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    Housing and Tools

    Housing and tools represent a non-food based application of plants, which for the most part is constructed from the wood of tree species. In today’s society, trees are seen as valuable resources both economically and socially, to produce many products which we require.  

    Archaeological evidence suggests that tools were first developed during the Lower Paleolithic period around 2.5 million BC, although these were stone tools. However, later on during the Upper Paleolithic period, around 40 000 BC, more specialized tools came about. Some of these tools did use the wood from trees, such as compounded tools like axes which had a wooden shaft. Modern tools are much more sophisticated and depend on wood even more than these primitive tools did.

    The wood from trees has and still is used for the construction of buildings. It is thought that at some point during the Paleolithic period wood started to be used in combination with other materials for the construction of shelters. In modern societies, wood is used in the construction of homes, used for hardwood floors, for furniture and much more. Furthermore, trees have been and continue to be a home for a multitude of animals such as birds, owls and orangutans.

    The use of wood for housing and tools illustrates how diverse the products are which can be made from plant species. Trees are a type of plant present all around the globe, but unfortunately deforestation and habitat destruction is causing a decrease in the availability of this resource. Considering how important of a resource wood is, implementing appropriate conservation methods is critical. 

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