Sustainable Lumber Production

Practice Sustainable Lumber production with a beneficial but risky resource, Paulownia trees, as a viable solution for reforestation.

Reader Contribution by Ruth Tandaan Sto Domingo
Updated on June 12, 2022
article image
by Pixabay/John_Nature_Photos 1823

Practice sustainable lumber production with a beneficial but risky resource, paulownia trees, as a viable solution for reforestation.

The Paulownia tree also offers a host of benefits that should not be overlooked in regard to the sustainable lumber industry. Some of those benefits are in the mono-crop timber and lumber industry or as part of a larger, more expansive, natural ecological system for natural growth and development or reforestation. The powerful and productive Paulownia tree may be an excellent solution to end highly destructive, illegal logging that occurs around the world and meet the world’s need for lumber, timber, and other wood products.

Problems of the Paulownia Lumber

The Paulownia tree was dubbed locally as “Sa Cahoy ng Buhay” or “The Tree of Life” when it was introduced as a means to establish the reforestation of Region Two in the Quezon Province of the Philippines. Unfortunately, these projects were not properly managed. The project brought in the trees but left them to their own devices, with devastating consequences. Entire ecosystems were quickly overrun by the prolific growth of the Paulownia Princessa variety preventing it from being a sustainable lumber production.

With a growth rate that rivals that of bamboo and an equally prevalent reproductive rate, the Paulownia Princessa and other variations have truly earned their reputation as an invasive species. Proper management of any and all growth is imperative if these trees are to be utilized to their full potential and serve as a realistic sustainable lumber production and reforestation solution.

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368