Is wood Renewable?

Did you know that wood had been in use even before almost every other energy source were exploited? And till now, it is still in use and said to be arround 6% of the primary energy sources in the world. It never got depleted. Its continued use is as a result of its continued replanting, and that is why it is considered to be a renewable resource.

Before we take a look at what makes wood a renewable resource, let’s first have a brief look at what wood is.

What do we mean by woods?

Woods are hard substances that are gotten from trees. They are what form the branches, roots and trunks of trees. They can be used in building construction, making furniture and even as fuel (in form of sawdust, firewood etc.).

What does it mean for a Resource to be renewable?

A resource is said to be renewable if it can be replaced after use. That is, even after use, it gets replaced naturally in considerable time-scale. When a resource takes too long to be replenished, it cannot be considered to be renewable.

Why is wood considered renewable?

Trees are what produces wood. And trees can be cut down, replanted and grown to a point it can be cut down again. This process can keep repeating itself and the trees won’t run out. So, in turn, woods won’t run out.

So, the renewable nature of wood depends on how the trees are replanted. If the trees are used more than they are replanted, it might cause a problem on how renewable wood can be. 

In essence, woods are renewable because trees are also renewable.

Also, since wood is considered renewable, biomass is also considered renewable because biomass can be derived from wood.

Key points

  • Renewable resources can be used up and then replaced naturally.
  • Wood is a renewable resource.
  • Biomass is renewable

What are your thoughts?