ES20-TE2 Curriculum Connections: (Human Use of Natural Forest Resources)

Overview: During this class students will explore the different species of trees that are harvested for products produced in Saskatchewan. Some tree species are best suited for certain types of products. Students will compare different species of trees and what they are most commonly used for.

ES20-TE2 Curriculum Connections: (human use of natural forest resources)

Material: Power point on the forest industry in Saskatchewan (provided) Picture of looking at the value given to wood (provided) Worksheets students are to fill in the height the trees can grow to, the common use and other uses the trees made into. (provided)

Explore: Start the class showing the power point that gives an overview of trees and products produced in Saskatchewan. As you go through the slides ask questions to gage what the students already know about the forest industry. Ask if they know of any relative or friend that works in the industry. Have them describe the job they do.

Wood is a natural material with large differences in properties within and between tree species, forest stands and trees. It is possible, but not always economically feasible, to find wood matching property specifications for a broad spectrum of products and processes. Thus companies decide what trees they need and where to send the other trees that they may have harvested, if the costs are not prohibitive.

Show the students the picture of graded wood. This could be given to the students before the explanation so that they could take notes below the picture. It can be found below. Give one copy per student.

A simplified explanation of how wood is valued is using the following: Grade 1 or #1– is a perfectly straight log that has no defects or signs of a branch originating from it at any point. It must be at least 12 inches (30.4cm) in diameter on the small end and have no stains running through the grain. Sound easy right? It is not. When we say no defects, we mean absolutely no defects. One little tiny lump or scar will downgrade it to #2.

Grade 2 or #2– is a straight log that can have a couple small scars on 1 side. Sometimes you can get away with 2 sides if the grader is in a good mood. Small limbs mean less than 2 inches (5cm) in diameter. If you have multiple areas where limbs have been removed it will be downgraded to pulpwood.

Pulpwood- Is the lowest grade of wood possible. It can have a moderate amount of sweep or crook in the log. It can have an unlimited amount of scar tissue or limbs cut off. The only restrictions are on size. Most mills will not take pulpwood that exceeds 24 inches (61cm) in diameter.

Grade #1 and Grade #2 both go to the lumber mills from the wood yard. Once there they are milled and turned into lumber. Some of the logs will become dimensional lumber such as 2×4’s, 6×6’s and sized boards. Others will become lumber for fine wood products such as furniture and molding. Pulp wood will be put into a giant wood chipper and turned into wood chips. Those wood chips are used by plywood and OSB factories. The different factories will turn the chips into particle board or OSB (oriented strand board). The pulp mills sell the pulp that is used to make various paper products. With the forest industry being cyclical and demand for products always evolving research into new products and uses for wood fibre is ongoing. We are now going to watch a short video on what some of the research is discovering. Bio-economy fibre from trees research web video 2.34 minutes (ctrl click or copy the URL into your browser) – Title is “Forest bio-materials” http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/video/16983

We should now understand that forestry is a lot more than just harvesting trees and making products. With all the possibilities and the need to keep the forest sustainable the entire process is now considered its own science. Forestry can be studied at several universities in Canada. It is definitely a field worth considering.

Activity: Hand out the worksheets for students to fill in the required information. They will be focusing on the eight commercial trees in Saskatchewan. The worksheets are available below. Copy them two sided. Next direct the students to the website http ://publications.gov.sk.ca/details.cfm?p=80471 this a Saskatchewan government website. The students are to download the PDF the “Saskatchewan Forest Products buyer’s guide. Using the buyer’s guide.” student are asked to go to each tree species and record the heights the trees can grow to and the common products this tree is used for as well as other products it can be used for. Some of the trees are not in the guide. Students are to do their best in finding the information ask for on the web.

This activity is to help the students learn about the commercial trees in Saskatchewan. By working through the exercise they get an understanding of how tall trees in our boreal forest grow. Having now seen the products we produce and the tree species we use the students will have a better idea of the use of our largest plants in the Province.

Students name ______Page 1

Tree species common Height at maturity Common products this Other products the tree name: tree is used for: can be used for:

Jack pine

Trembling aspen

Balsam popular White spruce

Black Spruce

White Birch

Tamarack

Balsam Fir Tree species common Height at maturity Common products this Other products the tree name tree is used for can be used for: