Active forest management can take on a vast variety of forms. Timber harvesting is the backbone of management. Selling the harvested timber generates money to pay for the desired work to be done. I am going to discuss a couple forest management styles commonly used in the hardwood forest of Virginia. Overstory Removal This process […]
Hardwoods are the go-to material for home furnishings. They are strong and durable, aesthetically pleasing and versatile, and environmentally friendly. The strength to weight ratio of wood-based products is unmatched by other building materials. This is why homes are built with lumber. The same is true for the interior finishing of homes. Hardwood flooring is […]
Truck scales are vitally important in the forest and wood products industry. Not only does it allow us to verify our outbound truck weights for safety and legal reasons. Which saves us and our drives money in fines! It allows us to purchase pulpwood and other forest products by weight. Pulpwood is small trees and […]
One of the less cryptically named defects in the wood products industry is caused by birds pecking into the cambium of a tree. Trees grow over these small wounds and a defect is formed. This can occur in any species of tree but can be more prominent in some. The most common culprit is the […]
The simple answer is any wood fiber used to make pulp, which is used to make paper, cardboard, and other fiber-based paper products. Wood in the form of small logs or “sticks” are debarked, chipped, cooked in hot water, and formed into paper products. These products vary greatly in appearance and from; textbook paper, brown […]
S irons, tie savers, log savers, truss plates etc. All of these are tools used to keep logs from splitting or degrading. There are hundreds of styles, types and materials on the market. No matter the brand or material, they are all basically the same. A piece of metal or plastic is driven into the […]
Timber mats, construction mats, railroad ties, shipping pallet, bridge timbers are just a few industrial products that utilize hardwood logs. The durability, density and physical characteristics of hardwoods make them the superior choice for these products. Red oak for example, this species is known for its beautiful grain and is a great choice for furniture […]
Virginia’s forests are 80% hardwood forest types, and the vast majority of these forests are privately owned. One of the largest hurtles in convincing landowners to practice forest management on their property is cost. These costs can be funded through timber harvesting, but this can lead to high grading. Where the best trees are cut, […]
Forest Management is flexible to your personal interest and goals. Not all forests can be managed in the same way. Location, soil types, water availability, etc. will affect the species composition. For example, areas with dry rocky outcrops will not be suited for high quality timber production. There usually isn’t enough water or soil nutrients […]
All plants that use photosynthesis to generate sugars for growth take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. This pulls carbon from the atmosphere and the tree stores it as wood in the trunk and roots, reducing carbon levels. Trees can store this carbon for decades and it can be stored longer in quality solid wood […]
