The impact of utilization research on the complete use of the forest

Abstract

Wood has continued to serve from the earliest days of history as an efficient and economical material for construction and for industry; so much so, in fact, that it has remained competitive even though research and technological improvements have been at a very low level. This is evident from the low efficiency being attained in the harvesting, processing, and use of forest products. Technological advances attainable through research and the implementation of its results can potentially add 3.1 billion cubic feet per year to the yield of products to be obtained from the present United States volume of forest products of about 12-/12 billion cubic feet annually. Such more complete use of our timber resources will aid greatly, and in fact is essential to meeting future needs for forest products. Many qualitative improvements are also attainable through research, to produce stronger, more durable, and more serviceable products. In competition with other materials of industry, that are not renewable and that are produced at a very high cost to society in terms of energy consumed and environmental degradation caused by their recovery and processing, wood is likely to assume a more prominent role in the future.