107. Worldwide, wood works.

Over the past 15 years, we’ve noticed differences in the way wood’s used around the world. In developing countries wood is mainly used for fuel. By contrast, in developed countries wood is used mainly for industrial roundwood.

The paper industry meanwhile uses roughly one third of the total amount of wood harvested around the world.

 

• Around one third of the world’s forests are used for the production of wood and non-wood products. 

 

• Nearly half of the wood taken from forests is used for fuel.

 

Within Australia, wood harvest patterns follow those expected for a developed country, with the primary products harvested in native forests being veneer logs, sawlogs and pulpwood.

 

• Across Australia the volume of sawlogs harvested are set according to a calculated sustainable yield.

 

• Pulpwood is harvested from native forests usually as a residual of sawlog harvesting.

 

• Tasmania provides the majority of Australia’s private pulpwood.

 

Sources:	Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, ‘Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005 – 15 Key Findings’, 2005   Montreal Process Implementation Group for Australia (2008), Australia's State of the Forests Report 2008, Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra.