Wood is the most versatile raw material available to man. It is
burned as fuel, shaped into utensils, used as a structural
engineering material, converted into fibres for paper production,
and put to newer uses as a source of industrial chemicals.

Its quality results largely from the chemical and physical
structure of the cell walls of its component fibres, which can be
modified in nature as the tree responds to physical environmental
stresses. Internal stresses can accumulate, which are released
catastrophically when the tree is felled, often rendering the
timber useless. The quality of timber as an engineering material
also depends on the structure of the wood and the way in which it
has developed in the living tree.

Tree improvement for quality cannot be carried out without an
understanding of the biological basis underlying wood formation and
structure. This volume brings together the viewpoints of both
biologists and physical scientists, covering the spectrum from the
formation of wood to its structure and properties, and relating
these properties to industrial use.

This is a volume for researchers and professionals in plant
physiology, molecular biology and biochemistry.