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Why are conifers important sources of lumber, pulpwood, turpentine, and resins?

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Gymnosperm Pine cone and exposed seeds of the pinyon pine (*Pinus edulis*). Pinyon pines are gymnosperms and bear their edible seeds, known as pine nuts, in protective cones instead of fruit.

Conifers are essential to global industry because they provide the vast majority of the world's softwood timber, which serves as a primary material for construction and accounts for approximately 45 percent of annual lumber production. Their importance stems from several key biological and chemical characteristics:1

Lumber: Conifer stems are characteristically woody with a dense mass of secondary xylem, often growing tall and straight, which makes them ideal for structural applications.2
Pulpwood: Conifers are a primary source of wood pulp used to manufacture paper and plastics. The wood is chemically treated to extract cellulose fibers, which are essential for these products.1
Turpentine and Resins: Many conifers, particularly pines, produce resin within specialized canals in their wood. This resin is a valuable natural compound that can be harvested from living trees or recovered as a by-product during the pulping process. Through distillation, this raw material is separated into turpentine (a volatile solvent used in chemicals, paints, and varnishes) and rosin (a nonvolatile solid used in soap, adhesives, and paper sizing).34