Wood products and wood protection in China

Wood has been used in construction, transportation, instruments and furnitu re manufacture and as a source of energy in China for several millenniums. However, with the shortage of wood and the increase of the population, wood substitutes, such as concrete, plastics and steel have been widely used. P roblems with the aging, weathering, corrosion, energy, water consumption an d air quality, associated with wood substitutes reveal that renewable mater ials like wood cannot be replaced to a large extend. The wood fiber demand is supposed to double by the beginning of the third millennium. It is estim ated that the demand for wood in China will be about 4.46 x 10(8) m(3) in 2 010 (Guan 1997). The forestry coverage in China is limited, and wood deteri oration, caused by animals, insects, microorganisms, climate and other envi ronmental circumstances decrease the durability of wood. The study of wood protection in China is called for to find ways and means to increase the se rvice life of wood in use and therefore decrease the pressure on the wood f iber demand.