The wood is actually a very sustainable resource and a durable building material when it is used consciously. It is very spectacular that, trees grow better as the density of carbon dioxide increases in the air since carbon is a very important element in the biological production process of cellulose.

The forest of Eberswalde is located in the northeast of Berlin and it consist of a rich fauna, several species of trees including spruce, sugar pine, larch, fir, juniper and elm alongside a very diverse funga. Douglas fir introduced to this forest from North America in the last century yet it grows pretty good as it can be observed below.

Hardwood & Softwood

The wood can be roughly classified as Softwood and Hardwood. The main difference between is softwoods such as spruce and Douglas fir, have emerged earlier in the evolutionary process and have a fairly simple inner structure yet hardwoods such as beech, oak and teak have more complicated biological structure of carrying water and nutrients and they are younger.

Microstructure of Wood

Micro structure of softwoods includes tracheids which are basically canals, responsible of water transport, mechanical properties and sometimes resin production. These canals are not alive. They have also pits which connects the cells together. Pits ensure the transfer of water and nutrients between the cells and also provide a defense mechanism against intruders such as fungi. Yet, hardwoods are more durable and strong against microbial attacks due to their specialized structures. They also have thick tracheids gives the tree its mechanical structure and vessels for water transport. Some hardwoods like beech have alive ray cells for nutrient transportation.

Cellulose is the main product that has been used widely by the wood industry because of its structural properties yet, it is not the only matter that is produced by the trees. Cells also contain hemicellulose which is the building block of the cellulose consist of some sugar monomers and works like a mediator in the biological process of synthesizing cellulose. Trees also produce lignin which is a type of fenol functions as a glue and again, as a defense mechanism against microorganisms.

Wood as a Resource

Wood industry is affected by several challenges such as availability of the resources, time span of the growth of a tree, lack of new processing technologies and reusage or repurposing of the wood and waste material. Beyond all of this factors, wood differs between tree species, within the same species, and even within different parts of the tree which makes it quite challenging to use as a raw material. It is simply, not constant. It is organic, and it differs. Therefore we may need organic techniques to handle this material worthy. Wood is an abundant source, a strong mechanical element that can be used in architecture, biodegradable and carbon negative, yet it takes time, effort and awareness to sustain.