American alder is the major commercial species grown on the western seaboard of the USA and is unique to the hardwood forest resources of North America; one of the few red hardwood species.
Alnus rubra
red alder, Western red alder, Western alder
American alder trees grow prolifically in the Pacific Northwest under sustainable management. Alder has a relatively short rotation, taking less time to harvest than most other hardwoods.
Global Warming Potential | Primary Energy Demand from Resources | Primary Energy Demand from Renewables | Acidification Potential | Freshwater Eutrophication Potential | Marine Eutrophication Potential | Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential | Resource Depletion | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unit | Kg CO2 -eq | MJ | MJ | Moles of H+ eq. | Kg P -eq | Kg N -eq | Kg NMVOC | Kg Sb -eq. |
Forestry | / | 418 | 14600 | 0.26 | 0.000212 | 0.00348 | 0.37 | 0.0000183 |
Drying | 75.3 | 1100 | 858 | 0.4 | 0.000695 | 0.02 | 1.46 | 0.000144 |
Sawmill | 53.8 | 772 | 618 | 0.24 | 0.000179 | 0.00661 | 0.15 | 0.0000867 |
Transport Forest-Kiln | 46.3 | 641 | 10.3 | 0.213 | 0.000326 | 0.00544 | 0.268 | 0.0000281 |
Transport Kiln-Customer | 123 | 1630 | 24.6 | 2.42 | 0.000525 | 0.0397 | 2.07 | 0.0000678 |
Carbon uptake | -651 | / | / | / | / | / | / | / |
Total | -353 | 4560 | 16100 | 3.54 | 0.00194 | 0.0752 | 4.32 | 0.000345 |
Alder is almost white when freshly cut, but quickly changes on exposure to air, becoming light brown with a yellow or reddish tinge. There is no visible difference between the sap and the heartwood, although heartwood is formed only in older or mature trees. The wood of alder is fairly straight grain, somewhat similar in character to cherry, with uniform texture.
Alder has medium density, but is relatively soft. It has low bending strength, shock resistance, and stiffness. It is easily turned and can be polished and stained to an excellent finish.