Material and energy flows from the forest to the sawmill

The comparison of the ecological aspects of production processes and products are playing an increasingly important role in the decision-making processes of e.g. public enterprise and consumer behaviour. Raw materials such as wood and wood-based products are also being affected by these developments. The listing of all material and energy flows, starting with the production of wood in the forest to the manufacturing of products up to and including the further use or disposal of wood products provides the basis for the elaboration of product-related life-cycle analyses. This paper presents, structures and discusses the first two modules ''Wood Production in the Forest'' and ''Sawn Timber Manufacture'' in the life-cycle analysis of wood products.