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Wood Use: Cubic Meter Activity
A measurement commonly used for forest productivity is the cubic meter. To visualize how large a cubic meter is, try this activity.

Obtain five 1-meter square pieces of cardboard. A good source of sturdy cardboard is the packaging for appliances. You will also need twelve 1"x1" strips of wood approximately 12 inches long each.

To make the base of the cube, glue eight pieces of the wood onto one piece of cardboard, as shown below. You should let the pieces sit overnight so the glue will set.

Image showing the top view of the cube.  Please have someone assist you with this.

To each of the four side pieces of the cube, glue one piece of the wood, as shown below. Again, let the glue set overnight.

Image showing the side pieces of the cube.  Please have someone assist you with this.

Glue the sides to the base and to each other as shown below. You might want to tie a string snugly around the cube to hold it in place while the glue sets.

Image showing how to glue the cube together.  Please have someone assist you with this.

You now have an open-top box with a volume of approximately one cubic meter. From time to time you may want to glance at this box when you consider the cubic meters of wood that humans consume each day of every month of every year.

A hectare of mature forest in BC yields 8 times more timber than a hectare of mature forest in Siberia, and 50 times more than a hectare of mature forest in Brazil's Amazon. Exhibit, Forest Alliance of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

BC average B400 cubic meters/hectare
Siberia average 50 cubic meters/hectare
Amazon average 8 cubic meters/hectare

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