Tree species that have hard and dense wood, and include the eucalypts. Timber from natural hardwood forests is frequently used in hardwood flooring and furniture.
Forests supply the raw materials for construction timbers, paper, packaging and other wood-based materials that are staples of modern life. Roundwood is the term given to all wood that is removed in log form from forests and not used for fuel.
It has been estimated to account for about 1.5 billion cubic metres (m³) of fibre, or 44% of the wood harvested globally. Logs and sawn wood for construction comprised the largest use of industrial roundwood (over 50%), followed by pulp for paper and paperboard, and processed wood products such as veneers, particleboard, and plywood. Pulp includes wood manufacturing residues like sawdust and chippings.
Hardwood species such as the eucalypts are highly valued in Australia for use as structural building materials, cladding, and flooring, and include species such as blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis), spotted gum (Corymbia maculata), and mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans).
Hardwoods are also highly valued in the production of quality furniture, and off-cuts are commonly used and recycled for surveying pegs and vegetable stakes.
Hardwoods grown in short rotation plantations (i.e. harvested at a younger age) are predominantly used for woodchips and pulp and exported to Asian countries such as Japan for making paper and paper products. Softwoods (mostly exotic conifers such as radiata pine; Pinus radiata) are primarily used in construction and pulpwood.
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Forest PhotosDifferent photos of forestry and the industry. |
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Forestry Matters!Forestry matters! is a free, comprehensive education resource that provides teachers with relevant, up-to-date information about South Australia’s forests. |
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Plantations fact sheetFind out about Australian plantations: history, area, ownership and more. |
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Plantations – complementing Victoria’s native forest timberMore information about plantation forestry in Victoria. |
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Timber flooringInformation on timber floors and considerations for temperature and humidity when using timber flooring. |
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TreesCovering the what are trees, components that make up trees and types of trees in Australia. |
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Victoria's native timber industryFind out more about Victoria's native timber industry. |
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The pine plantation rotationWhat happens in a pine plantation rotation from 0 years- 35years. Find out through this poster resource. |
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Timber teaser - Blackbutt, Eucalyptus pilularisPoster resource for your classroom. |
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Timber teaser - Flooded gum, Eucalyptus grandisA poster resource for the classroom. |
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Timber teaser - Radiata pine, Pinus radiataA poster resource for the classroom. |
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Timber teaser - Softwood or hardwoodPoster resource for the classroom. |
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Timber teaser - White cyprus, Callitris glaucophyllaA poster resource for the classroom. |
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About woodAbout Wood crossword puzzle with factsheet attached to help students give context to the answers. |
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Carbon and its storage in forest and wood productsClass activities on carbon, cycling & storage. |
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Colour in sheetsTwo colour in sheets for your students. |
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Forest Types- Plantation vs Natural and Softwoods vs Hard woodsIn this practical lesson, students will examine and compare different forests types. They will learn how to identify major tree types and understand how they are used, what ecosystem services they provide, and the professional role of Foresters in managing forests. Using this information, students will design a landscape model of an area of a plantation or native forest in class groups to represent a forest type.
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Forestry Matters!Forestry matters! is a free, comprehensive education resource that provides teachers with relevant, up-to-date information about South Australia’s forests. |
To download this file
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Going Bush - South Australia's pine tree experts - Worksheet & answersStudent worksheet with sample answers to accompany the Going Bush video examining the development of pine tree plantations in South Australia. Planations have helped overcome a lack of supply from native forests particularly in markets that use softwoods, including small diameter sawlogs, pulp and veneer. Students get to see 'fella buncher' harvesting machines in action, and use of high technology techniques for locating, measuring and grading wood, such as GPS and LiDAR. |
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Going Bush - Tracing the power poles back to North East Tasmania's forests - Worksheet & answersStudent worksheet with samples answers to accompany the 'Going Bush' video looking at the origin of wooden power poles in North East Tasmanian forests. Selection features of native forest trees are examined, as well as the process of seasoning the preserving power poles. |
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Going Bush - Various demand for plantation and native forests - Worksheet & answersStudent worksheet with sample answers that accompanies the Going Bush video 'Various demand for plantation and native forests'. Different uses for the wood sourced from these forests is discussed, as well as wood properties. The demand for wood in Australia is higher than the regulated supply, meaning imported wood is necessary. This raises various issues that students can begin to contemplate. |
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Place and productsDiscover different forest types and products through this activity sheet. |
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Planet Ark - Schools Tree dayEach year in July, around 2500 schools across Australia take part in Schools Tree Day. Students nation-wide have learnt how to plant, and care for the seedlings they grow. Become involved. |
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Save our soilAn introduction to dryland salinity. |
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Wild Forest Adventure Activity BookWild Forest Adventure is an activity based companion booklet especially designed for use with the Forests NSW website. |
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Wild Forest Adventure online gameThe Wild Forest Adventure section has been especially designed for students, to provide interesting and relevant information about the forest environment, in a stimulating and fun way. |
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Wood: Art, Design, Architecture. An Education PackWOOD: art design architecture: an education kit with information and exercises relevant to your curriculum, the kit is an easy-to-use guide for teachers and students across a range of art and design disciplines. |
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Forestry Matters! websiteForestry matters! is a free, comprehensive education resource that provides teachers with relevant, up-to-date information about South Australia’s forests. |
To view this link
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Planet Ark - Schools Tree dayEach year in July, around 2500 schools across Australia take part in Schools Tree Day. Students nation-wide have learnt how to plant, and care for the seedlings they grow. Become involved. |
To view this link
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Going Bush - A Northern NSW timber family answering the industry’s challengesMeet a tight-knit timber family from northern New South Wales, which has responded to the vagaries of the forestry industry by getting bigger when the option was to get out and vertically integrating their operation so that in years to come a significant share of their resource will be harvested from their own plantations. |
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Going Bush - South Australia’s pine tree expertsSoftwood plantations have become a staple of the forestry industry and South Australians say no-one does it better than them … They’ve had plenty of practice having started growing radiata pines 130 years ago. |
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Going Bush - Chic Huon in upmarket SydneyFollow the journey of the raw Huon pine log through a West Coast joinery shed to finally adorn the walls and fittings of an up-market Sydney board room, where advertising and media mogul John Singleton waxes lyrical about the timber. |
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Going Bush - South Australia's pine tree experts - Worksheet & answersStudent worksheet with sample answers to accompany the Going Bush video examining the development of pine tree plantations in South Australia. Planations have helped overcome a lack of supply from native forests particularly in markets that use softwoods, including small diameter sawlogs, pulp and veneer. Students get to see 'fella buncher' harvesting machines in action, and use of high technology techniques for locating, measuring and grading wood, such as GPS and LiDAR. |
To download this file
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Going Bush - Tracing the power poles back to North East Tasmania's forests - Worksheet & answersStudent worksheet with samples answers to accompany the 'Going Bush' video looking at the origin of wooden power poles in North East Tasmanian forests. Selection features of native forest trees are examined, as well as the process of seasoning the preserving power poles. |
To download this file
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Going Bush - Tracing the power poles back to North East Tasmania’s forestsYou see them along the roadside throughout the land and they’re an easy fallback for long road trip games of I spy with my little eye … PP? Power poles of course. We go bush to find where the tallest and straightest trees grow and how they’re handled with kid gloves to provide the poles to carry electricity cables. |
To watch this video |
Going Bush - Various demand for plantation and native forestsThe importance for balance in consideration of native and plantation forests is explored from a Victorian perspective, where the main players say there will always be demand for resource from both. |
To watch this video |
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Going Bush - Various demand for plantation and native forests - Worksheet & answersStudent worksheet with sample answers that accompanies the Going Bush video 'Various demand for plantation and native forests'. Different uses for the wood sourced from these forests is discussed, as well as wood properties. The demand for wood in Australia is higher than the regulated supply, meaning imported wood is necessary. This raises various issues that students can begin to contemplate. |
To download this file
|
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Wild Forest Adventure online gameThe Wild Forest Adventure section has been especially designed for students, to provide interesting and relevant information about the forest environment, in a stimulating and fun way. |
To view this link
|
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