Parts of a tree

            3 main parts of the tree

Trunk: The trunk is the part of a tree that connects the leafy crown with its roots. ... This allows the leaves to obtain water and nutrients that are necessary for the manufacture of food from light energy.

Roots: The root system of a tree performs many vital functions. In winter, it is a store-house for esseqntial food reserves needed by the tree to produce spring foliage.

Crown: Major functions of the crown include light energy assimilation, carbon dioxide absorption and release of oxygen.

The insides of a tree

Bark: Bark provides many functions for trees. Bark plays an essential role in transporting photosynthetic products in plant tissues. Bark is also crucial to the mechanics of the stem. Bark is involved in defense against herbivory, protects against fire, and provides insulation in cold conditions.

Cambium: The vascular cambium and cork cambium are secondary meristems that are formed in stems and roots after the tissues of the primary plant body have differentiated. The vascular cambium is responsible for increasing the diameter of stems and roots and for forming woody tissue. The cork cambium produces some of the bark.

Sapwood: Sapwood, also called alburnum, outer, living layers of the secondary wood of trees, which engage in transport of water and minerals to the crown of the tree. The cells therefore contain more water and lack the deposits of darkly staining chemical substances commonly found in heartwood

Heartwood: The heartwood functions as long-term storage of biochemicals, which vary from species to species. These chemicals are known collectively as extractives.

Pith: Pith, or medulla, is a tissue in the stems of vascular plants. Pith is composed of soft, spongy parenchyma cells, which store and transport nutrients throughout the plant.

How are trees turned into timber?

The trees are usually cut into smaller lengths on-site and then picked up by a timber lorry, which transports the timber to a processing site, such as a sawmill, paper mill, pallet, fencing or construction producer. At the chosen site, the logs are debarked and bucked, or cut to the required length. 

Different types of cuts

Quarter Sawn

Rift Sawn

Live Sawn

Plain Sawn

Defects in timber

• Wind cracks

• Shakes

• Twisted fibers

• Upsets

• Rind galls

• Burls

• Water stain

• Chemical stain

Timber used in New Zealand

While rimu was still available, other indigenous timbers such as matai (matai: New Zealand native timber (black pine) often used for flooring and occasionally for weatherboards.), miro, totara (totara: New Zealand native timber, used for flooring, window joinery and shingles, especially in Wellington.), kahikatea, tawa.