It’s estimated 10 to 15 billion cubic feet of wood are used by Americans each year. Photo credit: DNR

Would you be able to name all the wood products you use daily? Paper is the most obvious, but wood products are all around you. From the insulation in your walls to the gum you chew after lunch, wood and forest products are almost everywhere you look, and many of them originate right here in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin’s primary forest products industry consists of firms that process logs and pulpwood into wood and paper products. Examples include sawmills, plywood mills, veneer plants, pulp mills, firewood processors and companies that manufacture log cabins, smoking pellets and other similar products.

It’s estimated that Americans use 10 to 15 billion cubic feet of wood each year in the form of wood and paper products, as well as for energy. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, that translates to roughly 640 pounds of wood per person each year.

Wood plays a significant role in construction, especially in residential homes. These buildings are commonly framed with dimensional lumber and feature many wood finishes throughout their interiors. The wood products used in construction come from timber that is sustainably harvested, following sound forest management practices.

Building with mass timber – a new category of wood product comprised of multiple wood panels nailed or glued together, providing exceptional strength and stability – is growing across the state. Wisconsin is even home to the world’s tallest timber building, the Ascent, located in Milwaukee. This sustainable building method offers a lower carbon footprint than traditional construction materials like steel and concrete, and it’s gaining popularity in commercial and residential construction.

Another emerging market for wood products is biochar, a carbonized product made by burning organic material, like wood waste. Made from sustainable sources, it is used to amend soils, enhancing their agricultural and environmental value. Unmerchantable wood waste and other types of biomass are transformed into this carbon-rich material in a low-oxygen environment, removing most non-carbon materials while keeping the basic structure intact. This carbon skeleton gives biochar its desirable properties.

The former vessels and pores in the plant material of the biochar can now absorb nutrients and water, keeping them in the rooting zone and reducing nutrient leaching into groundwater. This helps minimize plant water stress and keeps nutrients available for plants. Additionally, biochar improves degraded soils by providing protected spaces for beneficial soil microbes. Fungal hyphae and bacteria readily colonize biochar particles, as they protect them from adverse conditions and improves soil health.

To learn more about the role wood products play in everyday life and how we’re caring for forest resources, watch the new episode of Into the Outdoors.