wood: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Oct. 27, 2026

News •

Legendary LSU men’s basketball coach Dale Brown to receive 2027 Wooden coaching award • Oct. 21, 2026, 4:15 PM ET (The New Orleans Times-Picayune)

Viral TikTok sparks safety concerns on NC State Fair kids rides. What we learned • Oct. 20, 2026, 4:59 PM ET (The Raleigh News & Observer)

Photos and Videos

temperate softwoods and hardwoods selected to show variations

tropical hardwoods selected to show variations

World map displaying the geographic distribution of forests by wood type, with tropical hardwood forests in light green mainly near the equator, temperate hardwood forests in teal in parts of North America, Europe, and Asia, softwood (coniferous) forests in purple across northern regions, and mixed forests in blue in select temperate zones. Examples of tree species for each category are listed at the bottom of the map.

harvester on a tree plantation in Finland

forwarder with logs for transport

Edge of a dense forest in Romania where clear cutting has removed most trees, leaving a bare, brown slope beside standing green trees.

band saw breaking a log down into lumber

Illustration showing five basic log-sawing patterns: live sawing, cant sawing, sawing for grade, sawing for radial grain, and sawing for dimension lumber, each with labeled cross-sections of logs and cut lumber pieces.

Illustration comparing two types of plywood: three-ply all-veneer plywood with three thin wood layers, and three-ply lumber core plywood with a thicker central core and thin veneer surfaces.

types of particleboard

The energy-saving potential of transparent wood

The chemistry behind the perfect summertime grill session

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

sissoo wood pulp sal porcupine wood sawn wood roundwood product particleboard hardwood reaction wood laminated wood textile plastic abrasive glass semiconductor essential oil leather metamaterial natural fibre fur

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

default image

Hans Ulrich Grubenmann

Swiss engineer

default image

Johannes Grubenmann

Swiss engineer

default image

François Pinault

French businessman and art collector

cigar. cigars. Hand-rolled cigars. Cigar manufacturing. Tobacco roller. Tobacco leaves, Tobacco leaf

Building Blocks of Everyday Objects