Carbon implications of wood harvesting and forest management

Carbon is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and is recycled through the ecosystem in two primary processes: one in which carbon is exchanged among living organisms, and one in which carbon is cycled over long periods of time through fossilized organic remains, weathering of rocks, and volcanic activity. Human activities, including increased agricultural practices and the burning of fossil fuels, has greatly affected the balance of the natural carbon cycle.

Wood, derived from trees, is a versatile and widely used construction material. Trees feature a trunk surrounded by a protective layer of dead bark. Beneath this outer layer lies the living bark, followed by the cambium, and then the sapwood which transitions into heartwood as it matures. At the center of the trunk is the pith. The age of a tree can be discerned by examining its growth rings, which are concentric bands visible in the trunk's cross-section.
The structural integrity of the...

There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...

Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.

Softwoods and hardwoods, derived from different types of trees, are distinguished by their leaf structures and cellular compositions, each serving unique purposes in construction and manufacturing. Softwoods come from cone-bearing trees with needle-like leaves and are predominantly composed of longitudinal cells called tracheids and a smaller proportion of radial cells known as rays. Due to their cellular structure, softwoods are commonly used in construction for structural frames, sheathing,...

Wood products encompass a broad range of materials crafted from wood strands, veneers, lumber, and even waste wood-like shreds, designed for both structural and nonstructural purposes. Various specialized wood products have been developed to enhance strength, durability, and versatility in building applications.
Glue-laminated wood, often referred to as glulam, combines multiple smaller pieces of dimensional lumber using adhesives to form a single, larger piece. Cross-laminated timber consists...