Which limitation constrained timber production for large naval ships during the 18th century?

💡 Explanation

When shipbuilding increased, European forests suffered a depletion of large, old-growth timber suitable for masts and hull planks because sustained harvesting outpaced natural regrowth. Therefore, depletion resulted, rather than corrosion, frame instability, or slipway inadequacy, which relate to other shipbuilding challenges.

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