Forest tree species,which are not popularly known,but still they have great significance for wood based industries...They are lesser known forest tree species used for commercial purposes.

1. USE OF WOODS OF LESSER
KNOWN FOREST SPECIES
FOR COMMERCIAL
PURPOSES
Submitted To : Dr. Ravi Bhardwaj
Submitted By : Atul Thakur
(NF-2018-02-M)
Course No. : FOR-504
Course Title : Forest Products Chemistry and Industries

2. Introduction
Commercial activities in
forestry refers to buying and
selling activities of forest goods
and services.
Commercial Forest:
It is the whole of forest or a part of
it,large enough and close enough to a
market to allow it to be harvested by
forest based industries like Pulp/Paper
Industry,Katha and cutch industry,Resin
and Gum based industry,Plywood
industry,Matchstick Industry,Pencil
industry,Charcoal industry etc.

3. Well known/Popular forest Trees used for
commercial purposes:
• Cedrus deodara(Deodar)
• Tectona grandis(Teak,Sagwan)
• Shorea robusta(Sal)
• Pinus roxburghii(Chirpine)
• Eucalyptus spp.
• Populus spp.
• Casuarina equisetifolia
• Dalbergia sissoo(Shisham)
• Dalbergia latifolia(Rosewood)
• Salix spp.
• Ochroma pyramidale(Balsa)
• Abies pindrow (Fir)
• Picea smithiana (Spruce)
• Anogeissus latifolia(Axelwood)
• Gmelina arborea(Gamhari,Black Teak)
• Acacia catechu(Khair)
Etc. …..

4. All these mentioned species
are famous for their use in
various commercial activities
like:
Timber for building
construction
purposes,furniture,
cabinet making,ceiling,floaring,
Railway carriage,Railway
sleepers etc. and are used as
sources of raw material for
various forest based
industries.
Pencil Making Railway Sleepers
Plywood Industry

5. • Cedrus deodara and Tectona grandis are two of most durable timber.
• Resin is extracted from Pinus roxburghii and Shorea robusta, they also yield
Timber.
• Heartwood of Acacia catechu is main source of raw material for Katha and Cutch
industry.
• Casuarina equisetifoia, Anogeissus latifolia are used in Charcoal industry.

6. • There are several other forest species which
are used for commercial purposes,however
these species are lesser known. They are
lesser known species used for commercial
purposes for examples:
Toona ciliata, Albizia lebbeck,
Celtis australis,Grevillea robusta etc.

7. Toona ciliata
Common Name : Tooni,Toon
Family : Meliaceae
It is a large deciduous tree,widely spread in
Asia.
In India,Bangladesh,Myanmar,Thailand,
Southern China,Indonesia etc. Upto an
elevation of 1500m above sea level. In
India it is found throughout the sub-
himalayan tract and valleys of outer
himalayas from Jammu
eastwards,throughout the plains of
Bihar,Assam,West Bengal,Khasi hills and
the valleys of Eastern Ghats in moist
localities.

8. Commercial Uses
The timber is used for manufacturing of:
• Grade I commercial plywood and Grade I
moisture proof plywood.
• Low cost grade pencils
• Furniture
• Boats,Toys.
• Musical Instruments

9. Albizia lebbeck
Common Name: Siris,Kokko
Women’s Tongue Tree,
Family : Leguminosae
It is a tree of the mixed deciduous
forests in both dry and moist
types,or of semi-evergreen and
even evergreen forests,usually
occuring sporadically and not
gregariously.It is found throughout
the indian peninsula and the
Andamans.In the western
himalayas,it ascends upto 1500m.
.

10. Commercial Uses
• The tree yields a timber which is mainly used
in manufacturing of Furniture.
• Wood yields Gum is also a good source of raw
material in Paper/Pulp industries

11. Albizia chinensis
Syn. : Albizia stipulata
Common Name- Siris,The Sau Tree
Family : Leguninosae
It is a large deciduous tree,with height
of about 18-30m and spreading flat
topped crown.
The tree is found throughout sub-
himalayan tract and Himalayan
valleys It is also found in moister
parts of Deccan and Peninsula,also
found in Andaman and Nicobar
islands.

12. Commercial Uses
• Timber is used in Furniture making
• Wood is used as raw material in Paper/Pulp
industry

13. Aesculus indica
Common Name – Indian Horse Chestnut,
Khanor
Family: Hippocastanaceae
It is a large deciduous tree,can reach a
height of 30m and a girth of 3m. It is
distributed from Indus to Nepal chiefly
in moist and shady valleys from 100m to
3000m elevation
It is mostly found in the Himalayan moist
temperate forests that is Group 12.

14. Commercial Uses
The wood is used :
• By Pencil making industries.
• In making Packing Cases
• In construction of Household Furniture

15. Chukrasia tabularis
Syn. : Chukrasia velutina
Family : Meliaceae
It is an indian
mahagony,deciduous in nature. It
is native to
India,Bangladesh,China and other
southeast asian countries. It is
also introduced to many western
countries such as Costa
Rica,Cameroon,Nigeria,South
Africa and United States.
In India it is maily found in Indian
Peninsula and Western Ghats
upto 1400m elevation

16. Commercial Uses
The timber is used in manufacturing :
• Plywood.
• Aeroplane Timber.
• Piano cases
• Cooperage
• Cabinet Making.

17. Celtis australis
Common Name -Khirak,Nettle Tree
Family : Ulmaceae
It is native to southern
Europe.It is deciduous in
nature,it grows naturally in
the western himalayas,500-
2500m elevation.In the
Himalayas the tree is
distributed in Himalayan
Moist temperate forests.

18. Commercial Uses
The Timber is utilized by:
• Sports Goods Industries
• Bent wood Articles industries
• Charcoal Industry.

19. Mitragyna parviflora
Common Name: Kaim,Keli-kadam,
Family : Rubiaceae
It is found in Asia, native to India and
Sri Lanka.The tree is found
scattered in the sub-himalayan
tract ascending upto an elevation
of 1200m elevation.Tree is a
characteristics species of southern
and Northern Indian tropical moist
deciduous forests.

20. Commercial Uses
Mainly used in :
• Making Matchsticks
• Making Shaving Brushes
• Household Furniture

21. Trema orientalis
Common Name : Charcoal
Tree,Indian Nettle Tree
Family: Ulmaceae
It is a small fast growing,short
lived,evergreen tree upto 10m
height. It is found almost
throughout the moister part of
India upto 2430m elevation in
sub-himalayan tract,also found
in peninsular india.

22. Commercial Uses
• Main use is in Charcoal Industries. Wood has a
calorific value of 3095 K cal/Kg
• Wood is also a source of raw material for
Paper/Pulp Industries and Match stick
industries.

23. Kydia calycina
Common Name : Pula
Family : Malvaceae
It is a moderate sized deciduous
tree, attaining a height of 12-
15m.The tree is found almost
throughout India except the arid
areas and wet areas od
Andamans.It is a species of the
moist deciduous teak and Sal
forests. It occurs upto 1200m in
the eastern himalayas and upto
500 m in the western himalayas.

24. Commercial Uses
The Timber is used in manufacturing:
• Grade III commercial plywood
• Matchsticks
• Low grade Pencils
• Paper/Pulp

25. Ailanthes triphysa
Common Name: Whitepalle,
Ferntop Ash.
Family: Simaroubaceae
It is an evergreen tree species found
in Asia and Australia.The tree is
large and deciduous in
nature,attains a height of about
30m.It is a common species of the
tropical semi evergreen forests
found in western Ghats upto 1500
m elevation.

26. Commercial Uses
• Manufacturing of Matchsticks
• Grade III commercial plywood
• Grade IV moisture-proof plywood

27. Acer caesium
Maple of Western Himalayas
Family: Aceraceae
It is a tall deciduous tree reaching
a height of 20-24 m. It is found
throughout the north-west
Himalayas between 1800-
2500m elevation.It is found in
the Himalayan moist temperate
forests of both the broad
leaved and coniferous forests.

28. Commercial Uses
The timber is used in :
• Making Furniture
• Grade I commercial plywood
• Grade I moisture proof plywood.

29. Melia azedarach
Common Name : Drek,Persian lilac
Family : Meliaceae
It is a moderate sized deciduous tree
indigenous to north-west India
along the sub-himalayan tract but
now is naturalised throughout
tropics.It is found growing in
Himalayas upto1800 m elevation.

30. Commercial Uses
• Paper/Pulp Industries
• Plywood Industries

31. Calophyllum elatum
Common Name: Poonspar Tree,Poon, Sirpoon
Family - Guttiferae(Callophyllaceae)
It is a very large evergreen tree
attains a height of 46m.It is a
common tree in evergreen and
semi evergreen forests of western
Ghats.

32. Commercial Uses
The Timber is used in:
• Cabinet work
• Furniture making
• Manufacturing of Railway sleepers
• Manufacturing of Plywood
• Aircraft Parts making
• Paper/Pulp industries

33. Grevillea robusta
Common Name: Silver Oak
Family : Proteaceae
It is a native of eastern coastal
Australia. It ia a good
agroforestry tree,used in
avenue plantations as well as
used as shade tree for tea and
coffee.It is a large evergreen
tree attaining a height of 30-35
m

34. Commercial Uses
Tree yields Timber which is utilized in:
• Cabinet Making
• Furniture making
• Ceilings
• Flooring
• Railway carriage
• Charcoal making

35. Michelia champaca
Common Name: Champ,Champak
Family : Magnoliaceae
It is a tall,evergreen
tree,attaining a height of 35m
or more.It is found in eastern
himalayan zone upto 900m
elevation,also found in the
western ghats.

36. Commercial Uses
• Pencil Industries
• Manufacturing of Grade I commercial
moisture proof plywood.
• Charcoal making

37. Mangifera indica
Common Name: Mango, Aam
Family – Anacardiaceae
It is a large evergreen tree,found
in the wild or semi-wild almost
throughout India in the
tropical and sub-tropical
forests.It is common in sub-
himalayan tract upto 900 m.It
also occurs in Deccan
Plateau,Andman islands.

38. Commercial Uses
• Matchstick industriers
• Grade III and Grade IV commercial plywood
• Grade III moisture proof plywood

39. Acacia chundra
Common Name: Lal khair
Family: Leguminosae
It is a small deciduous tree species
found in south india,having
characteristics similar to
Acacia catechu (Khair)
Commercial Use:
Heartwood is used as raw
material in Katha and Cutch
Industry.

40. Forest product consumption and production
Major consumers of forest products
Percentage of global consumption (2016)
● Industrial roundwood: United States of America (18 percent); China (11 percent); Russian
Federation (9 percent); Canada (8 percent); Brazil (8 percent); Indonesia (4 percent);
Sweden (4 percent); Finland (3 percent); India (3 percent); Germany (3 percent).
● Wood pellets: United Kingdom (26 percent); Italy (7 percent); Germany (7 percent);
Denmark (7 percent); United States of America (7 percent); Republic of Korea (6 percent);
Sweden (6 percent); France (4 percent); Belgium (4 percent).
● Sawnwood: China (24 percent); United States of America (22 percent); Germany (4
percent); Canada (4 percent); Japan (3 percent); Brazil (3 percent).
● Wood-based panels: China (49 percent); United States of America (11 percent); Germany
(3 percent); Russian Federation (3 percent).
● Pulp for paper: United States of America (26 percent); China (19 percent); Japan (5
percent); Sweden (5 percent); Finland (4 percent); Canada (4 percent); India (4 percent);
Russian Federation (3 percent); Brazil (3 percent); Germany (3 percent).
● Recovered paper: China (36 percent); United States of America (13 percent); Japan (8
percent); Germany (7 percent); Republic of Korea (4 percent); India (3 percent); Indonesia (3
percent).
● Paper and paperboard: China (27 percent); United States of America (17 percent); Japan (6
percent); Germany (5 percent); India (4 percent); Italy (3 percent).
Source - Forest products statistics - FAO

41. Major producers of forest products(Percentage of global production) (2016), FAO
● Wood fuel: India (16 percent); China (9 percent); Brazil (6 percent); Ethiopia (6 percent);
Democratic Republic of Congo (4 percent); Nigeria (4 percent).
● Industrial roundwood: United States of America (19 percent); Russian Federation (11
percent); China (9 percent); Canada (8 percent); Brazil (8 percent); Indonesia (4 percent);
Sweden (4 percent); Finland (3 percent); India (3 percent).
● Wood pellets: United States of America (22 percent); Canada (10 percent); Germany (7
percent); Sweden (6 percent); Latvia (5 percent); Viet Nam (5 percent); Estonia (4 percent);
France (4 percent); Austria (4 percent); Portugal (4 percent); Russian Federation (3 percent);
Poland (3 percent).
● Sawnwood: United States of America (17 percent); China (17 percent); Canada (11 percent);
Russian Federation (8 percent); Germany (5 percent); Sweden (4 percent); Brazil (3 percent).
● Wood-based panels: China (51 percent); United States of America (8 percent); Russian
Federation (4 percent); Canada (3 percent); Germany (3 percent); Brazil (3 percent).
● Pulp for paper: United States of America (26 percent); Brazil (10 percent); Canada (9
percent); China (9 percent); Sweden (6 percent); Finland (6 percent); Japan (5 percent);
Russian Federation (5 percent); Indonesia (4 percent); India (3 percent); Chile (3 percent).
● Recovered paper: China (24 percent); United States of America (21 percent); Japan (9
percent); Germany (7 percent); Republic of Korea (4 percent); United Kingdom (3 percent);
France (3 percent); Italy (3 percent).
● Paper and paperboard: China (28 percent); United States of America (18 percent); Japan (6
percent); Germany (6 percent); India (4 percent); Republic of Korea (3 percent), Brazil (3
percent); Indonesia (3 percent).

42. Global production and trade of forest products in 2016
Source: FAOSTAT-
Forestry database

43. References:
Luna, R.K. “Plantation Trees”, 1996
Food and Agriculture organisation, “Forest Products
Statistics”, 2016