timbers of many lengths and sizes. The wood is resinous with a close, even, well-marked grain, and
is of medium weight, strength, stiffness and toughness. It is very durable and, when well
seasoned, will not warp. Much Douglas
fir is used in heavy construction.
Other uses include railroad ties, paving blocks, piles, veneers,
floors and millwork. The bark has
been processed for use as a substitute for cork in making adhesives, plastics and explosives. It also possesses insecticidal properties. True firs are of comparatively little economic
importance. The wood is very light,
soft and brittle and has been used mainly in the manufacture of crates and
boxes. Fir is also used as a source
of pulpwood and in millwork. The most
important species are the balsam fir, Abies balsamea, of the northern
coniferous forest and four western species, the lowland white fir, A.
grandis, , the red fir, A. magnifica, the noble fir, A. procera
and the white fir, A. concolor. The last two species when young are of commercial importance as
Christmas trees. Because of their
dense stands in portions of the American western mountains, they are extremely
valuable as watershed species. Eastern Hemlock, Tsuga
canadensis, is one of the most characteristic trees of the northeastern
transition forest. It furnishes an
inexpensive coarse lumber that is used primarily for framing timbers,
sheathing, scantling, laths, rafters and other types of crude construction. Western Hemlocks, Tsuga
heterophylla & T. mertensiana, are larger trees that have a
superior wood, which is heavier, stronger, stiffer and more adapted to heavy
construction. Both species are high
in tannin. These species are
important pulpwood sources in the Pacific Northwest. Eastern Larch or Tamarack, Larix laricina, and Western Larch, L. occidentalis, are the
larch wood of commerce. The first species
is found in the northeastern United States and across Canada, while the
latter species is a larger tree that grows mainly in Idaho, Montana and
Washington. Larch is very heavy,
strong and tough softwood and is used mainly in furnishing heavy timbers for
general building construction.
Because larch is very durable it has been used for posts, poles,
fences, railroad ties and paving blocks.
The naturally curving lower parts of the trunk furnish ideal material
for boat “Knees,” ribs and other forms of ship timber (Hill 1952). Larch is also used to manufacture planning
mill products, boxes and tanks. Pines have always been of great
importance commercially, and they constitute about half of the total lumber
supply. The wood is obtained from
different species that belong either to the soft pine or the hard pine
category. In North America there are
eight species of especial value. The
soft or white pines have a straight-grained soft wood of mellow and uniform
consistency that is relatively free of resin and is easy to work. It is used for rough carpentry, cooperage,
cabinetwork, toys, boxes and crates.
The hard or yellow pines have a resinous, heavy, strong, hard and
durable wood that finds great use in buildings, bridges, ships and other
types of heavy construction. Because
it is very durable, yellow pine is desirable for stairs, floors, planks and
beams. Northern White Pine, Pinus strobus,
is one of the most valuable timber trees.
It was formerly used more than any other species, both for domestic
consumption and for the export trade from America to Europe. By the 21st Century so much of
the wood had been cut that it fell into sixth place in importance. The tree is found in the northeastern
United States and adjacent Canada, and along the Appalachian Mountains to
Georgia. Considerable stands still
exist in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and a small area of northwestern
Illinois. It is a conspicuous member
of the forest flora in this region and trees may attain a height of 100-200
ft. and a diameter of 3-9 ft. The
wood is very light and easy to work as it is one of the softest of
timbers. However, it is very durable. Houses that had been constructed of white
pine in colonial days remain in good condition. The sapwood is white and the heartwood a pinkish brown, with a
fine, even grain and lustrous surface.
White pine has been used for building structures, doors, windows
sashes, cabinetwork, boxes, and matches.
Other species with similar wood and uses that have been called white
pine in the lumber trade are Western White Pine, Pinus monticola,
Sugar Pine, P. lambertiana, one very large and valuable
timber tree of the West, and Lodgepole Pine, P. contorta. Yellow pines are a heterogeneous group that is often
classed together even though each species has a distinctive wood. Eastern species are very fast
growers. The southern yellow or Longleaf Pine, Pinus australis, is one of
the two most important timber trees of the United States. It occurs in the southeastern states from
North Carolina to Texas. The wood has
a fine, smooth, compact grain and is the heaviest, hardest, strongest,
stiffest and toughest of the softwoods.
It is especially durable and able to bear great weights. Therefore, it main use is for beams,
joists and other timbers for heavy construction, and for wharves, ships,
bridges and railroad ties. Some
yellow pine is used for boxes and millwork.
The wood is very resinous and the tree is the main source of the
naval-stores industry. It is also an
important pulpwood. Associated with
the yellow pine in the southern forests and often classified with it are the Shortleaf Pine, Pinus echinata,
the Slash Pine, P. caribaea, and the Loblolly Pine, P. taeda.
Other important hard
pines are the Western Yellow Pine, Pinus
ponderosa, and Red Pine or Norway
Pine, P. resinosa, of the Eastern United States. Red pine is of considerable economic
importance in the Christmas Tree trade, the trees being grown in some
quantity on farmland. Coastal Redwood, Sequoia
sempervirens, (Photos) is restricted
to the Pacific Coast area of central and northern California and southwestern
Oregon. It is one of the tallest
trees in the world that can reach a height of 200-300 ft. and a diameter of
8-122 ft. Only one other species,
the Mountain Sequoia, Sequoia gigantean,
(Photos) can exceed
these dimensions and also attains a greater age estimated at 3,600
years. The wood of the Mountain
Sequoia has little commercial value and has consequently escaped decimation
by logging practices. However,
Coastal Redwood has been widely exploited in the 20th Century and
only the efforts of conservationists have made possible the preservation of a
few stands of primeval forest. The wood of Coastal Redwood is fine and straight-grained,
strong, light and very soft. The
sapwood is pale while the heartwood has a rich dull red color. The cinnamon-brown bark, often one foot
thick, is striking. Redwood does not
warp or shrink readily and is very durable, especially after seasoning. It has been used for general construction,
shingles, siding, tanks, coffins, silos, posts, water pipes, ties, furniture,
cabinetwork and interior finish. The
fibrous bark ahs been used as an insulating and stuffing material, and it
yields a textile fiber for use with wool.
The fine bark dust is used as a soil conditioner. Several species of spruce have a light, soft, compact,
straight-grained wood that is stiff, strong, and easy to work and relatively
free of resin. Spruce has increased
in importance as white pine has become less available. The main uses are for pulpwood, light
construction, boxes, millwork, and cooperage and as Christmas trees. The wood is resonant and so is used for
making the sounding boards of pianos and the bodies of violins and other
instruments. The main species is the White Spruce, Picea glauca, one of the
most characteristic trees of the great coniferous forest that extends from
the northeastern United States to Labrador and across the continent to
Alaska. Other eastern species are the
Red Spruce, Picea rubens, and the Black Spruce, Picea mariana, both of which
have a more restricted range. The most important spruce species of Western North
America is the Sitka Spruce or Tideland Spruce, Picea sitchensis. This large tree may attain a height of
200-300 ft. It occurs along the coast
from Alaska to northern California.
Sitka spruce has found use in the manufacture of oars, boats and other
wood products that require a light, strong and elastic wood. It was once widely used in airplane
construction. Engelmann Spruce, Picea engelmannii,
occurs in the Rocky Mountain and Cascade Range region from Arizona and New
Mexico to Canada, and has had limited economic importance. This is a strong, tough, elastic, stiff, hard and
lightweight wood. It is light reddish
brown, easy to split and difficult to nail.
It often bears beautiful figures and may be highly polished. Other uses of ash wood are the manufacture
of oars, bats, handles, tennis rackets, cues, rods, clothespins, toys,
baskets and barrels. It may also be
used for building carriages, boats, farm implements, furniture, cooperage and
interior finish. The most widely used
species is White Ash, Fraxinus americana,
of the eastern deciduous forest in North America. Other prominent species are the Red Ash,
Fraxinus pennsylvanica, and a variety the Green
Ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. lanceoleata; the Blue Ash, Fraxinus quadrangulata; the Black Ash, Fraxinus nigra, and the Oregon Ash, Fraxinus oregona. Also called Linden, Tilia
americana, occurs mainly in the eastern deciduous forest of North
America. The tree may reach a height
of 80 ft. The wood is light colored
and straight grained with a smooth uniform texture. It is light, soft and weak and not very tough. However, because of its color, even grain
and ease of working it is widely used.
It has been used to manufacture boxes and crates, millwork,
woodenware, furniture, trunks, Venetian blinds, picture frames, carriage
bodies, beehives, plywood, cooperage, pulp, charcoal and excelsior. The Northern Beech, Fagus
grandifloia, is typically found in the northeastern transition forest of
North America. The wood is
fine-grained in pinkish brown in color.
It is moderately strong, hard and heavy and has a wide range of
uses. Beech has been used extensively
to make boxes and crates because it does not impart any taste or odor. Flooring, interior finish, fixtures and
furniture, tool handles, woodenware, clothespins, wagon stock, shoe lasts and
ties are among the other products.
The wood is also used for fuel, charcoal and wood-distillation. This is a heavy, hard, strong and tough wood with a
fine wavy grain that is often beautifully figured and able to take a high
polish. It is frequently stained and
finished to imitate mahogany or cherry.
The Yellow Birch, Betula lutea,
that ranges from the Lake States to New England and Georgia, and the Black Birch, Betula lenta, which has a more
restricted range, furnishes most of the wood used in the manufacture of
doors, furniture, window frames, floors and other forms of millwork. Other articles include clothespins,
handles, shoe pegs and lasts, wheel hubs, woodenware, boxes baskets, dowels,
yokes, veneers and spools. White Birch or Paper Birch, Betula papyrifera, occurs
further north on the continent of North America. The wood is very strong and elastic with a fine uniform
texture. It is used mainly for
plywood, spools, toothpicks, boxes, handles, dowels, bobbins and shoe lasts
and pegs and in turnery. Especially
the Amerindians have used the bark that peels off in typical layers to make
canoes and fancy articles. Birch is
also used for fuel and distillation. Wild Black Cherry, Prunus
serotina, is the only one of several species in the same genus where the
wood has commercial value. The tree
occurs in the deciduous forests from Ontario to Florida and from the Dakotas
to Texas. It is particularly abundant
in the southern Appalachians. The
wood has a fine, straight and close grain, and it is hard. The color varies from light to dark red
depending on age, and it is often stained before use. The beautiful grain and color and the ease
with which it can be worked make this cherry especially desirable for
furniture, interior finishes and cabinetwork. The supply had become greatly reduced by the end of the 20th
Century. Other uses have been the stands
for scientific instruments, printer’s supplies, and turnery. Medicinal properties are in the bark, and
the ripe fruits are at times used to flavor liqueurs. The American Chestnut,
Castanea dentata, was one of the most important timber trees of the
eastern United States. However, the
accidental importation of chestnut blight disease from Europe practically
eradicated the tree. Before the
disease epidemic American Chestnut was very abundant and conspicuous because
of its large size in the deciduous forests from Maine to Tennessee. It was especially plentiful in the
southern Applachians. The wood was
brown, soft and open grained and very durable and easy to work. It was used for millwork, caskets,
furniture, musical instruments, woodenware, boxes, veneers and plywood
cores. Its high durability made it
excellent for poles, posts, piling, ties, fence rails, shingles and
cooperage. It was also a source of
pulpwood and a tanning material. The
nuts were superior in quality to the European Chestnut. The tree continues to survive from suckers
that arise from the roots, but they never reach a reproductive age. Several elm species, especially the Rock
Elm, Ulmus thomasi, and the ornamental White
Elm, Ulmus americana, yielded valuable wood with a beautiful
grain. The wood of the Rock Elm is
strong, tough, hard, elastic, heavy, pliable and durable. It was the most important source of hubs,
spokes, fellies and wheel rims. It was
also used for agricultural implements and tool handles, butcher blocks,
veneers and cooperage and in the manufacture of furniture, musical
instruments, woodenware and baskets.
The White Elm has a softer, lighter and weaker wood that was
nevertheless tough and fibrous and had been used for the same purposes. Dutch Elm Disease had by the end of the 20th
Century eliminated over 98 percent of the White Elms. The tree survives only in small, mostly
far northern pockets where there is some protection from the vectors of both
a virus and the bacterium. Hickory trees are found in the eastern deciduous forest
from Ontario to Minnesota, Florida and Mexico. The wood of all species is used to some extent, but the most important
sources are the Shagbark Hickory, Carya
ovata, the Mockernut, Carya tomentosa,
and the Pignut, Carya glabra. The wood is one of the toughest, hardest,
heaviest and strongest and it is used where both strength and the ability to
withstand shocks are required. It is
a coarse straight-grained wood. The
sapwood is preferred to the heartwood.
Hickory has been used for spokes, fellics, axles and other parts of
wagons, and also for ax, pick and hammer handles, baseball bats, agricultural
implements, shafts of golf clubs, pump rods and cooperage. It is the standard for fuel wood and for
smoking meat. Black Locust, Robinia
pseudoacacia, is another tree of the eastern deciduous forest of North
America. The wood is very heavy,
strong, hard, durable and elastic. It
has a coarse, open, crooked, compact grain and a smooth, satiny surface. It has been used mainly for insulator pins
and brackets. It was also commonly
used for tree nails, boat ribs, fence posts, ties, sills, wagon hubs and mine
timbers. The wood is of more
importance in Europe where it has been used for furniture and shipbuilding. Honey Locust, Gleditsia
triacanthos, has similar properties and uses. The leaflets are much smaller than the Black Locust and the
flowers are aromatic. This species
has long thick seedpods. Maples constitute some of the most important woods in
North America. The principal source
of the commercial wood known as Hard Maple is
the Rock Maple or Sugar
Maple, Acer saccharum.
This tree is a conspicuous species of the eastern deciduous and
northeastern transition forests. It
ranges from southeastern Canada to Georgia.
Two other easier species, the Silver Maple,
Acer saccharinum, and the Red Maple, Acer
rubrum, and the Oregon Maple, Acer
macrophyllum, and the Oregon Maple, Acer macrophyllum that occurs
in Washington and Oregon, furnish soft maple wood that is of lesser
importance. Hard maple wood is tough, heavy, compact, strong and
very hard. It is light brown in color
with dense even grains and a fine texture.
It may be finely polished and is often beautifully grained and
figured, as in the case of bird’s eye maple and curly maple. These latter traits make it one of the
best woods for furniture, veneers, flooring, interior finish and bowling
alleys. It is also used for violins
and other musical instruments, shoe lasts, rulers, tool handles, inlays,
panels, keels of vessels, pianos, bowls, cooperage, charcoal, fuel and wood
distillation products. The sap of the
hard maples yields maple syrup and maple sugar. Oak has been regarded as the most important of all
hardwoods. The timber has great
commercial value, but the tree is also the largest and finest of the hardwood
forests. The wood is tough, hard,
resilient, durable and elastic. Its
strength and ability to resist heavy strains make it invaluable in
shipbuilding and other types of heavy construction. It also polishes easily and is unmatched for decorative
work. There are more than 50 species
of oaks in North America, about twenty of which are of commercial importance
These belong either to the white ok or to the red oak group. Because distinguishing between the woods
of the different species, they are regarded as either white or red oak. Lumber of white oaks is harder, stronger and more
durable than of red oaks. It is used
for used for building timbers, piling, railroad ties, machinery parts,
agricultural implements, furniture, flooring, cabinetwork, interior finish an
cooperage. It is interesting to note
that oak barrels are the most satisfactory containers for wine, beer and
alcoholic spirits. The most important
species in this group include the White Oak, Quercus
alba, the Bur Oak, Quercus macrocarpa,
the Post Oak, Quercus stellata, the Chestnut Oak, Quercus montana, the Swamp Chestnut Oak, Quercus prinus,
the Oregon Oak, Quercus garryana, and the
Swamp White Oak, Quercus bicolor. Lumber of the red oaks is softer, more open grained,
more porous and less durable than that of the white oaks. The main species include the Red Oak, Quercus borealis, the Black Oak, Quercus velutina, the Scarlet Oak, Quercus coccinea, the Pin Oak, Quercus palustris, the Turkey Oak, Quercus laevis, the Willow Oak, Quercus phellos, the Texas Red Oak, Quercus texana, and the Shingle Oak, Quercus imbricaria. There are several species of live oaks in
North America, but the most important is Quercus virginiana, which as
the hardest, strongest and toughest wood of all the oaks. It has been used in the construction of
ships, wagons and farm tools. There
have never been great quantities of this species available. Osage orange, Maclura pomifera, is a small tree
native to the Gulf States but which has been cultivated in other areas. The wood is the heaviest, toughest,
hardest and most durable of all the North American hardwoods. Only a small amount has ever been
available, which was used mainly for fellies, tree nails, insulator pins,
posts, stakes and woodenware. The
Amerindians used this wood for their bows, and it is the source of a
dyestuff. True poplars in North America are referred to under
several different names. The most
important is the Cottonwood, Populus
deltoids, which is found in the Central and Eastern portions of the
continent. It has a soft, light,
even-grained fibrous wood that is easy to work with. Its main uses are as a substitute for
basswood in the manufacture of boxes and excelsior and as a pulpwood. It has also been used for woodenware,
millwork and plywood. The Balsam Poplar, Populus balsamifera,
several other large poplars, and the much smaller Aspens,
Populus tremuloides and Populus grandidentata, have similar
uses. Aspen wood is also used in the
manufacture of furniture, matches and in cooperage and pulp for making book
paper. Red or Sweet Gum, Liquidambar
styraciflua, has become of greater importance as a commercial wood by the
middle of the 20th Century.
This tree ranges from Connecticut to the mountains of Central America,
attaining its finest development in the Southeastern United States. The wood is soft and light, but resilient
and tough. It is reddish brown in
color, with a fine, straight, close grain.
It retains a good polish. It
is often stained to imitate cherry, mahogany or walnut. It has been extensively used for veneers,
furniture, cabinetwork, interior finish, fancy boxes and cooperage. The wood is known in Great Britain under
the name of Satin Walnut, and the tree is the
source of Storax, a medicinal product. The tree has a beautiful conical shape and
has been planted widely as an ornamental.
The foliage changes to a myriad of colors in autumn that rivals the
hard maples. At latitudes of 31-38
deg. North in the southeastern United States the autumn display occurs from
October through December and is as startling as that witnessed in the
Northeastern portions of the continent (see Photos). Platanus occidentalis is a familiar tree
throughout the eastern deciduous forest of North America and it has a characteristic
bark that peels off in large patches.
It is the largest hardwood tree, the wood being tough, strong, hard
and very durable. It is light reddish
brown with a close uneven grain. A
mottled figure with lustrous rays is created when quarter sawed. This is often sold as lacewood. Sycamore has been extensively used for
tobacco boxes and other containers because it is odorless. It has also been used for millwork,
furniture, interior decoration, butcher blocks, yokes, boxes, crates,
woodenware, cooperage, brushes and plywood. Liriodendron tulipifera is one of the largest
trees of the eastern deciduous forest of North America, reaching a height of
125-250 ft. and a diameter of 6-14 ft.
The wood is known commercially as Yellow Poplar
or Whitewood. It is light, soft, and easily worked, with a fine straight
grain. It is also stiff and durable
although not very strong. It has been
used for making boxes, furniture, carriage bodies, musical instruments,
woodenware, toys, and boats, light construction and veneers. There are two species that are known commercially as
tupelo, the Black Gum, Nyssa sylvatica,
and Sour Gum, Nyssa aquatica. Black gum is distributed from Michigan to
Maine and south to Florida and Texas, while the Sour Gum is restricted to the
swamps of the southeastern United States.
The wood is pale yellow with a dense, fine, twisted and interwoven
grain. It is soft, tough, light,
stiff and resistant to wear. Tupelo
has also been used for flooring, tobacco boxes, wheel hubs, woodenware,
veneers, railroad ties, handles, pulp, rollers, yokes and piling. The honey manufactured by bees from the
blossoms is of the very highest quality. Black Walnut, Juglans
nigra, has been one of the most valuable of North American woods. The tree is large and occurs in the
deciduous forest region from Minnesota and Massachusetts to Texas and
Florida. It is a moderately hard
wood, tough and strong and easily worked.
It is very durable. The color
varies from rich dark brown to purple black.
It has a fine even grain and a good figure and is able to take a high
polish. Black walnut has been
exploited to the point of becoming scarce.
It brings a high price, often being sold by the pound. It was being cultivated on farms by the
end of the 20th Century.
From the 17th Century onward it has been a principal wood
for the manufacture of gunstocks.
Other uses included furniture, millwork, cabinetwork, musical
instruments, airplane propellers, sewing machines and veneers. In pioneer days it was used locally for
barns, fences and light construction.
The nut that is produced is very flavorful. Butternut, Juglans cinerea, extends from
New Brunswick to Minnesota and south to Arkansas and Georgia. The wood is similar to Black Walnut in
nature and uses. However, the wood
lacks the color and is not as strong.
It is used primarily for boxes, furniture, crates, millwork, excelsior
and woodenware. Sugar is sometimes
obtained from the sap of the butternut and a dye is made from the green husks
that contain the fruit. Pyrus malus wood is usually obtained from old
orchards. It is very strong, hard and
compact with a uniform close grain.
Uses have included the manufacture of tool handles, knobs, pipes,
mallet heads, canes, rulers and turnery. Alnus rubra is the largest of the alders, and is
of some commercial importance in Oregon and Washington west of the Cascade
Mountains. The wood has a fine even
grain, uniform texture and a reddish brown color. It works and polishes well and gives a good imitation of Black
Walnut and Mahogany. Uses include the
manufacture of furniture, millwork, handles and novelties. Carpinus caroliniana is a small tree of Eastern
North America. The wood is heavy,
strong and very stiff. No other wood
exceeds its suitability for making levers.
It is also used for charcoal and tool handles. Aesculus octandra is a tree of the Middle
Western United States that has a soft, light, easily worked wood. Uses have included the manufacture of boxes,
excelsior, millwork, piano keys, furniture, trunks and artificial limbs. Magnolia acuminata is the largest and most
numerous of all the magnolias. It
ranges in the southern portion of the North American deciduous forest. Its soft, light, durable wood is used for
millwork, boxes, woodenware, excelsior and inexpensive furniture. In the trade it often is sold as yellow
poplar. Cornus florida is a small tree that occurs
throughout eastern North America but reaches its optimum development in the
southeastern United States. The wood
is very hard and heavy, with a fine, lustrous, close grain. It is used mainly for shuttles for cotton
mills and is very resistant to wear.
Other uses include wedges, bobbins, mauls, golf-club heads, engraver’s
blocks and cogs. Only the sapwood has
value. Catalpa speciosa is a small tree native to the
lower Ohio Valley. It has been
extensively planted in the Middle West.
The wood is very durable and is much used for railroad ties and fence
posts. The tree is often planted as
an ornamental, and has showy, aromatic blossoms in springtime. Gymnocladus dioica is a tree of the eastern
deciduous forest that has a strong and durable wood. It is used for the manufacture of
furniture, interior finish, bridges, sills, posts railroad ties and fuel. Celtis occidentalis is tree of eastern North
America. The wood is tough, strong,
heavy and moderately hard, and is used mainly in millwork and for boxes,
woodenware, furniture and cooperage. Ilex opacas is a prominent tree of the Southern
coastal area and lower Mississippi and Ohio Valleys of the United States. It is perhaps best known for its leaves
and fruit that are associated with the Christmas Season. The tough, close-grained, whitish wood is
used for inlays, brushes, fancy articles, and woodenware and is often stained
to imitate ebony. Ostrya virginiana occurs in Eastern North
America and is one of the hardest, toughest and strongest woods known, but it
is available only in small quantity.
It has been used for carriage parts, levers, handles and fence posts. Diospyros virginiana is a tree of the
southeastern United States. The
sapwood is very heavy, tough, hard, strong, elastic and resistant to
wear. It has been used mainly for
shuttles, boot and shoe findings, golf club heads and other sporting
materials and in turnery. The fruit,
which ripens in early autumn after a frost, is sweet and delicious. Sassafras albidum is a small tree of the
southeastern and Gulf portions of the United States. The wood is fragrant, durable, soft and
light. It has been used for
furniture, millwork, cooperage, fence rails and posts and boxes. A root beer is prepared from the roots. Salix nigra is the only species of the numerous
willows that has attained commercial importance. It is especially abundant in the flood plains of the
Mississippi and Ohio Valleys. The
smooth wood is soft, light, tough and somewhat strong. It has been used for boxes and crates,
plywood cores, excelsior, bats, boats, water wheels and charcoal. The long, slender, pliable young shoots
have been used to make wicker baskets and furniture. Forests in South America have been decimated by indiscriminate
logging and farming expansion, so that by the end of the 20th
Century less than 440 percent of the land area still contained forest. The trees are mostly tropical hardwoods
(85 percent) with some temperate hardwoods (5 percent) and conifers (6
percent). There are two major kinds
of tropical hardwoods. The most
abundant are in the dense humid rain forest that occurs in the Guianas and
the Amazon and Orinoco River basins and along the eastern coast of
Brazil. This forest is noted for the
great number of species and for the size and frequency of the individual
trees. There were once over 2,500
different tree species in the Amazon forest alone. This forest, which is the most extensive body of solid forest
in the world, has scant vegetation on the forest floor due to the density of
the canopy. Epiphytes and lianas are
abundant and characteristic. In drier
parts of Argentina and Brazil there is an open deciduous type of tropical
forest. Mixed forests of conifers and
temperate hardwoods occur along the northern Andes and again in the southern
Cordilleras. Conifer forests are
mainly of the Paraná Pine, Araucaria
angustifolia. These cover large
areas in southern Brazil and Argentina, while similar areas, with Araucaria
araucana the dominant species, occur in Central Chile. In Argentina and Paraguay there are
extensive areas of open forests composed mainly of Quebracho,
Schinopsis lorentzii and Schinopsis balansae, important sources
of tanwood. IMPORTANT NEOTROPICAL
AMERICAN WOODS Tropical forests
in Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and South America have been
harvested for centuries for some of the most high-grade cabinet and furniture
woods of commerce. However, these
forests have been little exploited as a source of ordinary lumber. The number of valuable species is
vast. Brazil alone may have more than
3,000 woody species, including 50 of the most valuable cabinet woods. Some of the more important species are
discussed. Ochroma pyramidale is a soft and pithy wood that
weighs only 10 lbs per cubic foot.
The tree is found in the tropical forests from southern Mexico to
northern Peru. Ecuador has furnished
most of the world’s supply. Balsa is
obtained mainly from wild tree, although some plantations have been
established. This species grows
faster than any other rain forest tree except the Papaya, and reaches a
height of 12 ft. in one year. It may
be harvested when only two years of age, but usually trees 6-9 years old are
selected.
The presence of air in the
cell cavities gives this wood its light weight and buoyancy. It has been used for life preservers,
buoys, swimming belts, floats, rafts, pontoons, sea sleds, surfboards, toys
and motion picture sets and in airplane construction. The wood also possesses good insulating
properties and has been used to line refrigerators, vehicle bodies and the
olds of ships. It possesses sound
deadening properties and has been used to line ceilings and partitions under
heavy machinery to reduce vibrations.
The hairs from seeds have been used as stuffing material. Gossypiospermum
praecox has been used as a substitute for European boxwood in the
manufacture of engraver’s blocks, rulers and other scientific instruments,
shuttles, spools, musical instruments, inlays, bobbins and veneers. The supply originates mainly in Venezuela. Spanish or Cigar Box Cedar,
Cedrela odorata, ranges throughout tropical America, both as a native
and introduced species. It is an
important timber tree for local use in tropical America. The wood is reddish brown and aromatic
with a straight coarse grain. It has
been used for cigar boxes and it is an insect repellent. Other uses include linings for closets, chests,
and shingles and as a substitute for mahogany. Brya elbenus is also called American Ebony or Granadillo. The wood is used for knife handles,
musical instruments (flutes and clarinets), turnery, inlays and
cabinetwork. It is a very hard and
durable wood and it polishes well.
The supply is mainly from the West Indies. Dalbergia retusa is a tree that occurs from
Mexico to Panama. It is one of the
showiest and most strikingly colored of the exotic woods. The heartwood is orange-to-orange
red in color, streaked with jet black.
It is very hard, tough and strong, and has been used for instruments,
knife and umbrella handles, steering wheels, inlays, lacquer and turnery. Carapa guianensis attains its best form in the
Guianas, although it occurs also in other parts of South America and the West
Indies. This very strong and hard,
brown wood is used as a substitute for mahogany. Ocotea rodioei is native to Guyana. The greenish-brown wood is used for
structural timbers as it is one of the strongest and is hard, heavy, tough,
resistant to decay and insect injury and elastic. It has been widely used in Europe for bridges, piles, wharves,
paving blocks and shipbuilding. It is
also used for shafts, spokes and fishing rods. Two trees of the West Indies constitute the lancewood
of commerce: Lancewood, Oxandra
lanceolata and Degame or Lemonwood,
Calycophyllum candidissimum.
These give a yellowish wood with a fine close grain and which is very
tough, strong and elastic. They are
used for fish poles, spars, shafts, whips, ramrods, bows, cues, lances and
turnery. Piratinera guianensis of Guyana yields a very
heavy ornamental wood. The color is
brown with peculiar black markings.
It has a close, fine and lustrous grain. It has been used for canes, umbrellas, violin bows, drumsticks,
veneers and inlays. Two species, Guaniacum officinale and G.
sanctum supply this important wood.
The trees occur in southern Mexico, Central America and the West
Indies. This is one of the hardest of
commercial woods, and it is naturally tough, strong and resistant. The color is dark brown, streaked with
black, with a very fine, intricately woven grain. It also contains a resin that acts as a natural lubricant and
preservative. It has been used for
bearings or bushing blocks for steamship propeller shafts. It is also used to manufacture bowling balls,
pulley blocks and conveyors, instruments and furniture. It was once believed that Lignum Vitae
possessed remedial powers for many human diseases, and that is how it got its
name “lignum vitae” or “wood of life.”
A gum resin, Guaiacum, is used in medicine
and occurs in the form of tears excreted from the living tree. Hymenaea courbaril is a very important timber
tree in tropical America. The wood is
hard and tough, and it is used for general carpentry, furniture shipbuilding
and cabinetwork. This species
supplies South American Copal. Several species of mahogany make up the most important
export wood in tropical America, and they are the source of the world’s most
valuable timber and premier cabinet wood.
These are Swietenia mahogany, the West
Indian Mahogany or Spanish Mahogany was
used for woodwork by 1514 A.D. This
species that ranges from the Florida Keys to the West Indies, was the first
to be harvested commercially and the first to be exploited. It has been introduced into Central
America and other tropical countries.
Another species, Swietensia macrophylla, occurs from Yucatan to
northeastern Colombia and Venezuela and along most of the southern effluents
of the Amazon in Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia.
Although there are a few other species, for practical purposes all the
native mahogany cut in North and South America probably belongs to this
species. The cathedral of Santo Domingo that was built in 1550
contains some magnificent mahogany carvings that are still in top
condition. The early Spanish
explorers utilized the timber for shipbuilding, and it was also used for
building construction in England by 1680.
From the beginning of the 18th Century it began to be used
as furniture wood. During the years
1750 to 1825 great craftsmen of
furniture, Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite and Sheraton, used mahogany. Mahoganys are ornamental evergreen trees that reach a
height of 40-50 ft. with large buttresses at the base. The trees occur scattered through rich
moist forests about one to the acre.
The wood is reddish brown with a crooked grain. It is very heavy, strong, hard enough to
resist indentations, but easy to work with and it polishes and glues
well. It has been used for furniture,
fixtures, musical instruments, millwork, cars, ships and boats, caskets,
airplanes, foundry patterns, veneers and plywood. There are many substitutes and imitations, but the supply of
true mahogany is still abundant, especially as plantations production is
proving successful. Also known as Blue Mahoe, Hibiscus
elatus of the West Indies is a hard and slightly aromatic wood with a
lustrous, richly variegated, open grain.
It has been used for cabinetwork, carriages, gunstocks, fishing rods
and ship’s knees. It is the source of
Cuba Bast. Mora excelsa of Guyana, Venezuela and Trinidad
yields a brown wood that is very hard, tough and even more durable than
teak. It has been used primarily in Europe
for shipbuilding, platforms, railroad ties and all types of heavy
construction. Sometimes called White
Mahogany, Cybistax donnell-smithii occurs in southern Mexico, northern Honduras, El Salvador and
Guatemala. The cream colored wood is
used for furniture and fixtures, millwork, ships. Boats, cars and
veneers. The tree is also very
ornamental with many yellow flowers that appear before the leaves. Peltogyne paniculata occurs in Brazil, the
Guyanas and Trinidad. The brown wood
is very hard, tough, strong and durable.
It gradually turns purple on exposure to the air. It has been used for heavy construction,
furniture, billiard tables, cues, fishing rods, inlays and turnery. Brazilian Rosewood,
Dalbergia nigra, is the best known of several different species. The dark purple, almost black, wood is
often striped and has a coarse, dense, even grain. This is one of the finest cabinet woods and also finds use for scientific
instruments, furniture, cars, pianos, sporting and athletic goods, brushes
and handles. West Indian Satinwood, Zanthoxylum flavum, has
been used to make furniture for a long time.
It was especially valued in Great Britain by such builders as
Sheraton, Adam and Hepplewhite. The
creamy or golden yellow wood is smooth and lustrous and slightly oily. It has a very close, dense and even
grain. Other uses have included
millwork, musical instruments, caskets, brushes, inlays, cabinetwork and
veneers. The forests in Europe have occupied about 30 percent of
the land area for quite some time as they are rigidly managed. About 70 percent of the forests are
coniferous, 24 percent are temperate hardwoods and less than 2 percent are
mixed forests. The coniferous
woodlands are especially numerous in the northern portion of the continent,
while the hardwood and mixed forests are found in Southern and Western
Europe. The original forest cover of Europe
has been greatly depleted from long utilization and the necessity of clearing
land for agriculture and industry. In
the British Isles only about 5 percent of the original forest was left by the
end of the 20th Century.
In France, Spain, Belgium, Italy and Greece about 10-20 percent was
left. Over half the forests in Sweden
and Finland are original, and together with Russia, are the most heavily
forested regions in Europe. There are many genera of American origin found in
European forests. The principal
conifers are the Scotch Pine, Pinus
sylvestris and Norway Spruce, Picea
abies. These furnish the woods
referred to as Yellow Deal and White Deal, respectively. Other conifers include the Cluster Pine,
Pinus pinaster, the Stone Pine, Pinus
pinea, the Silver Fir, Abies alba, Larch,
Larix deciduas, and Yew, Taxus baccata. American white pine and Douglas fir are
also extensively planted. Oak trees represent the most important hardwoods in
Europe. The principal species are Quercus
cerris, Quercus robur and Quercus petraea. Other hardwoods include the Black Alder, Alnus glutinosa, European Ash, Fraxinus excelsior, European Beech, Fagus sylvatica, European Birches, Betula pendula and Betula
pubescens, European Cherry, Prunus
cerasus, European Chestnut, Castanea
sativa, European Elm, Ulmus procera,
Hazel, Corylus avellana, European Holly, Ilex aquifolium, European Hornbeam, Carpinus
betulus, European Lime, Tilia cordata,
European Maple, Acer pseudoplatanus, European Plane, Platanus orientalis,
Rowan, Sorbus aucuparia, Blackthorn
or Sloe, Prunus spinosa, and European Willow, Salix alba. The main European trees that have been imported into
North America include the Boxwood, Walnut, Briar and Olive. Turkish Boxwood, Buxus
sempervirens, of Southern Europe, Asia Minor and Northern Africa, has
practically disappeared due to over exploitation. The wood of this tree is very hard, with a fine, dense, uniform
grain and a smooth, lustrous texture.
It was sued for blocks, engraving, rulers and other instruments,
shuttles, bobbins, firearms, whips, canes, inlays, umbrellas and turnery. English Walnut, Juglans
regia, also called Circassian Walnut,
occurs naturally from the Black Sea region across Asia Minor and Persia to
northern India. The wood is hard and
beautifully figured and it takes a high polish. Wood obtained from the burls is particularly valuable. It has been used for fixtures and
furniture, millwork, musical instruments, firearms, cabinetwork, turnery and
veneers. European Olive, Olea
europaea, has wood that is suitable for brushes, canes and turnery, and
of course the fruit is invaluable for its oil. Briar Root, Erica arborea,
has been traditionally used for tobacco pipes. By the end of the 20th Century forests
covered less than 19 percent of the land area in Asia. These forests are most abundant in the northern
and eastern parts of the continent and they are very sparse in the
southwest. Much of the original
forest area has been exploited to complete destruction. This is particularly evident in China,
where centuries of cultivation have not only destroyed the forests, but much
of the arable land as well because of over cultivation and subsequent
erosion. Conifers make up about 40 percent of the forest
area. These are characteristic of
most of Siberia and also occur in the Himalayas and the mountains of Asia
Minor, Japan and China. European
species are found in the western part of the continent, giving way to more
distinctive Asiatic species of the same genera in the east. Pine, Spruce, Fir, Juniper, Cedar, Larch
and Yew are the principal groups. Temperate hardwoods make up about 26 percent of the
forests. These and mixed forests are
found in the southern portions of Russia, Afghanistan, Iran, Asia Minor, China
and Japan. European species are found
in the western part of the continent, giving way to more distinctive Asiatic
species of the same genera in the east.
Maple, Ash, Basswood, Poplar, Alder, Birch, Walnut, and Oak are the
principal groups. Tropical hardwoods
make up about 30 percent of the total forest area and are found south of the
Himalayas. In many areas they
comprise all of the woody species.
This is particularly true in Sri Lanka, Thailand, the East Indies and
Malaya. As in other tropical forests
the number of species is very large.
India is estimated to have about 2,000 and Japan 1,000 different
species. Many of the Asiatic forests
are dominated by teak, while others are composed mainly of members of the
Dipterocarpaceae and Leguminosae. The
former family comprises over 75 percent of the tree species in the
Philippines. A large number of these
Asiatic woods enter into world commerce, the most important of which include
Ebony, Padouk, Satinwood and Teak.. There are several species of tree that furnish a wood
known as ebony, the most important of which is the Macassar
Ebony, Diospyros ebenum, found from India to the East
Indies. The wood is black with brown
stripes. It is very hard and heavy
and has a fine grain. It takes a high
polish and has been used since ancient times as a cabinet wood. Other uses include canes, whips,
umbrellas, piano keys, sporting and athletic goods, inlays, handles, turnery
and veneers. Also called Burmese Rosewood,
Pterocarpus indicus is a very ornamental tree. The lustrous wood is red in color with black stripes. It is hard and durable and polishes well. Padouk has been used for furniture, fine
cabinetwork, car construction, millwork, veneers and turnery. The tree has been introduced into
Honduras. East Indian Satinwood,
Chloroxylon swietenia, has a hard yellowish or dark brown heartwood
that is sometimes mottled. It has a
satin like luster and a fine, dense, even grain. Satinwood is used for cabinetwork,
furniture, brushes and veneers. Tectona grandis is native to Southeastern Asia
and Malaya. It is one of the most
durable of woods and is a very important timber of the tropics. The wood is hard and it does not warp,
split, or crack. Thus it is valuable
for general construction. It is also
very resistant to termites and decay.
The color is yellowish brown and greasy to the touch. It has been widely used in ship and boat
building, and for cabinetwork, furniture, millwork, piles, railway cars,
greenhouses and flooring. The tree
has been introduced into the West Indies and Panama where it has shown
phenomenal growth. One tree attained
a height of 64 ft. and a diameter of 18 in. in less than 16 years. Other important trees of tropical Asia that supply
valuable wood include the Acle or Pyinkado, Xylia xylocarpa, Deodar, Cedrus deodara, Sal,
Shorea robusta, and Sissoo, Dalbergia
sissoo. These have all been used
for general construction Additional
species used for cabinet manufacture include Moulmein
Cedar, Cedrela toona, Laurelwood,
Calophyllum inophyllum, Rosewood, Dalbergia latifolia
and Asian Sandalwood, Santalum album. The African Continent consists of primarily
of deserts or semi-deserts, so that forests cover only about 10 percent of
the area. These begin south of the
Sahara Desert. Tropical hardwoods are
in the majority with over 95 percent of the forests. Temperate hardwoods account for less than 4
percent and conifers less than one percent, the latter being restricted to
lands along the Mediterranean and the higher mountains in Central, Eastern
and Southern Africa. Two main types of tropical forests occur. First, the extensive dense rain forest
that covers much of equatorial Africa, especially the West African coast and
the Congo Basin. This region has a
rainfall of 60-160 in., which is uniformly distributed throughout the year. Salient characteristics of this forest are
the mangrove swamps along the coast.
An open park like forest exists in regions where rainfall is only
30-40 in. Large areas of this type of
forest occur in the northeastern and southern parts of Africa, especially in
Angola and Zimbabwe. There are many
important kinds of woods that resemble those of tropical America and Asia,
but they have not been as extensively exploited. African Mahogany, Khaya
senegalensis, a West Coast species, is exported in some quantity. This substitute for true mahogany has a
wood that is beautifully figured and colored. The coastlands from Senegal in the west down through Mozambique
in the east contain scattered stands of palm thickets prominent among which
is the Senegal Date, Phoenix reclinata. An era of forest exploitation began in the equatorial
rainforest at the end of the 20th Century, which is threatening
the existence of many native species.
Efforts to curb this devastation are met with resistance from the
local populations that are facing continuous political unrest. In Australia only about 6 percent
of the land area is covered in forests.
In New Zealand about 26 percent is forested and in Oceania 70 percent. The most extensively forested regions are
New Guinea with 80 percent, Samoa with 70 percent and Tasmania with 64
percent. Conifers comprise about 4
percent of the Australian forests and 11 percent are temperate hardwoods with
the rest being tropical hardwoods.
Conifers are found in New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania and
temperate hardwoods only in Tasmania.
Tropical hardwoods occur in all the states except Tasmania. These forests are dense and resemble the
size and density of those along the Pacific Coast in North America. However, the species differ from those
found in other parts of the world.
Most trees are either eucalyptus or acacias. Over 70 commercial species of Eucalyptus exist, the most
important of which are the Karri, Eucalyptus
diversicolor, and Jarrah, Eucalyptus
marginata of Western Australia.
Karri may reach a height of 300 ft. with a clear length of 180
ft. Other valuable trees are the Blackwood, Acacia melanoxylon, and Silk
Oak, Grevillea robusta.
The predominant coniferous species is Hoop Pine,
Araucaria cunninghamii. About 68 percent of the forests in
New Zealand are coniferous and the rest hardwoods. The main species is the Kauri Pine,
Agathis australis, one of the largest timber trees in the world. The wood is strong and durable and
generally free from knots. It has
been exported in large quantities. An
important resin is also extracted from the kauri. Other valuable species include the New
Zealand White Pine, Podocarpus dacrydioides, Totara,
Podocarpus totara, New Zealand Red Pine,
Dacrydium cupressinum and several species of beech. Forests in Oceania are composed entirely of tropical
hardwoods, with few being of importance for export. On the small island of Norfolk off the east coast of Australia,
the Norfolk Pine, Araucaria heterophylla (excelsa), was being
harvested in considerable quantity in the 20th Century for timber. Its rapid growth enabled a viable industry
on the island, only five miles in diameter. |