Each year the United States grows about twice as much hardwood as it harvests. Professional foresters typically choose individual or small groups of mature trees in an area, leaving a variety of others standing. Selective harvesting encourages new growth by allowing sunlight, rain and nutrients to reach smaller trees. They respond vigorously, reaching heights of 15 - 20 feet in as little as five years. As a result of careful forest management, the hardwood species that are most in demand are increasingly abundant.
Trees are the earth's oxygen factory.
To grow a pound of wood, a tree uses 1.47 pounds of carbon dioxide and gives off 1.07 pounds of oxygen. A pound of oxygen is what one person breathes in a day. An acre of trees can remove 13 tons of dust and gases from the atmosphere each year. Through shading and water transpiration, forests cool the environment. The leaves of a 100-foot tree have the same cooling effect as an average home's central air conditioner.