Wood, whether it is to be burnt or to be used for construction, is always the most ecological and at the same time resistant material that exists in nature: all the realities that exhibit at the fair Progetto Fuoco know it very well.
Before reaching its final use, wood passes through several obligatory passages that make up the wood supply chain: this is the whole of the sectors of wood production, collection, transport, its transformations up to the finished product.
Harvesting
The category of “forest uses” holds forestry operations to collect wood, through forestry companies and later, some organisations have organised their own workers to deal with forestry.
However, forestry is still carried out through very traditional operations, using a chainsaw to cut down trees, or logging with tractors that pull the plants to be eradicated with a rope, as is commonplace in mountainous regions.
Only recently have there been small renovations from a technological and logistical point of view for the use of forests, in this way we have started to use load-bearing tractors, felling machines in the case of the cultivation of poplars.
Most of the companies that collect wood are small businesses, often small family businesses.
First transformation
Most of the companies mainly deal with transforming wood to be used in the carpentry sector, for processing, or to produce wooden packaging. Like forestry companies, also in the first transformation and trade sector, the companies are mainly small or family-owned.
As will be explained later, the most used trees are fir trees as they can be used both for the packaging that for the carpentry, as well as the poplars that are used for the construction of brushes.
Second transformation
The companies that deal with the second transformation have the particularity of taking advantage of fairly advanced technology that treats wood with more specialised means such as companies that produce veneers and veneered panels.
Some of the companies that deal with the second transformation include those that deal with restorations and produce wooden furniture with the particularity of producing pieces that allow them to be versatile to meet market demands.
There are at least two types of joineries that deal with the production of furniture, those that use wood from the local market, the other, which deals with the production of windows and doors, is almost industrialised and uses sawn conifers coming mainly from abroad.
State of Italian forests and other sources of firewood
In March 2019 the first National Report on the state of forests in Italy (Raf Italia), thanks to a team effort that saw experts, bodies, institutions, administrations and associations collaborate, all coordinated by the Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policies.
The Raf was made possible thanks to the collaboration that allowed to create an update for the statistical surveys of Italian forests and which also allows us to talk about the management and protection of forests, forest policies, the creation of products wood, businesses, etc.
From this report, several noteworthy aspects, as well as great strengths, have come to light.
We speak mainly of the vastness of the national forest heritage, which covers eleven million hectares, or 36% of the national area; there is also talk of a particular number, or rather the rate of wood removal a bit low (from 18% to 37%) compared to the actual growth of the woods, which is approximately 62% of the European average.
the report also talks about the role of ecosystem services and what they are worth for the productive sectors; many weaknesses also emerged, that is, the too-high numbers referring to the import of timber, as well as the decline in local companies that deal with the first and second processing of wood and also their relative turnover.
Despite this, the most consistent list is represented by the points that should be developed the most, those on which one is already working and also those on which there is still need to work: we are talking mainly about forest fires, which unfortunately not obviously, the presence of trees in the cities, the companies and workers in the forestry sector, their training and safety, the non-wood products and the forest certification can be foreseen and managed.
The latter aspect, that of certifications, is one of the most discussed and studied topics since the certifications of Sustainable Forest Management and Chain of Custody (PEFC and PSC) have a growing interest that hopefully can be consolidated even more.
As regards the other sources of firewood, in Italy there are some, which supply wood and wood material to be burned.
Focus on the firewood
Whether it is for a fireplace, a stove, for a simple barbecue, an oven, you need to know the firewood’s characteristics. There is no best type, it all depends on the need and what you want to obtain from the wood itself.
It must be specified that to have a complete combustion while limiting the cleaning of the fireplace stove, it is inevitable to burn dry wood that has a low percentage of water, between 15% and 20% which corresponds to a drying of two years in places dry and ventilated, but without seasoning too much as it may lose heating power.
What’s more, wood that is not dried properly limits the efficiency of the fireplace stove, causing excessive production of soot.
Characteristics of the best firewood
There are universal aspects that every type of firewood must have to ensure a good heating capacity.
First of all, it is always better to choose the wood that is produced in Italy and, even better, close to your location.
Firewood and its derivatives are fuels that all have a fairly low value and transport certainly represents a very significant cost item.
It is therefore essential to prefer well-seasoned wood as fresh wood can also contain 75% humidity, while the most suitable for combustion is that which has reached a much lower humidity rate, of approximately 15%. This humidity level is reached in at least six months of seasoning in cool and decidedly dry places, up to a maximum of two years, if it has been left outdoors.
Seasoning is very important because it greatly affects savings: when the wood is fresh, most of the heat will be used to evaporate the water contained, dispersing with the relative steam released. This involves first of all the need to burn much more wood than necessary and, above all, also a large amount of smoke, which is certainly an uncomfortable and unpleasant factor.
Further evaluation to be made for the choice of firewood, is to evaluate two types: hard or softwood. Hardwood is that of broad-leaved, oak, beech, while softwood comes from pine, larch and fir trees. The main difference is that the hard one is denser, therefore it produces more heat than its volume, burning more slowly, providing longer heat; sweet wood, on the other hand, burns much faster making it even easier to start the fire.
Finally, it should be stated that the most important characteristic for choosing the best firewood is its calorific value, i.e. the quantity of energy that can be obtained by completely burning one kilogram of wood. This is the main element that specifies its yield and is measured in kcal per kg.
Types of trees suitable for heating
The best firewood is first of all that of oak, durmast oak, holm oak, oak and beech.
The oak
Oak is part of the beech family which include oak, Turkey oak, holm oak and English oak. These trees have a very precious wood, in fact it is also widely used for the construction of the furniture and it is also excellent to burn because, being a very dense hardwood, it burns slowly keeping well the flames.
The oak is a tree large and long-lived evergreen, in fact there are specimens that reach 500 years of age. These trees are widespread in Italy as well as throughout Europe.
This plant has a majestic appearance and has a rounded foliage. It has the characteristic of adapting to numerous situations, preferring deep and well-drained soils, sunny but also shaded positions.
It is used for ornamental purposes, it has a very robust and long-lasting wood that is excellent for use in manufacturing. Its leaves may have different shapes, green in colour, but in autumn they change becoming yellow, red and orange.
The acorn is the fruit of the oak which contains the seed of the plant representing a recognition of the various types of oak. The oak’s bark is grey or brown, presenting itself smooth with longitudinal cracks that appear over time. Its wood is very useful for making furniture or furnishing accessories. In particular, the most valuable is obtained from oak which is used to produce parquet, furniture and to be used in carpentry and for beams.
Two types of oak can be distinguished: the first is deciduous that grows spontaneously where there is a temperate climate (European oak, Downy oak, Austrian oak).
The second, on the other hand, is characterised by persistent leaves while remaining green in winter too. Another distinction can also be made between the white and the red ones: the former are distinguished by rounded leaves, while the others have pointed leaves.
Beech
Beech also belongs to the same family as the oak, presenting a very compact and heavy wood. It is indicated as firewood because, thanks to its characteristics, it has an excellent calorific value; above all it burns slowly and is also excellent for all cooking modes.
Subsequently, in the ranking of the best firewood, there is elm: this tree also reaches 35 metres in height. The resulting wood burns with very long times, releasing a good caloric power.
This tree prefers wet and cool areas, adapting also to dry climates, in fact it is often found also in mixed woods. Among the wild varieties we can count the pendula with long hanging branches, the purpurea tricolour with red leaves that turn pink at the edges and the asplenifoglia with narrow and incised leaves.
During its life cycle, this tree maintains a rich and dense body that proceeds upwards, with a straight trunk and smooth bark. The stem is very branched and has oval-shaped, slightly wavy green leaves.
This tree has a particularly light wood and is not very valuable because it is easily attacked by woodworms. Despite this, it is widely used in carpentry, in parquet and to build musical instruments, mainly guitar cases.
Birch, larch and olive
Subsequently, these trees are in the middle of the ranking, i.e. birch, larch and olive.
The first is not properly indicated as firewood or for maintaining the flame, as it burns rather quickly. Rather, it is excellent for lighting the fire, as it lights up more easily.
Birch belongs to the broadleaf family which emphasises that the leaves have a wide shape and often margins they are notched. These plants need a different habitat for each category: they are easily found in cold and rainy environments. The erect stem has a network of capillaries used for the passage of liquids to promote its growth.
The most obvious feature of this tree is the pearly white with distinctive dark marks. It has bright green deciduous leaves while in autumn the leaves turn yellow.
The trunk can also reach a height of 25 metres while remaining always thin. These plants sprout spontaneously and the branches are also very thin.
Birch is widely used in herbal medicine for its diuretic and purifying properties, but also in cosmetics, moreover the betulinic acid contained in its bark has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties.
Larch, on the other hand, is slightly better than birch in terms of firewood, as it is a fairly hard type of wood. Unfortunately, however, it is also very resinous, therefore having a tendency to produce a lot of smoke.
This wood is recommended for cooking meat because, thanks to this factor, it is very aromatic. This tree is elegant and is a secular tree highly appreciated thanks to the uses that can be made of it.
It can reach 40 metres in height, with a cylindrical trunk and a pyramid-shaped foliage, its leaves are needle-like in green which turns yellow in autumn. These trees act as protection for the woods because their deep and robust roots hold the soil very well.
Larch is mainly used in carpentry as it is easy to work and it has a beautiful red colour. Given its resistance, it can also be used outdoors.
Currently, it is also used for the construction of furniture in other colours if chemically treated.
Larch is not only used for wood but also to extract turpentine from its resin.
The wood of the olive tree is very good to burn and burns even when it is still green thanks to the presence of oil inside. This also allows it to produce very aromatic smoke when it starts burning. It is mainly used for cooking pizza and focaccia.
The olive tree lives for numerous years reaching even two hundred years very easily: this is given by the fact that it manages to completely redo its hypogean and epigean plant if damaged.
This tree is an evergreen, simply dropping in winter. This plant is mainly used for the production of oil from the fruits of the plant.
Poplar and pine
Among the last classified is the poplar which, being a much softer type of wood, can be used especially for the ignition phase as it burns very quickly when it is dry.
The poplar belongs to the willow family, originating in the northern hemisphere and now also common in Italy. It is a shrub that is often used also for windbreak barriers because it is highly resistant.
It has a rapid growth and is also ideal for gardens, considering that it is still a tree that can reach noteworthy heights. This tree can even grow beyond two and a half metres in circumference.
The colour of bark and leaves varies according to species: the white one has white bark and lower part of the leaves with a slender and elegant crown; the black one has darker bark and leaves; the flickering one, on the other hand, is not widespread and is characterised by a great lightness.
The leaves of the poplar are all in the shape of a rhombus or oval with the upper part of shiny green and the lower one is lighter. Poplars are characterised by rapid growth compared to other shrubs. Also for this reason they are widely used to decorate avenues and public gardens and do not even need special soil to grow quickly.
In the first years of life it is better to irrigate it constantly and then the rain will give it the water necessary for its development. The poplar is very resistant to pests.
The pine follows the poplar as it is acceptable to burn and also develops a flame that heats up quickly. Unfortunately, however, being very resinous it makes a lot of smoke when it is ignited.
Its pine cones, on the other hand, are excellent for burning. It is also excellent for cooking food as it is aromatic.
Pine is a conifer that includes more than one hundred varieties, spread throughout Italy. It loves the light and prefers sandy soils, in fact it is easy to find many pine forests near beaches or in dunes.
A very large evergreen tree, it can live up to 250 years and can even reach 30 metres in height, blooming from March to May. The cylindrical trunk can reach six metres in diameter with an umbrella-shaped crown.
The very thick bark divided into plaques by some cracks; the leaves, or the needles, are gathered in pairs; the fruits instead are the pine cones inside which there are the seeds, or the pine nuts, produced after 15 or 20 years of age.
Used for turpentine, cosmetics and also pine nuts, pine has a very resinous and heavy wood. Due to its resin it is not indicated as firewood as it could also cause fires through the soot it releases.
It is also not suitable for the construction of furniture, it is usually used to the maximum to build construction site boards and packing boxes.