Understanding Seasonal Variation for Domestic Woods During the California Drought

Local news is all about the drought crisis of California that seems to be worsening each passing day. Not only are the everyday lives of residents affected, but so are the very livelihoods of people working in industries that highly depend on continuous and optimum water supply. Among which is the lumber industry, supplying both exotic and domestic wood.

One of the ways to address this problem is to have an understanding of the seasonal variation—or seasonality—of domestic wood. Seasonal variations refer to patterns in the demand and supply of products and services within recurring time period. This time period can refer to a year, a month, a week, or even a day. Such patterns can be predicted and caused by several factors such as weather changes—and in the case of domestic wood supply, the drought in California certainly has brought about big changes in the seasonal variation analysis for the whole lumber industry.

Spring and summer may have been an optimal time for the lumber industry to flourish, given that this the perfect time for construction and building houses, establishments, and other related projects. But with the drought in full swing, construction companies are becoming more hesitant in accepting jobs without having a clear picture of the availability of water resources in various areas. Though there aren’t that many restrictions put in place when it comes to building, it may come sooner than later given this continuing crisis.

Besides having a decrease in the demand for wood, the industry is also facing bigger problems with the drought killing trees all over California’s 33 million acres of forestry. Massive wildfires have been happening here and there, and then there’s also the problem of pests that thrive on warm conditions and drought-weakened trees. Local domesticwood suppliers might soon find themselves in a pickle with regards to getting enough supply of lumber for distribution as well, possibly resorting to importing exotic hardwood and transporting domestic wood from other states that are not affected by the drought.

Without a doubt, the seasonality of domestic wood has been affected by the drought in California—taking a serious hit both in its demand and supply. But while there are no statewide restrictions or laws governing the lumber industry just yet, this might be the perfect time to look into possible options on how to cope with the ongoing crisis.