This course provides the introduction to the structure and identification of wood. This foundation is fundamental to the study of wood as a material and prepares the student for future courses dealing with the properties, uses and processing of wood. The course introduces basic tree growth and wood formation, detailing both the macroscopic and microscopic anatomy of hardwoods and softwoods. Cell types, their organization and variations are discussed. Concepts and implications of wood quality are discussed. The laboratories cover the macroscopic and microscopic identification of hardwoods and softwoods. In economical timber, the course covers the current state and outlook of the world's forest resources, important economical timber produced in Taiwan, forest resources in Southeast Asia, Russian forest resources, forest resources in the Americas and Australian forest resources to foster students' basic concepts of the timber market.