In the modern world, a person has surrounded himself with many material goods and does not stop there. Basically, all this has been achieved through industry, which includes a wide range of industries. One of the most important is the forest industry. At first glance it is extremely clear what kind of industry it is, what it consists of, what it produces, etc. But in fact, we are dealing with a very structured, in some cases complex mechanism for the layman, having its own principles, well-established canons of work and many years of practice.
The forestry and woodworking industry originates from those ancient times when man invented the ax. Even then, ancient people noticed the unique properties and all the usefulness of wooden material. With the development of science, man improved the technique and methods of extraction and processing of wood.
What is the forest industry? What is included in this massive complex of modern production? So, we can give the following definition: the forest industry is a branch of the economy, which is the harvesting and processing (mechanical and chemical) of wood. In turn, by mechanical processing we mean sawmilling, production of plywood sheets, parts for construction, furniture products, etc., and by chemical processing of wood fiber we mean the implementation of wood chemistry (production of pulp and paper production).
The forest industry is determined by the vast stocks of tree species and the wide territorial distribution of forests. In addition, the presence of this industry is responsible for the high demand for materials and industrial goods that are produced in wood processing factories and plants.
The world's forestry industry is large-scale, but not unlimited. The main problem is that the world's forest resources are unevenly distributed. In general, forest reserves can be divided into two zones: northern and southern. Coniferous and mixed forests mainly grow in the north , and tropical and broad-leaved equatorial forests grow in the south.
In many countries of North America and Europe, the volume of growth of tree species exceeds the volume of timber harvested. The potential of forest resources is increasing. At the same time, in many developing countries there is a decrease in the provision of wood, deforestation of territories. Forests are cut down to expand the cultivated area, and wood is often used as fuel.
The forest industry is growing. Recognized leaders among exporters of quality wood products are the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Canada, China. Particularly large suppliers of so-called “business” wood include: Brazil, Malaysia, India.
The wood processing industry plays a huge role in the pulp and paper industry. This production is distinguished by high material consumption and water consumption. In the world practice, the top ten manufacturers of cellulose products include the United States of America, Canada, Japan, Sweden, Finland, China, the Russian Federation, Brazil, France, and the Federal Republic of Germany.
One way or another, the wood processing industry has reached its peak in the development and supply of wood to factories. Already, there are alarming signals that the world's forest reserves are inexorably declining and at a fairly fast pace. The restoration of the forest fund is taking place, but, unfortunately, at a speed insufficient to fully compensate for the losses that occur during daily timber production.
The main task of mankind is to preserve the wonderful wood fund at all costs.