- Forest product
A forest product is any material derived from a
forest for commercial use, such aslumber ,paper , or forage forlivestock .Wood , by far the dominant commercial forest product, is used for many industrial purposes, such as the finished structuralmaterial s used for theconstruction ofbuilding s, or as a raw material, in the form ofwood pulp , that is used in the production ofpaper . All other non-wood products derived from forest resources, comprising a broad variety of other forest products, are collectively described asnon-timber forest product s.Lumber, paper, and other tree products
For commercial purposes,
timber isharvest ed from forests and converted at wood mills intolumber ,paper products,wood fuel or other forest products.Non-timber forest products
Non-timber forest product s (NTFPs) include medicinal herbs,fungi ,ediblefruit s and nuts, and othernatural product s. Perceived as socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable, non-timber forest products represent alternatives to timber-basedforest management strategies.Broad categories of non-timber forest products include floral greens, Christmas greens, ornamentals and
craft materials,wild edible s, medicinals, ceremonials/culturals,andnative plant s.Old growth forest s are prized for harboring a wide diversity of non-timber forest products; e.g., discovery of newspecies useful as forest products often adding an unknown value to some forests.Resource pressures
Many forest management policies have been implemented that impact forest product
economics , including forest access restrictions, harvesting fees, and harvest limits.Deforestation ,global warming and other environmental concerns have increasingly affected the availability and sustainability of forest products, as well as the economies of regions dependent upon forestry around the world. In recent years, the idea ofsustainable forestry , which aims to preservecrop yield s without causing irreversible damage toecosystem health, has changed the relationship betweenenvironmentalist s and the forest products industry. Stakeholders in the forest products industry include government departments, commercial enterprises,non-governmental organization s (NGOs), policy-makers and analysts, private concerns and international organizations.ee also
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Agroforestry
*Clearcutting
*Forest management
*Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
*Silviculture
*Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
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