Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

A Comparison of Market Needs to the Species and Quality Composition of the U.S.

Informally Refereed

Abstract

The production and consumption of hardwood lumber increased during the 1980âs and is predicted to remain at high levels during the 1990's. In recent years, annual growth has exceeded annual removals on hardwood forests. However, much of the growth has been in species that are relatively underutilized in high value markets such as furniture and cabinets. Volumes of the most popular species, the oaks, experienced smaller increases. Sawtimber inventories of select species are skewed toward lower grade logs. The potential grade output from this material is skewed toward lower grade lumber (No. 2 Common and below). Potential differences between the demand and availability of the more popular species can be mitigated by species substitution. The relatively low quality of much of the resource and the growth in demand for higher quality lumber will necessitate continued markets for lower grade lumber and perhaps changes in consumer acceptance or technology.

Citation

Bush, Robert J.; Araman, Philip A.; Muench, J., Jr. 1992. A Comparison of Market Needs to the Species and Quality Composition of the U.S. Proceedings, Forest Products Research Society - Wood Product Demand and the Environment. pp. 275-277.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/413