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Abstract. This contribution presents first results of thorough systematic investigations concerning the effect of laser irradiation on wood. It has been found that the structure of a surface layer can be modified in a definite way by suitably choosing the irradiation parameters. For technical applications, thorough knowledge about the laser ablation process is necessary. Results of ablation experiments by excimer lasers, Nd:YAG-lasers, and TEA-CO 2 lasers on surfaces of different wood types and cut orientations are shown. The process of ablation was observed by a high speed camera system and optical spectroscopy. The influence of the experimental parameters are demonstrated by SEM images and measurement of the ablation rate depending on energy density.