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FPU 131: Wood Structure and Identification

PREFACE

This laboratory manual was specifically designed for use in a blended type of learning,

most of the exercises can be done in a non-face-to-face scheme. It is divided into hands-on
exercises which will be done in inside laboratory room and take-home exercises in their home or

through the internet. This subject is a higher undergraduate forestry course FPU 131: Wood
Structure and Identification, it need background knowledge in Botany, Taxonomy, Morphology

and Dendrology as a pre-requisite subjects. The laboratory manual consists of eight hands-on or

experiment-type exercises, fourteen take-home fact-finding and critical thinking exercises, two
group exercises, one field visit activity, project and research work. The take-home exercises can

be used to complement the hands-on exercises, or they can be used interdependently (Bowen,
2015).

This laboratory exercise manual has significant benefit of providing required course

material to students, it is users friendly and readily available. The manual incorporates several
high-impact teaching practices, including research, collaborative exercises, and community-based

learning. Research has shown that high-impact teaching practices have several benefits to the
student, such as increased engagement with the material, deeper learning, improved

performance/grades, improved ability to retain, integrate, and transfer information, and increased
retention and graduation rates (Kuh 2008).

Course Objectives

1. Explain the formation of wood and its structure in a living tree.
2. Recognize and describe the appearances and functions of the major cell types that

comprise the wood.
3. Describe cell wall structures; growth related defects and their significance.

4. Identify various wood species based on their physical and structural characteristics.

5. Relate wood structure to wood properties and utilization
Importance of Wood Identification in Forestry

1. Determine the appropriate uses of wood
2. Basic need for researches on wood and wood products

3. Determination of market value

4. Determination of forest charge
5. Important in protection and conservation activities

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