wood

Introduction
Production and consumption of wood
Harvesting of wood
- Management
- Marking, felling, and processing
Utilization of wood
- Primary products
  - Roundwood products
  - Sawn wood
    - Production at the sawmill
    - Yield and grading
  - Veneer
  - Plywood and laminated wood
    - Plywood
    - Laminated wood
  - Particleboard
  - Fibreboard
  - Pulp and paper
- Treatments
  - Drying
  - Preservation
- Chemical products
  - Products of chemical processing
  - Extractives
Wood as a material
- Structure and composition
  - Macrostructure
    - Earlywood, latewood, and pores
    - Heartwood and sapwood
    - Rays and resin canals
    - Radial and tangential sections
  - Microstructure
  - Ultrastructure and chemical composition
  - Variation of structure and defects
- Properties of wood
  - Sensory characteristics
  - Density and specific gravity
  - Hygroscopicity
  - Shrinkage and swelling
  - Mechanical properties
  - Thermal properties
  - Electric properties
  - Acoustic properties
  - Degradation
Bark and bark products

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & 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.

The energy-saving potential of transparent wood

harvester on a tree plantation in Finland

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.

At a Glance

wood summary

wood

plant tissue

Written by

George Thomas Tsoumis

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 31, 2026 •History

wood, the principal strengthening and nutrient-conducting tissue of trees and other plants and one of the most abundant and versatile natural materials. Produced by many botanical species, including both gymnosperms and angiosperms, wood is available in various colours and grain patterns. It is strong in relation to its weight, is insulating to heat and electricity, and has desirable acoustic properties. Furthermore, it imparts a feeling of “warmth” not possessed by competing materials such as metals...

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